Flower Pots and a Lady Who knew Isaac Button.

Earlier this week I got a chance to look in the potting sheds at Barrington Court

Virtually all of the flower pots are hand thrown, with just a few modern ones

made by jolly machine.
A couple of weeks ago the McDonalds came into my workshop to collect
the Harvest jug they had ordered and at the Time Joy ordered
six seed pans.
Hopefully just like the ones I have now completed.
"ready when you are Joy".
I know they read the blog.
And today I sold one of my Ash Glaze pots to a lady
who used to take school children to visit Isaac Button at Soil Hill Pottery.
She said he would never answer his phone or reply to letters,
but was always great with the kids when they turned up.

I tell you, you meet all sorts of people and find out so much
it really does make every day different.

New Pots from the Kiln

More new pots from the kiln today,

16 of the Ash Glaze pots

but a few other pieces as well.

These are new design Dishes
and a revised design on the dip bowl
This one is bigger more suitable for sharing.

and this is a shot of the showroom today.

a Fantastic storm is brewing up outside tonight

so I'm going to turn the lap top off now before any Lightening strikes.

Donyatt Pots

Ivan Bingham dropped these pots into the workshop today

These were the last pots made at the Donyatt Pottery by Doug Back.

They are very small puzzle jugs about 5" tall.

Some of them were still glazed but had not been able to fit in his last firing.

I've washed them down, with a view to glazing them again and firing them.

Base stamp
a signed Piece
on closer inspection the date looks like 1985.

This one looks like it's had some repairs to it so I don't think I'll risk firing this one again.

and this little jug

It feels like such a privilege to have these pots in my workshop.

Keeping Cool

This Bowl came out of the Kiln yesterday

it's 13" wide and has a nice metallic look where the slip is thicker.

For my Birthday last Saturday Marion bought me a mini fridge for the workshop

How cool is that !

That will keep my Chocolate nice and cool through the summer months.

I also had six of these small lidded pots come out of the kiln

but I sold two of them while they were still warm to the touch.

The kiln was only 41 oc when I opened it,

but it is a nice warm feeling in the hand,

a bit like buying a freshly baked loaf of bread, but without the smell.

Earlier I posted a video clip that was just a draft so I've taken it off

now until it's in the final cut.

Barrington Pottery The Movie

It's My Birthday Today

I don't look a day over 47 and to prove it here is a Trailer for some filming

Nathan did in the workshop last month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtONtj-pgWg

Thanks again Nathan.

Empath Man on bbc iplayer

Yesterday afternoon I was listening to a short story in a programme called the afternoon reading, but some customers came in and I didn't hear the end of it.

Thank God for the BBC iPlayer.

When I got up this morning I was able to listen to the full 15 minuet story on the iPlayer

on the laptop while I was doing my other blogger catching up.

It's a brilliant service that I believe is available all over the world.

I've put the link below, what a very clever and well written story

and it continues today at 3.30 pm I can't wait.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00l0ymd/Afternoon_Reading_The_Optiagra_Effect

Working Late Tonight

I worked on until 9.15 today

some days you just get so into what you are doing that you just don't want to stop

today was one of those days.

I've been working on some new big jugs.

These tall green slip jugs seem to be selling well at the moment.

and I have only done a few jugs with the sprigs on but they have all sold as well
so I've decided to make a few more.

I was looking at this jug sat on the shelf today, it came out of the last firing

but it was nice to spend time looking at it today

the jug just looks and feels good.

I think it is important to spend time with the pots when they are finished.

I helped a young couple choose a Green slip jug today

by explaining why I liked one over the other, it was nice that they

took my advice and bought what I felt was the better jug.

This was the sky when I came out of the workshop tonight

sometimes you just have to look at the world and think

WOW !

Barrington Court Ash Glaze Pots

Following the Glaze problems on my first batch of

Barrington Ash pots.

I decided to turn it into a positive - OK ten pots went to the wall

But I have decided to make some improvements to the over all design,

something I would not have been able to do if the first batch had come out OK.

So the first thing was to get some proper number stamps for the base

I found a nice little set at Bath Potters last week for under £8.00.

