Monday 28 May 2018

Pottery is the New Yoga?

Earlier in the year one of my daughters sent me a link
to an article in Vogue magazine which stated
"Pottery is the New Yoga"
I can fully understand where this comes from as so many people that attend
our twice weekly taster sessions tell me it takes the mind away from
anything else they have going on!
it's a place to escape from the day to day life stresses.

So where does that leave Me?
To me the day to day stresses are the Pottery!
I have to find some other place to escape and for me it is my computer
it all seems a very backward world sometimes.

At the start of the year I stated that I was going to make large pots
in 2018 and to expect more from me!
Well it's been a bit of a mixed bag if i'm totally honest.
Teapots are new from me and I've enjoyed making them
and the response has been unbelievable.

As a warm up to a day's throwing I've been making small quantities of
my small sauce pots and ramekins
as these are regular sellers in the showroom. 
The jug here I think is one of my best ever!
it's nice when you look at a pot and it hits all the spots for yourself
it's a rare moment. 
 I have started on making bigger pots, Much Bigger
It may not look elegant at this point, but it is great to be challenging myself
to go bigger, It's all about self belief and that's my biggest hurdle.


I've been far more open to trying new things this year with  mixed results

This just didn't quite work for me, but someone asked if they could buy it!
But I know it didn't come out as I wanted!
How many of us have sold pots that we feel that about?
I probably shouldn't ask that! 
The standard stock items haven't gone away and luckily for me 
they continue to sell, but then they have remained at the same price
 for the last 6 years Time to put the price up?

My bigger jugs came out nice and in previous years I've held pots
back to sell at Earth & Fire and then not sold them at the show!
so this year people have asked to buy them and they have gone
to new homes.
Don't worry I'm making some more this week to take to the shows.

 Marion's Sgraffito work on my harvest jugs has been a great addition
 this year and I do enjoy making these little jugs.


 I wanted a plain big serving dish for the table at home.
 and This is what country pottery is all about for me
 This 18" wide dish now sits on our kitchen table at home
 On the bigger theme I've made some bread crocks
and had reclaimed oak lids made for them
but I have had very little interest in them!
Sometimes ideas work and fly off the shelf and sometimes
they sit around forever just waiting for the right person to walk into the showroom.
If pottery is the new Yoga
then this is one of those positions you don't 
do very often!
Thank You for catching up and have a great week!
Paul

2 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

I'm so glad you took a break to blog! It's great to see your production, and how you push yourself! It gives me hope.

Marshall Colman said...

So true about the stresses for the professional potter being in the pottery! When I demonstrate people say, "That must be so therapeutic!" I don't like to disillusion them. Always trying to improve and solve problems, meeting deadlines for shows, worrying about sales. Still, beats working in an office and having a boss!

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