Author Archives: Bridget Macklin

I am an artist working in the field of ceramics creating fragile porcelain pieces which are inspired by the environment or by peoples relationships with the environment and with each other and which often incorporate finds to support their narrative.

Here We Go . . . .

Two things happened this week which make the fact that my ceramics diploma at City Lit Arts is coming to an end.  The first was that I registered for my photo ID card for New Designers.  This is a very big exhibition for graduates of design based courses to show their best work.  It is a fabulous opportunity and I am looking forward to it with a mix of excitement, anticipation and anxiety.  We keep being told that this is such an opportunity to be seen by the shop and gallery owners who are looking for new names to exhibit and work with so you have to make a really great impression.

The second thing was that a group of us went along to the gallery that we are going to be using for our final show; seventeen brand new and exciting approaches to ceramics, every one different but all with the hindsight of a wonderful shared learning experience and displayed with the same attention to detail and finish.  We have taken the first floor of Candid Arts Gallery behind the Angel in Islington.  What a fabulous space!  It is huge!  Our first reaction was that we might have difficulty making it look filled but actually, having spent some time there I really believe that we can do it justice.  There will be plenty of space to get all round the work, which is important with 3D art and there will be plenty of space for the hundreds – no, thousands – of visitors to stand and chat, glass of something cold and refreshing to hand, whilst a gentle warm breeze wafts over them from the windows at either end which give the place such a feeling of light and space.  It is somewhere which lends itself to each of us being able to spread out and yet feel as one.  Our work will positively shine in it!

So there is nothing left to do now except to make some work, get some publicity organised, finish my essay and send out the invitations. . . .  What have I missed? Oh, I know, dates for your diaries: New Designers – The week of 22nd June, Candid Arts – the week of 29th June.  It feels a bit like going on tour!!  More details will follow shortly.

All we need to do now is to make some pieces worthy of the space!
All we need to do now is to make some pieces worthy of the space!
All ready to be admitted to New Designers.
All ready to be admitted to New Designers.

How not to do things!

Carline Winn, Sculpture
Carline Winn, Sculpture

Yesterday I went to see the selling exhibition of 23 members of London Potters at Redlees Studios in Isleworth.  What a fabulous environment in which to work!  The studios are based in a wonderful building converted from the Victorian stable block of Redlees Park, complete with clock tower!  The studios are arranged in a horseshoe around a lovely cobbled courtyard.  The sun was shining and I spent some time sitting in that courtyard soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the ambience of the place which, if it hadn’t been for (frequent) interruption of planes approaching the runway at Heathrow would have been quite blissful.  The exhibition was interesting.  There was some great work.

Lindy Bartletta
Lindy Bartletta, forms inspired by the landscape

I particularly enjoyed the work of Lindy Barletta whose thrown porcelain forms had a strong landscape interest not dissimilar to my own and also of Caroline Winn whose work reminds me very much of that of Gillian Lowndes with her inclusion of metals and other materials and her use of clay.

I also thoroughly enjoyed chatting to some lovely makers about both their work and mine.  So what did I do wrong?  Well, a number of the makers were kind enough or interested enough  to ask about my practice.  ‘Oh yes!’ I announced, proudly.  I am doing a ceramics diploma at City Lit.  I finish this summer.  So they wanted to know what I make – could I describe my practice intelligently? No!  They wanted to know where I had my studio.  ‘Oh yes!’ I declared.  ‘I have a studio in Wimbledon.  It is a fabulous set up behind the dog track.  We are having our Open Studios in three weeks time.  You should come along.’  So several times I was asked for information about either my work or about the up coming Open Studios at Wimbledon and I suddenly found myself in the position of 1. Not being able to remember the exact date of the Wimbledon event, 2. Not having any o f the invites for said Open Studios in my bag, 3. Not having any of my own business cards in my bag. 4. Not having any kind of a note book for writing down things that occurred to me as I was chatting to people.  But it is ok.  I have not finished the diploma yet.  I still have 9 whole weeks to become a professional.  It’s fine – I can relax for a while longer, can’t I?

No!  I feel a very long to do list coming and at the top of it is that I need some kind of a ‘Grab bag’ of essential kit to take to exhibitions of other people’s work so that I never again miss the opportunity to promote myself as an artist.  Time to pump up the ego, I think!  Oh, and by the way, in case you think that I have missed another opportunity – Here   is the invite to the Wimbledon Artists Open Studios which takes place from 14th – 17th May and where I shall be exhibiting my work in the Blue Building, studio 403.  Pop along and have a chat! Poster May 2015 Open Studios