Final hurdle...

Can't believe the MA Course which I embarked on 2 years ago is coming to a close so soon.
All too soon when there are still pieces to frame and essays to write...
I'm looking at using landscape photography as backgrounds for some of my final pieces, and developing ink works for more abstract texts.

June Exhibitions

Very pleased to have been invited to join 2 exhibitions in June.

The first is a one-day event in Chertsey in aid of the Heavenly Stars charity.  It has the intriguing theme of 'unfold / recycle'.  I decided to link it to my text based work with "The story unfolds...."
and submit 3 wall plaques including this one of walking in the Gower.
Details of the exhibition here

The second event is the Summer Exhibition at Gallery 55 in Hartley Wintney, starting Saturday, June 18th 2016.

I will be displaying my new, scripted ceramic wall plaques as well as hand-held ceramic spheres and forms, with inscribed extracts of poetry. Hope you can make it along.  Details here.  

Interviewing Makers

Over the Autumn I contacted a range of ceramicists to ask where they displayed their work, which venues and events they felt were the most appropriate for them, and, just as important, given the amount of time and effort involved, which were the most enjoyable to take part in.

I was delighted with the number of responses and how generous people were with their advice to a relative newcomer like me.

My first contacts were people exhibiting decorative ceramics at Hatfield Art in Clay, so, as you would expect, they enjoyed being able to meet visitors and discuss their work. All were attending 3 or more events each year. Several valued the specialist fairs such as Oxford Ceramics Fair and Ceramic Art London, where visitors tend to be knowledgeable.  The large weekend events such as Hatfield and Potfest also provided the opportunity to meet other potters. Art in Action and Oxford Ceramics Fair received special mentions for being very well organised, friendly events.

The question "Which of these venues do you find most suited to your work?" yielded very individual responses, depending on the type of work, with some people preferring gallery displays, especially for wall-mounted work.  Others liked to show how their work would look in a more domestic interior setting, such as Open Studios.  Specialist fairs allow the work to be seen in context with other, contemporary ceramics.

I was advised to conduct extensive research into the various venues, but then to try a selection and see what works for me.  An interesting piece of advice was to only attend any one show for 2 or 3 years running, then have a break and return.

This is only a brief summary of a lot of fascinating feedback and advice, and my heartfelt thanks to those who took time to help.

My next blog will feature feedback from artists who chose a different route to exhibiting their work.

In the meantime, I will take the advice offered by survey respondents to:-

    'Take every opportunity offered to you where you can show your work with integrity'  and 'Do not be afraid to put yourself out there and do not let rejection put you off... try again and again'  

Teresa 9th Feb 2016

Shorelines Video no 2

Thanks to Will Hall of Ripplewater productions for another lovely short video clip, and a lot of very patient editing - we shot most of the film on July 31st, but I've been making more of the slip trailed text pieces, and wanted to include them in the video as well.
You can see the video clip here or come along to Red Steps over the weekend of 9th - 11th October 2015 and see them on display.

BCB Stoke

Spent a couple of afternoons at the old Spode factory site in Stoke - atmospheric setting for the Ceramics Biennial.

It had a different feel to the last Biennial in 2013.  
There were still the fun and thought provoking exhibits such as the vending machine for pots - and I shall treasure my little £2 pot caught just in time.
However, there was much more evidence of looking to the future, and collaborations with industry, such as the exhibition of student designs using single fired materials, and demonstrations of 3D printing with porcelain - many thanks to Michael Eden for taking time to talk about how his work in this area fits within his creative process.
Lovely to see the outcome of the clay cargo project started a few years ago and linking Stoke along the canals to London.  The concerns about declining skills in manufacturing remain and I am looking forward to meeting Neil Brownsword at the Oxford symposium.

Shorelines Video I

Spent a day on the beach and a morning in my studio with talented young film maker Will Hall of Ripplewater Productions.
He has produced a couple of lovely short films and even braved walking out to sea with the camera to take some of these amazing shots.

You can access the first video here 

Art in Clay Hatfield

Lovely day at Hatfield, meeting so many talented makers.
Thanks to those who took time out of their day to talk at length about their practise, especially Jacqui Atkin, Adrian Bates, Jenny Beavan, Kate Schuricht and Tessa Wolfe-Murray.
It's worth checking out Paul Wearing's video showing how he achieves these beautiful surfaces

Paul Wearing