New Pots for Spillers Open Day - Sat 3rd October 2009

New pots from the kiln this week.

Having Doug's pots around in the showroom has been a real treat for me

it's given me time to look at the rich depth

he manages to get on his glazes by applying them so thickly.

So I decided to glaze this Pancheon twice

as soon as the first application had dried I glazed it again.
The results were ?

Blinding !!!

If you have been following my Blog for some time, You may

remember that last year around this time I was asked to do a stall at

Spillers The Aga Centre in Chard.

Well they have asked me back again this weekend

So I have been making some new Casseroles.

and Baking dishes. with some more stock to come from the next glaze firing that is going in the kiln tonight.

Misty Morning at Barrington Court

I'm having to work more hours at the moment

which means early starts.

But when you get mornings like this one yesterday

it's worth savouring every minute.

I was at the workshop by 7.15 am and had taken Cadbury with me for a walk.
This is the view over the cricket pitch.

and the sun rising behind the trees.

This mist looks like a scene from Scooby Doo.

I'd just got out of bed and walked to the workshop

so I was looking more like Shaggy than Shaggy.

Kinda Spooky aye Scoob ?

Yeaaaa SPOOKY... HeHeheeeee

Somerset Art Weeks 2009 until 4th Oct

Following on from a very successful Private View on Friday Night.

in which we managed to drink our way through 56 bottles of wine,

24 cans of chilled Stella, 3 bottles of Champagne.

and a partridge in a pear tree.

The above pots are on Display at the Business Innovation Centre in Yeovil

just opposite Yeovil Town Football club.

I also have a display in the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen

Court House Gallery in Somerton.

Sales are going very well, as you know I like to keep tabs on the figures,

and on the first day we had 87 new visitors who had come from seeing our info in the

SAW Book.

which included a blind man who enjoyed feeling all of the pots in their different stages

and the difference between mine and Doug's work.

I have also built a ramp for wheelchair access which has proved very useful.

On the Sunday I lost count of the visitors, but it was well over the 100 mark.

Monday was a bit quieter which helped me get a glaze kiln loaded.

But Yesterday was a bumper day with visitors coming from far and wide

and buying lots of pots.

Luckily new pots to come from the kiln today to re stock the shelves.

Somerset Art Weeks - Private View.

Last Night was our Private View

This is the start of the evening just before people started arriving.

I Managed to find the perfect use for a Leach Kick Wheel.
The Copper Lined tray acts as a perfect Ice Bucket for the Beers.

Part of the show with Doug's pots .

The workshop area with Jane's wood work

only when it all calmed down did I get a chance to take some pictures.

Tea Lights in Flower Pots

It's amazing how many people love to see the old wheel.

A Perfect Pitcher

A Bit Later On

and a bit later still.

and a little bit later.

The evening was billed as 6pm - 8pm

but we finally finished around 10pm

and then went to the pub.

It was a great evening and a very successful one with many red dots

on pots and metal work.

As ever Marion was the perfect hostess.

Richard Coleman-Smith

Another Surprise Visitor Today !

Some friends of Richard Coleman ~ Smith had been into my workshop a few weeks ago

They had told Richard and His Wife Edna

That I was making slipware and using his book as a reference.

Well More of a Bible.

The Book is a definitive work on the history of Pottery in the Donyatt area

with invaluable references and drawings.
Here are just a couple of pages, to give you an Idea of how the book works.

So he came to see me and look at my work.

He was very nice and said he loved my pots.

he said

"if he were not a restrained English man He would have Hugged Me,

He was so pleased with the pots I am making".

That about sums us Brits up.

Yes this is Richard admiring one of my pots.

We all had a cup of tea and a good long talk about pots and Potters.

as you can see I was " Well Chuffed".

Richard and his wife are coming to the private view on Friday.

So If you have a copy of his book

You might be able to get it signed.

Wassail Cup

I Finally got around to making the Wassailing Cup

That the Court have commissioned me to make.

I have collected leaves from the oldest tree in the Orchard
and these have been used on the pot

and I am going to glaze it with the Ash Glaze from the Court.

so they don't come more local than that.

New Pots & My Sales Prevention Officer

I had Eight New Dip Bowls come out of the Kiln Yesterday.

I'm Trying a number of Designs

I think I like this plain one best

I'm trying to build up some stock for the

Somerset Art Weeks.

Despite Having Caddy sat at the entrance of the workshop

working as a sales prevention officer.

Most of the time he is fast asleep and people are stepping over him.

and they still managed to buy 12 pots yesterday.

Busy Times.

Private View Invitation.

All of our Private View Invitations have now been delivered

and by the amount of replies we have received so far

we are currently running at around 70 people.

I thought I would put it out in the Blogging world

so If any Blogger's are out there that would like to attend

You are more than welcome.

But If you do, You must Let me know

Other Wise Marion will Kill Me.

Marion is in charge of the Private View event.

and Keeping a track of the numbers will

ensure we have enough Wine Beer and Food, for a good event.

Surprise Visit Today !!

Any Idea who this lady is ?

She is Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE

Director General of the National Trust.

And she came into my workshop today and had a chat about my work

which I am happy to report she loved, and we discussed my plans for the bigger

workshop which looks like it's all going to go ahead in January 2010.

She loved what I was doing and I explained to her that the

National Trust have been very helpful to me

since I have been here.

The timing of the visit was quite good because I had just thrown

the Large Wassail Cup That the Court have Ordered.
and I had just picked some leaves from the Oldest of the Apple Trees
in the Orchard opposite my workshop.
These are going to be incorporated into the design of the pot
and it will be glazed with the Ash Glaze.
This all went down very well, It was a bit like a Royal Visit
because in the National Trust
Visitors don't come any Higher than this.
And to Cap it all
She Bought a Pot.


What A Nice Lady.

The St Ives Effect..

A couple of weeks ago while Marion had a few days of work

we ventured down to the Leach Pottery at St Ives.

and yes we did the obliquity shot of the fire place.

I had left the camera in the car so this somewhat grainy shot was taken with my mobile phone.

It was very interesting and well worth the visit for Pottery fans.

In the shop we were told that there was no standard stock for sale

as every time they open the kiln it sells.

Yet sneaking a peek in the working studio there was no sign of any work in production.

This had obviously hit home to me when we got back home

The following morning I was in the workshop early

and threw 42 small bowls and 28 Lipped bowls.

My two best selling lines, there was no way I was going to be out of stock

of my best selling things.

It really has spurred me on to making more pots,

I can't afford to miss a sale because of a lack of stock

to my mind that is a Capital Offence.

Inspiration also comes in other forms

I've always Loved Clive Bowen's Lidded Jars

and we had a chance to look at some more

at close hand in the shop. I have tried on numerous

occasions to make some that could stand up to scrutiny.

I Think this one hits the spot.