Tag Archives: experimentation

Sleep patterns

I am about to embark on another collaborative venture.  More details will follow but suffice to say that I am going to be working with other makers on a project which is going to involve me taking the way they work: their colours and textures and incorporating them into a body of work for a joint exhibition this autumn.  I am truly excited to have been presented with the opportunity and, given the pleasure that the collaboration with Candide Turner Bridger and Nigel Slater gave me for the recent Earthlines exhibition, I know that it could result in some great work.

Great Walsingham Gallery Low Res 16
Collaborative work for Great Walsingham Gallery.

But, and it is a big BUT, I also know that I now have a whole lot of sleepless nights coming in the next couple of weeks.  All my best ideas happen in the middle of the night, usually at about 3 am.  The initial electrical surge is followed by a protracted process of going over and over the finer detail and sleep becomes utterly impossible.  There is little point in getting up and beginning to make as the whole thing has to ‘cook’ for a while first.  Sometimes a walk helps – so the puppy is on standby for some strange night-time excursions – but, please, if you have any dealings with me in the next week or so, do not expect much in the way of quick witted repartee!  

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Please be gentle!

Sod’s Laws?

Last week I spent a lot of time working on commissions.  Several of these were for people who are particularly important to me – either because I know them personally or because they have become some of my best customers.  It seemed to me that this had a strange impact on my work.  I think that I was trying particularly hard to get things as good as I could get them and this proved to be a mistake!

There are weeks which go really well in the studio but this was not one of those.  Trying too hard takes the spontaneity out of things and they spoil.  Opening the kiln was not a good experience.  Things had warped, discoloured, cracked or peeled.  So after a flurry of emails to explain why delivery might be a bit later than planned, this week I am back to the drawing board – sun or no sun!

On the up side, I firmly believe that every error leads to a development and an improvement.  The lucky people for whom these pieces were intended will shortly be benefitting from improved models.  Well, that is the plan at least.  So, if Sod is reading this, please could he go and upset somebody else this week whilst I rectify a few things

 

torso
Material used to strengthen the porcelain has never discoloured it before!

 

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This flat platter now goes round corners.

 

deer decal
Decals are not supposed to peel up from the centre.