International Ceramics Studio Hungary

I have recently returned from a 3 week stay at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary. I was an invited artist at the Ceramics and Landscape Symposium. I had a great time exploring new techniques and ideas while working in a fantastic environment and alongside other interesting artists from all over the world. These are some of the pieces I made.

The wall piece has some printed text from a photocopy as well as layers of engobe this was a technique I was able to explore and develop and will use again now I am back in my studio.

These are porcelain pieces fired to an unfamiliar 1300 degrees C.

The left and middle pieces here were kept for the incredible collection at the International Ceramics Studio. It was a privilege to leave them behind in Hungary.

The colour of water?

These pieces have just come out of the kiln, I have spent the last few weeks developing some glazes that evoke the feeling of water, or more specifically, the sea. This is in response to my visit to Venice followed by a few days of dawn to dusk surfing in Cornwall. Surfing is a great way to have a good look at the colour, light and movement of the sea. These pieces respond to my experience of the landscapes of Cornwall and Venice.

Time to paint

After visiting Venice and then surfing in Cornwall, I then made these. I'm not sure if they are finished yet, but they're getting close.

Trip to Venice

We have just got back from a few days in Venice. It is so rich in surfaces, colours and textures. You can feel the sense of history in the walls, which are layered with plaster, paint, graffiti and grime. It's an amazing place. I made these test pieces to try and recreate the feel of the place. I expect some of these surfaces to feed into up coming work.

Happy New Year

I'm back in the studio today after a break for Christmas which was spent in Cornwall. We had 3 days of surfing and a day in St Ives. Surfing was great and the colours and light in St Ives always surprises me. I like it when work and fun become the same thing. I think surfing will inspire some upcoming pots, as will the visit to St Ives.
Progress in the studio is a bit slow, I like to blame the weather which slows down the drying process. There is plenty of time for tea breaks, and thinking time for the Landmarks exhibition that is coming up soon at the Blue Egg Gallery in Wexford.
These are the first pots of 2013, awaiting some mark making (when they are a bit dryer).

My New Kiln Shed

I have spent the last 12 months building a new shed for my kilns. Last year I went on a cob building course, when I got home I wanted to build something in cob so I tore down the old wooden shed that was housing my kiln (I should have done this years ago) and started my new kiln shed project. It ended up being a part cob building, it is a wooden structure (mostly oak), with wattle and daub panels that are covered in lime plaster, and a turf roof. It has been hard work, but great fun working on such a big scale and using semi familiar materials. It is not completely finished but it has a really solid feel and I am not as worried about firing my electric kiln in it as I was with the old rickety wooden shed it replaced.

A present from Keith Baugh

I met Keith Baugh at the Oxford Ceramics Fair, he liked my work and said he would send me a copy of his book of 70's New York subway graffiti; he thought I'd like his photos, which I do. The combination of surface imagery applied to the form of the train has comparisons to the way marks are applied to ceramic forms. I also like the use of text and the build up of one image over another. It may lead to more text being used on the surface of some up coming work. Thanks Keith!