Hands Dirty at Half Term

 One earthenware and one stoneware kiln full of jugs this half term. And one bowl! Happy to get my hands dirty again.

RWA Autumn Exhibition 2011 - Selected

I'm delighted that the kaleidoscope has been selected for the 159th Autumn Exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

The exhibition runs from 30th October to 31st December 2011 here...
Royal West of England Academy, Queen's Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1PX

Bristol Museum

Popped down the road from the RWA to Bristol Museum. Had a false memory of how much Long Line was exhibited there - only found this one cruet set, nestling amongst a few pieces of Kitchenware. Shocking!

M and I liked this Dorland ware...

Found this Delft pattern on the left, designed by Honor Elliot.

I really like this Clarice Cliff teaset. Very delicate.

RWA Autumn Exhibition 2011 - Preselected

The kaleidoscope has been preliminarily accepted for the 159th RWA Open Exhibition. J and her son A helped me load it in to the car on Friday night. J borrowed a sack truck from her cousin L. M and her husband B met me in Bristol on Saturday morning to unload it, wheel it in to the RWA, take it up in the lift, unpack and install it. Thankyou everybody! M has had two pieces preliminarily accepted too. At this very moment our work is sitting in the same building as work by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Louise Bourgeois, being looked at by the RWA panel of Academicians, Goldfrapp composer and musician Will Gregory and writer, curator and art critic Nicholas Underwood. I'm going to regret all that smug name dropping if I get an email on Wednesday saying "please come and collect the giant kaleidoscope because now we've had a proper look at it we don't want it." Watch this space.... 

Googling Myself

Doing a bit of googling myself, as you do, and came across a mention on this blog...

http://hi-inspiremeplease.tumblr.com/

So here's my blog quoting what they wrote about me on their blog...

brilliant ceramics display - “the triangular space and mirrors reflect the pieces to infinity.”

I loved how this work was displayed, I thought it was so clever. Looking back through Jo’s blog I can see there is an on going development to this mirror idea:

“April 07, 2011 - Been mucking about with mirrors in an attempt to think about how to resolve my clay work. What am I going to exhibit? How will I exhibit? What do I want people to see in my work? What do I want them to think?”

This makes me feel slightly relieved as everyone’s been telling me: “you’ll make it work”, “it will come to you” and “it will come together”. (I haven’t yet believed it)

Jo’s blog has given me a bit of hope, knowing that you don’t need all the answers straight away!

Caramel Apple

Sat at work in the Box Office watching caramel apples being made in the fudge shop opposite. Think I may have been banging on about them a bit (me?) and my boss S was driven to go over and ask if I could have a go. So, another string to my creative bow. Here is my caramel apple... 

Felt I ought to buy it as it was a bit heavy around the bottom end and the choc drops melted. Not sure it would have looked good in their window display. Next week, sugar mice and marzipan fruit. Maybe.

Jug of the Month - September

A 1950s Carlton Ware jug in Windswept pattern. A great fat belly on it. Only ever seen it before with a brown handle like this .... 

so mine probably very rare and worth millions. Probably.

Had this mustard pot in the same range from Gloucester docks antiques on my birthday.

Windswept comes in other colours like this amazing pink set on ebay at the moment. Pretty in pink...