Studio Saturday - heaving a sigh of relief

"Last year" I signed up for a ceramics course at Morley, "Exploring the ceramic surface with texture and colour" - four Saturday afternoons. A good way to ease back into the ceramics studio, to get re-enthused, I thought. 

And it promised well in terms of content, inspiration, opportunity. I hadn't taken in that there were two classes, a two-week break, and two more - which makes for some good thinking-time in the middle.

But I haven't grasped the nettle with any enthusiasm. There is a mental block, kinda like the one I get when faced with wiring diagrams. Yet it could be so much fun! I'm kicking myself for being "lazy"....

Thus it was was much relief that, preparing to go to the penultimate class, I realised that today is the second non-class week and it doesn't happen till next Saturday. But the knock-on effect is that I won't be able to attend the final class, on account of needing to be at my son's wedding. 

So I feel lazier than ever about this course. 

Never mind, here's what's happened so far.

First week - piddling about with over-complicated mark-making on tiles -

 ... much more fun to experiment with the leftover bits of clay -

 ... including this "water flowing over the scholar's rock" thing (or perhaps, "back view of wavy hair") -

 These went to the kiln -

Week 2, these came back from the kiln -

and these tiles had been kept back for further development -

 I'd looked for some things that might make interesting marks and enjoyed mucking about with this one -

Printing coloured slip onto tiles was fun - here's a (yawn) coordinated set - yes yes, it does look like a textile....

 These are a bit freer -

As for the sigh of relief, the free afternoon leaves time to make a panful of brownies, and do the hoovering, and go for a walk.

Drawing Tuesday - V&A

The ceramics department of the V&A always offers a lot of scope. I had figurines in mind, for some crazy reason, but definitely not this bunch -

 I did quite like this commedia dell'arte family -

 and "woman with a fish"

 but settled on these two...

 and couldn't resist the mythological(?) creature on this bowl -

They all fit on a page, and turned out rather pale...

Carol was bold -

 Joyce found pomegranates -

Sue's choice was a large sculpture by Peter Voulkos, "Standing Form" -

 ... and a teapot with orange peel glaze by Peter Meanley, 1994 (he's been a saltglaze teapot maker for several decades now) -

Najlaa found patterned plates by Patrick Caulfield (1992) and Peter Ting (1997) -

Janet K started with a couple of heads

 ... and moved on to a form by Merete Rasmussen -

 Judith liked the collection of shapes

 ... and the patterning of a huge plate that hangs on the wall -

 Extracurricular activities 

Carol had a vintage railway experience -

Janet K spent a family-filled fortnight at a cabin on a lake in Canada - this is the "shed" in its back yard -

Studio Saturday - small steps with ceramics

Gradually some little fabric pots are accumulating, on days when I listen to a podcast and sew while having the first coffee of the morning. 

When I arrived at the studio I put the padlock and keys on one side of the desk, and my five little pots for dipping on the other side -

 Jackie had left some info on plaster moulds, in response to my mention of thinking of maybe using some -

 The fab five -

Oops, fabric can collapse, I had somehow forgotten that - but it led to a new way of gathering and storing info -

 Five pots drying out -

Studio Saturday

A couple of volumes from this 1990s series has come my way and reading them reminds me of how much I don't know about working with clay. I'm compiling a list of words to look up but am a bit embarrassed about sharing it with anyone...

This next one is from the studio's little library - I sat quietly at my table and read, remembering what Dorothy Caldwell said in her class at Festival of Quilts in 2008 - "sometimes you just want to sit in your studio and read something" ...

Ah the joy of pinch pots -

Mere months after the class with Dorothy, in my introduction to ceramics during the foundation course, I made a variety of pinch pots ... and would like to do so again ...

Meanwhile a visit to CCA to look at the beautiful, desirable crafts being produced by the top makers.  More ideas. Do these strung-together pots  look rather like lampshades? -

These lines are part of a porcelain-and-resin piece by Fenella Elmes -

And on the way home from the second day of the marbling course, more #walktosee drawing, when a little sitdown was needed -

Looking forward ...

... walking on ...

... looking back

Studio Saturday - not much to report

My ceramics inspiration continues, with a visit to the "Monochrome" exhibition by three members of London Potters -

Wall sculptures by Desa Phillipi

... in various configurations ...

... with lovely shadows

Work by Bridget Macklin...

... with inclusions of "found materials" into the porcelain

I neglected to photograph the wall installations by Camilla Webb Carter - see her work here.

In my home studio, space is gradually appearing on the workbench, but not by magic -- I'm luring myself in there by dubious means, and forcing myself to discard things...

 At the machine, something is slowly but surely happening ...