Round Up of 2011 and Big Thanks!

2011, has very much been about getting pottery things in place and learning as much as i can about the pots i want to make... most of it from the incredible potter's blogs out there. Thank you all for regularly posting about your methods, processes and thoughts, they have been invaluable... and i know I have some folk to go to in my times of pottery need. Biggest thanks go to Matt  (that's Grimmitt for those of you not up to speed!), for both just being there whenever i have a question and also giving me so much information so freely, when i know he's had to figure a lot of it out for himself! A top man and great potter... "thanks Matt!". Also Ron and Tracey, Stateside, for always checking in and supporting, no matter how amateur my piece!.. and not forgetting Doug Fitch for helping kick off my pot making by stumbling upon his blog and following it for a year (and working back through his entire blog history... every post.), before thinking pottery was something i should actually do. Doug if you happen to see this, don't stop blogging and thanks for all your shared pots and knowledge.
Anyway, It will be interesting to see what 2012 brings (well, we host the Olympics for one, so expect some Olympic pots!.. not your traditional souvenir junk i'm guessing.)
Thanks to everyone who has ever commented or continues to do so... you folks know who you are.
I'm very fortunate to have you all hovering behind me.

If it seems like i hardly mention Illustration on this blog it's because i don't! I've explained why in previous posts.... not wishing to upset clients, waiting until work has been published, not being able to give too much away etc. Also I'm living it all the time and so this blog gives me some space for my pottery thoughts. Don't get me wrong, i could write some epic posts on the good and the bad of this industry... but why would i do that?... and who would want to read it?? I did have a thought of eventually splitting off into a purely pottery blog, but this one seems to be doing a pretty good job!

Sussex Inlaid Slip

I was in the Hastings Museum with my boys last weekend and managed a minute or two amongst the pots. They have a decent collection of Slipware and due to our location there's lots of Sussex pottery with its inlaid slip decoration. Very beautiful. For the non-potters out there, you press the printers type into the damp clay and the fill the impressions with the white slip coating (obviously it doesn't have to be just printers type, you could even carve a design into the clay surface). You then scrape back the surface slip, so that it only remains in the impressed letters. I think it's about time i followed my local tradition and tried one out and updated the designs for 2011. Not sure what to do yet, but the bottle/flask based on the leather one might be a good place to start. I need to ask a couple of friends if they have suitable printers type i can borrow for the job. It's hard to find much info on these pots out there on the net... or I'm looking in the wrong place! We'll just have to see where it leads me. Anyway, here are a few pictures and if you live in Hastings or nearby, i suggest a visit to the Museum and reconnect with your town and it's history... it's a lovely little place to spend an hour.

Slipware Piggy Bank

Just a quick one to fill in the gaps. The pig money box has been sgraffito'd for a while now, but thought I'd stick a picture up as a record. Hopefully I'll figure out what the hell I'm doing with this kiln and get some fired in the New Year. I'm dealing mainly with my illustration work now and sorting Christmas and kid's school plays etc. I hope to make a few bits, try a few things out... and if i get the new wheel up in place i'll be making and trashing as many wobbly pots as i can! Hopefully 2012 will be the year when it can all come together and i can get some actual pots out there into the World.

As you may also see i made a fatal sgraffito mistake on the EE's, thought i was scraping away the slip outside the letters and then... oops! That's why i like working on the computer.... apple z every time.

Still, now it 'adds to the character'!!

Snowman Boiler

What do you do when your boiler's old, dated, on it's last legs, practically an antique?.... well, it just needs cheering up!... I'll get another 10 years of service out of it now.
I saw the kids paint and a paint sponge/brush sitting there winking at me and the round pilot light window the same size... and well, now it's festive (luckily for Jakki it will just wipe off). Shame, I'm getting used to the happy chap. My boys loved it, they couldn't get their heads around how it wasn't a whole new thing I'd installed, just a few dabs of paint.

You Know The Economy Is Bad

... When you see this great offer! I had been wondering when they'd get some more in.
You have to wonder what goes through the mind of someone that thinks this sign was worth the effort.

Hands and Tools

I came across this and thought I'd share it. It warms my heart to see such stuff. It's nice to know there's still people using tools. Hope for humanity! Now, I'm pretty useless at DIY, it has to be said. I like to think I can make most things in a creative way, chisel and wood, clay and hands, wire and pliers.... as long they don't need to be of use to anyone or serve a function!.. doesn't hold out much hope for functional pots does it?? I would love to be able to use all these tools though, i really would.