My Bruin!

I haven't been to the museum for a while. Since moving studios I no longer walk past it everyday. I detoured recently though and was happy to see the Slipware Bruin, bear, given a permanent display. He looked well at home. I always get inspired sitting in this room, amongst these pots. I love these old hedgehogs, not the cute style little lumpy versions (though i do love those too!)... and check out those Sussex pigs, with their detachable cup heads. I'd love to have the skills to make those somedays, bring them back to Sussex and not just have the twee Rye Pottery ones. I heard recently about Mike Crosby-Jones (once of Briglin pottery, but now running Gopsall pottery, Winchelsea Beach. He threw 163 pots in an hour in 2012, he was 78 at the time) making a glaze out of Winchelsea silt, from just down the road. I'd love to be able to combine something like that with these traditional Sussex pottery forms, but also keep them current and not just stuck in the past. Maybe a little modern sgraffito can perform that service! Anyway, these pots, they all get my mind buzzing!
I also see that a splendid new pub that recently opened in Hastings, The Crown on All Saints Street, is using Mike's pots to serve their food and drinks in. Yes, a new pub opening!... makes a change these days doesn't it! I'd love to meet Mike and chat about pots and the Sussex traditions, i'm not very comfortable contacting folk like that though, so maybe the Universe will just drop me there one day.

I'll post a few more of the museums pots in my next post, it's not just this cabinet! ; )