Open Studios presents a fantastic opportunity to meet people and to chat about your work. The trouble is that I am completely hopeless with names and faces so I am always being caught out when people drop into my studio assuming that I will know who they are because we had a long and fascinating conversation six months ago. It is so embarrassing to stare blankly at people whilst you are frantically flicking thorough the files in you brain in search of recognition.
The lovely man who breezed into my space on Friday afternoon was nothing if not distinctive – very tall; soft, American accent; blonde hair scrunched into a pony tail; tanned, weathered face. I was still wondering whether he had parked his horse at the door to the building whilst he was rummaging in his ‘saddle bag’. With a flourish he fished out a plastic bag and declared that he had brought me a present. I held out my hands and something brown and squashy was deposited!
After an awkward few seconds it transpired that during the previous Open Studios in November I had given him a small plastic bag and he had duly gone down to the ‘beck’ and also to a local clay pit to fill it with clay samples, bringing it back during this event so that I can incorporate into a vessel. I love a good piece of found material
to mix into a vessel so nothing could stem my excitement at this wondrous gift! It turns out that this lovely man is a petroleum geologist called John, who I have now got completely in focus as the man of mud ! Thank you, John. I can’t wait to get making!
Bridget Macklin 
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