This looks so much better than a scratched in number and

the metal stamps should last me a life time.
I also made the pots a little bit bigger using 1 1/2lbs of clay
rather than 1 1/4lbs.
Then I changed the decoration as well.
So all in all a totally new and improved pot.
all I have to do now is sort the glaze out and I'm off.
I did have some one turn up at the workshop last week to collect their pot and I had to ask them to come back in two weeks.
These pots are going to be Glazed with the Ash glaze from the trees at Barrington Court and are a limited number set of 100 pots
I've worked out the prices and these pots will be available from the workshop next week all being well with the glaze at a price of £34.00 each.
The first 12 are already spoken for.

Somerset Art Weeks 2009

Today I was able to submit a new Picture for the

Somerset Art Weeks 2009 Brochure.

This year the Somerset Art Weeks Event is on from

19th September - 4th October.

Barrington Pottery is going to be Venue no: 31

and the above picture shows a Doug Fitch Jug on the right

two of My jugs and a candle stick holder made by Malcolm Shepherd.

It has been quite exciting putting every thing together for the event

as it is the first time I have done this one. I missed it last year, but hopefully

this year will be a good one.

Brain Wave - Just the One Mind

I started to turn some lids yesterday using this clay base to hold them on the wheel,

but I kept damaging the lids when I tried to lift them off.

They were either sticking to the base or when I tried to prize them off with a knife I was catching the edge and marking it.

The Phrase

"Necessity is the Mother of invention" came to mind.

I came up with this Idea. Well it was new to me.

This way I can lift the lids off the wheel without damaging them


and it works.

only 78 more to go.

Spoon Jar - Jar Spoon....

Having seen the finished pots with the Ash glaze come out poor.

It has given me a chance to look at the design again.

Some things are just meant to be:

I have decided to make them all slightly bigger and change the slip design.

So I have 100 pots to make and 100 lids.
This is the Haul of shame !

They just were not good enough even without the glaze bubbles.

A damaged edge on a new bigger size coffee cup gave me the chance to cut one in half,
I was happy with this.

So Much for Money Box Live !

I was listening to money box live on radio 4 yesterday,

they had a special on small businesses.

So for once I took some of the advice and went to see my bank this morning.

Is it just me or are the Banks

trying to make life difficult for no good reason at all.

I shall say no more other than, when I got back to my workshop this morning

I was so wound up I needed to do something that concentrated the mind.

So I set about writing on this Harvest Jug which is an order I have.

I Don't believe the Person it is intended for reads my blog but if he does

" pretend you didn't see it"

Any way it seemed to do the trick

It was the first time I had attempted this type of lettering, but I'm pleased enough with it to put it up here.

New Pottery T Shirt Designs

My Paul The Potter .com T Shirts

are starting to look a bit tatty now, so I decided to make some more.

as well as remaking the old design I have a few new designs I am working on.

This T shirt Design pays Homage to these to gentlemen.

What Do You Think ?
OK Maybe not Totally PC but Funny nether the less.

Barrington Court Slipware Pots

The first Batch of new Chestnut Avenue - Barrington Court

pots came out of the Kiln this morning.

But will not be going on the showroom shelves.

It would appear my Glaze mixture is to thick

which has caused it to bubble in these areas

and I have not added enough red clay to the glaze

which makes it look a bit wishey washy.

Here is a close up of the bubbling.

What do I do next ?

1. Hit them with the hammer ?

2. just put them to one side ?

3. or do these become worth more than the next batch because they are all numbered

on the bottom & these numbers will have to be made again ?

4. I think I've just answered my own question,

I should hit them with the Hammer.

All The other pots came out fine

This lipped Pancheon is 13" wide and does have two handles.

More serving dishes.

These seem to be selling very well.

Laura's Blog.

My Eldest of Three Daughters Laura sent me this link to her blog.

with her latest visit to Ireland.

If you like good quality well written Humour then you should read this

I'm sure it will make you smile.

http://poppycockandfiddlesticks.blogspot.com/

In the mean time I'm very busy making pots with a new Kiln load due out

on Wednesday morning.

More picture then.