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!

Newlyn harbour wall

At the end of the Summer we walked along the harbour wall in Newlyn. I was surprised that such a familiar subject as fishing boats and harbours could still inspire. The shapes and variety of boats were intriguing and the bright sun on the weathered paint and orange rust was amazing. These 3 pots came from what I saw that day. I am taking them to the Robert Fogell gallery in Stamford for an exhibition that runs over the Christmas period.

I went for a walk

The autumn sun has been quite inspiring this year. The light, colour and shape of the trees makes this time of year unmistakable. I went for an early morning walk and took these photos and then made these pieces that will be in Porthminster Gallery or Contemporary Ceramics before Christmas.