Saturday 29 March 2014

Jug Update

These larger jugs are approx 11" Tall
 The tall green jug has green slip inside the smaller one
only has it in the rim and outside. I find that some jugs just look better
with and some look better without.
It's all about the potters eye as to what makes a good pot.
 Tall elegant and simple these jugs make me smile.
 Again the taller jug 11" has slip on the inside
and a rustic quality that is rare in Electric fired pots.
Two blogs in one day
Time for a cup of tea.

Friday 28 March 2014

A Quick Blog Pot update.


I realise that not everyone that reads the blog looks at my Facebook page
so here are some pictures of work that has
shown it's face on Facebook!
I've been making some larger platters.

 My quest to make more jugs is paying off
as two of these have sold already.
 These are the same jugs but with the sun shining through the round window
in the workshop.
 and here I am rustling up a quick batter mix in one of our small
Pancheons on Pancake day.
 This Jug sold for £45 in the online auction to aid potters in Japan
who's workshops had been devastated in the earthquake disaster
a few years ago.
 This jug is still sitting on the showroom shelf waiting for a new home
but I love this jug.

The large platter at the start of the blog finished
in what I call my
 "Cardew Style"

 and a second in a more traditional style.
 The small Pancheons are normally plain but I reserve the right to decorate
one every once in a while.
 and as a bit of fun 
Bells.
I have some nice big jugs cooling down in the kiln at the moment
so don't be surprised to see a new blog very soon.


Sunday 2 March 2014

2014 The Biggest Year of our Lives

The First of March
see's the official start of our 6th Year
at Barrington Court.


As the years have gone by, we have moved
along the building.
This was our first showroom back in 2009
as I look back at this picture
I feel as if we had this pretty much
spot on , I did like it.
But the workshop space was very limited
and the National Trust wanted to create
more workshops in this space below,
further along the building.
This room was a total of 5 bays long
Ideally I would have liked just 3 of
the bays, to double my workshop size
and give me the same size showroom,
But we either had to take it all or none.

So we set about changing this into the new all singing
 all dancing workshop & showroom.
With No Money, it was a big decision.
 But we got stuck in and in the end the showroom
which is in the picture above and below looked
Amazing.
Just what I wanted, the way I wanted it!
Then the NT gained the funding to replace the roof on the barn
at the end of our workshop
and in August 2012 a decision had to be made
Do we take it?
Of course we do!
It would give us the chance to grow,
with a separate school room, more
natural light, and the chance
to be able to fit in a bigger kiln.
There's not much that happens quickly
when your dealing with the NT.
And it was May 2013 before the barn was looking like this.

So we set about putting our stamp on it
We try and keep as much character as possible
in any area we live & work in.
And when a room has no character
we set about creating it
as we had to do in the School room.
Once again with absolutely no budget
to work with.

It works a treat.
And on the outside we have to keep it
as simple as possible.
It's proving to be a great space to work in
the natural light during the day
is just so nice for working in
and in the evenings the sun sets
are just a dream.
So here we are the start of year six
it's often been said that the first five years
of any business are the hardest
and more people go out of business
in the first five years, than at any other time.
But I feel as if I've found my feet
I Have a clear idea of the direction I want to go
and with Marion now on board,
and our wedding in August,
We Both feel that 2014 is going to be
 a good year for us.

Harvest on the Farm TV appearance

It’s great to be back on the Blog! The most exciting thing that’s happening right now, is that I’ve been asked to appear on Channel 5’s TV s...