A Kiln Full of New Pots

This mornings kiln load was full of new pots

These 1970's retro coffee cups and saucers are a first for me.

I shall be making more of these.
A Beaker

Black bowl with white slip

Black slip on Green

a new range of 6 mugs plain & simple

a new loving cup

and 16 lipped bowls.

and I slipped these jugs today.

top row white slip, middle row green slip, bottom row blue slip.

Mighty Oak Fallen. = Sawdust for Potter

I have been thinking for some time now that I should have a go at

Raku. Would you believe it it's something I've never done.

I've decided to build a small Raku kiln in a dustbin.

Yesterday the chaps working at the court asked me if I ever needed saw dust

because a large oak tree had just been cut down at the cricket pitch.
This saw dust is so fine, I could hardly believe it.

what a fantastic setting to be collecting saw dust.

This was the lucky Oak that is still standing.

and this is the orchard grass.

and something was stirring in the water.

The day had started well, I was in early and making jugs.

by the end of the day I had made 21 jugs and 15 bowls.

with a bisc firing cooling down, and more glazing to be done on Wednesday.

Visitors to the showroom are picking up, I've had some very interesting people in

but I'll save that for another post.

The Best things in life are Free.

Having said that, this bowl fresh out of the kiln last night is not.

I stole the wording from Tracey Broome's Blog

http://tsbroome.blogspot.com

I wanted to make a large bowl for the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey

in June, and I just loved this wording.

It seems to me to be a great way to live your life.

If you do these Four things. I certainly hope I do.

I thought it was time to show some of the gardens
at Barrington Court, now they are starting to gain some colour.
It's getting a bit rough around here.

Even in the old days, they went around with Knives.

This is the White Garden

This is Strode House which has a restaurant.

The wisteria

The old stables.

I'm off to visit a possible new outlet for my pots

and then I've got to package up some pots to send to Washington DC.

Pottery Workshop - Telephone

After a very long wait

I finally have a Telephone Line in at the new Workshop

and the Number is

01460 249647

I always wanted one of these old phones

and this classic is from 1973

the year I got interested in Pottery.

I believe it's the classic potters phone

because you don't get the buttons clogged up with clay when you answer it.

and the handset is quite heavy

which means you try and keep your conversations short.

Paul Jessop

Barrington Pottery

Telephone - 01460 249647

A Good Start to My Week.

Monday morning and I'm up bright and early,

it's a beautiful day, if not a bit chilly.

Opened the kiln and then took Caddy for a walk.
I Like to unload the kiln, then go for a walk, to give me time to think about
the pots that have just come out.

Initial reactions can be deceptive, especially if pots don't come out as you hoped.

But that wasn't the case today.

This large bowl although quite plain is beautiful.

This is the large Pancheon made with a 50/50 mix commercial clay and local Puckington clay.

See I can do modern, but in my own way.

I love jugs.

This is the same jug in better light.

and My dip bowls are now

Back in Stock.

This Bread crock has been made as an order to match some other pots

I made in the black late last year.

This one is going to have a wooden lid made to fit.

So I'll post a picture of this again when the lid is made.

whilst out on my walk I spotted the BT guys putting the cables in

so my phone line should be up and running by Wednesday.

and I've just completed my order for 20 Tankards as well.

What a great start to the week.

Away Day!

So what would you expect any self respecting potter to do when he decides to take a day off from the workshop ?
If you said, go and look at pots, then you are Correct !

I went and had a look around

The RJ Lloyd Ceramics Collection at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum

In Bideford

What a great collection

I think this plate was my favorite piece..

But look at these.

and these.

Beakers, so simple.

also very nice to see.

and to add to my day Clive Bowen's place is only 10 miles down the road.

This was my first visit here.

Clive was not there but his son Tom showed us around and made us feel very welcome.

I spent most of the time saying "Wow oh Wow".

Inspiration indeed.

Great colours

I loved this plate.

I thought I was going to come away all disillusioned, but I haven't

I've come away all inspired.

So I'm off to the workshop.