Experimenting with form….

Posted on May 13, 2020September 13, 2020 Posted in Ceramics and related work, WorkLeave a comment

So much of my work is currently focused on a geological and geographical exploration of place, hunting for possible clay sources or the materials I could use in glazing, and the subsequent testing of all of these materials that seems to go on for ever (indeed – it may well go on indefinitely – as each batch of gathered natural or wild clay or rock dust will vary)….. But alongside this aspect of my work, and the photographic recording of the places I visit, that I see as vital, there is the absolute necessity to concentrate on my practice as a ceramicist, and particularly the throwing that is so central in the creation of functional work that I prioritise….

In order to keep improving both what I produce, but also the narrative behind this, I need to keep practicing with form and technique. Over this past year and over the past weeks in lockdown, I have spent some time experimenting with throwing various key shapes and forms, and throwing off the hump as well as directly onto the wheel or onto a batt. Tea bowls, breakfast bowls, mortaria, pancheons, whisky tumblers, beer beakers – have tended to receive most attention…..

Mortarium experimentation

Aubergine glaze with Octomore Farm clay cuach – this glaze uses a metamorphic sandstone rock dust from Granny’s Rock, near Machir Bay, taken from dust excavated by rabbits at the bottom of the cliff face. Courtesy of Kate Hannett

Well of the True Water clay cuach, with home made earthenware glaze

Test tumbler, 100% Islay clay with Clee Hill glaze and copper splash on rim

Test tumbler with glaze test using limonite and mudstone

Clee Hill clay and glaze small batch of pint beakers

Ockeridge clay small batch of x6 pint beakers

Baking set; baking crock, pancheon and bowl for setting leaven

Throwing a bowl off the “hump”….

Sense of place:

Posted on November 2, 2017November 13, 2017 Posted in Ceramics and related work, Clee Hill Project, Local: The Plough and the Pint Project, Soil Hill Project, Uncategorized, WorkTagged Clee Hill, Ockeridge, Palimpsest, Place, Soil HillLeave a comment

A central theme in my work is the focus on place; on the landscape, the environment, the economy and culture and from this – the connections between people, locally available materials and function (for example, tools / buildings / fuel etc.). All human activity has an impact, and yet over the centuries, it seems as if there were occasionally systems that established some kind of balance between the natural world and our actions. Take the countryside of the British Isles for example, where until the development of more industrial approaches to farming following the second world war, the fields were characterised by species diversity – of plants, invertebrates, birds etc. I’m not suggesting this was a panacea – something usually has to give. Some kind of balance also seems to have been established in the management of woodlands for coppicing, creating fuel for firewood and early industrial activity. The coppiced woods created opportunities for a wide range of flowering plants such as bluebells and wood anemones and particular butterfly and bird species – whilst also creating a carbon neutral source of fuel.

Whilst it may seem almost impossible to re-create these systems to serve a world with a growing population of 7 billion people, it does inspire me – and the whole concept of sustainability deeply underlies my work. How could these more balanced systems inform our future actions and innovation? It also means that as I explore landscapes, with ceramic materials in mind, I know that I need to think carefully about the relationships that I will have with both people and place, if I am to stay true to my own values and commitments.