Oldfield Artists

First Arts and Crafts Show of the Oldfield Artists yesterday. It went really well. Made lots of sales and got really useful feedback on the things people liked. People want to know really practical details about whether unglazed surfaces will stain. If I'm selling functional rather than decorative objects I need to expect these questions.

Best sellers were the small porcelain thrown jugs. The brighter, glossier colours were most popular, and all the blue ones sold...

Lots of slip cast jugs sold too, along with some matching sets...

And J's button bowls looked great and sold really well...

Thanks to R for organising it all.

Serendipity

Serendipity is an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. The effect by which one accidentally stumbles upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated. Or the attitude one chooses to adopt when opening a kiln after a disastrous firing.

The enamel colours ran but I've decided to quite like it. Serendipity.

Lid Spout Handle

Finally finished my slip cast cups, jugs and sugar bowls today. Painted on the enamel glaze and loaded kiln. Started them months ago, as extra casting, fettling, glazing and printing practise. Should be ready on Wednesday.

Kings Norton Craft

Had a stall at a Christmas market on Saturday, at Saint Nicholas Place, in Birmingham. The grammar school, Saracen's Head pub, 12th century church and Tudor century merchant's house on the green in Kings Norton won the BBC2 Restoration programme in 2004.

I sold a lot of pottery there on Saturday. My prices were fairly cheap and cheerful and I have to recognise that I was the only ceramicist in the room, so didn't have any competition. Really lovely to talk to people and watch their reaction to my work. Even if they just handle a piece and think about buying it, it's great to get a response. Really nerve wracking too. Not quite comfortable yet saying this is me, this is what I make, and this is good stuff. I suppose that is because it's a really eclectic range for sale; the end product of lots of different projects. I don't know who I am as a maker yet. And I can see all of the flaws and know that each project only took me so far, and many skills leave much to be desired. I'm at the beginning of a very long journey. Good to have to think about display, business cards, organisation and pricing work. Good to talk to other stall holders too.

 

Got another sale on Saturday 28th November, at Oldfield Park Baptist Church in Bath. Part of a group called Oldfield Artists. There will be other ceramic artists there, so that customers will have more reference points and be more able to make judgements about quality. I'm more of a quantity person at this point!

1000 words

Wrote 1000 words of dissertation last night. Decided that I couldn't go to bed without a word count so I started in the middle of the essay. Just need some more middle, a beginning, an end, footnotes, photos and a bibliography now. Sorted.

Loaded enamel kiln today. I'll see what it all looks like in the morning. Technician very patient while I asked many many questions. Brick on or off? Rewarded him with a bit of a Jo tantrum this afternoon. Surprised me as much as it did him.

Put enamel transfers on some slip cast work from last year. I cast some more after the assessment because I wanted another attempt at all the different processes. Much to improve. Hoping I've stuck the enamel transfers on the right way round this time. Nobody told me there was a front and a back. Best to presume I know nothing.

Been looking at the work of C.J. O'Neill. My tutor pointed me in her direction last week. She cuts text out of the plates, which might be something I could do with some paintress names.

Andrew Tanner, a designer and manager of what's left of Poole Pottery, does the same.

Been wondering about a wall full of eclectically decorated plates, reflecting the different styles of decoration and skills of the paintresses. With their names...where?

I'll check my enamel kiln tomorrow, and do some throwing.