tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861365972317049322024-03-13T08:59:12.328+00:00Just PotteringThe wonders of working with clay...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-23443567981548916542016-05-02T00:32:00.000+01:002016-09-12T00:13:15.383+01:00On with the next adventure... <br />
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In September 2015, I began <a href="http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ma_ceramics.php">MA Ceramics at UCLAN</a>. I keep a reflective diary of my work and experiences on the course, so I'm blogging here now for a while: <a href="http://adeledavison.blogspot.co.uk/">http://adeledavison.blogspot.co.uk/</a><br />
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If you're thinking about taking an MA in ceramics I can't recommend UCLAN's course enough. It is superb.<br />
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<a href="http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ma_ceramics.php">http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/ma_ceramics.php</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-73391695484337404062016-05-02T00:22:00.002+01:002016-05-02T00:35:02.765+01:00We did it with First Class Honours! As per my last post, the <em>Potterer</em> certainly did come back, with a vengeance, albeit not to Blogger. This post has been sitting in my <i>drafts</i> folder for around 2 years now! But I figured I might as well still publish it - and then we can get right up to date... (for a while at least).<br />
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So here's what I wrote back in 2014...<br />
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<i>First things first, first (did I mention the word 'first'?): yes... I completed my BA Creative Practice (Arts) with First Class Honours! No-one was more surprised than me at that outcome, I can tell you. I'm not saying I didn't feel I deserved it; with absolute modesty, I think I did. What surprised me is that I actually got my arse into gear to do the work! I look back on it now and it seems like someone else other than me put in all those hours of research and writing, and planning, designing, testing, making... I picked up my copy of my dissertation earlier, and thought, did I write this? Surely I can't have done all that... ?</i><br />
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<i>It turned out to be a really good year for me in terms of my academic achievements. It wasn't just me who did all the hard work though. I was buoyed on, of course, by great support from Newcastle College's School of Creative Industries, especially Dr Celia Holmes and, as always, by <a href="http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/business-of-educating-potters.html">AndrewP</a> who was there on the home straits when I most needed him. I also had the most fantastic support from close friends (Simon (especially), Harv, JohnnyD, JohnnyL) who came to my aid at various unsociable hours of day and night. I got help from complete strangers who freely gave up time and information to help me in researching my dissertation, most notably Richard Millar, Director of Enterprise, Heritage and Sustainability at Scottish </i><i>Canals, who gave me a lovely, enthusiastic and inspiring account (over the phone) of the making of the <a href="http://www.thehelix.co.uk/things-to-do/the-kelpies/">Kelpies</a>. I even got an email from Anish Kapoor's office providing helpful contacts so I could find the info I needed. </i><br />
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<i>I am also eternally grateful to my managers at Newcastle University who allowed me the flexibility to continue studying ceramics whilst working in my IT job. True work-life balance! Thank you!!</i><br />
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<i>Anyway, before this starts to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech with a bit of name-dropping thrown in for good measure (too late!), I think what I'm trying to say here is that I couldn't have done it all on my own. So a big thank you to you all for your help and I hope you'll feel it was worth it since we achieved such a good result together :-)</i><br />
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So that's all she wrote. <br />
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I had intended to write down, in some detail, how I made my final ceramic work. Maybe... if.. when I get time I will put together something pictorial that will tell the story! It was quite a feat. The finished work is at IGM and still holding together despite the odd unruly 3 year old deciding to swing on it...<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-63800629895577187442014-05-02T00:06:00.001+01:002014-05-02T00:06:22.503+01:00It's Spring and The Potterer is back!I hope I can remember how to do this.... Oh, yes, you just ramble away, don't you...? Okay I can still do that :-)<br />
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Having left my blog neglected for over a year(!), I think it's about time I began writing some posts again. I might even have a little time to do it now...<br />
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I'm in the final furlong of my BA with just one more module to complete. I can't quite believe I've got this far! The biggest milestone was reached earlier this week when my Dissertation went to the bindery - for hand-in tomorrow :-) Big, big sense of relief. It was wonderful to finish it... Not that I'm saying I didn't enjoy researching it, because I really did, but it was a <em>lot</em> of work and a <em>lot</em> of reading and a <em>lot </em>of sitting at a laptop typing it all up. Over the past 6 months, I've written around 16,000 words in Project Proposals, Project Plans, Project Development Reports and, finally, my Dissertation... So, apart from a few words here, now and then, I'm having a long rest from writing stuff!<br />
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So... the final module? It's all about clay (yippeeee) and it's going to be a challenge (so I think it is probably worth a post or two here.) <br />
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Here's the plan: I'm going to (try to) make a large hanging sculpture (nearly 4 metres in height and about a metre wide) consisting of around 120 ceramic helixes. I may or may not achieve this, but we'll see... The work is for a particular site which I'll come to in a later post along with some info on progress so far. In the meantime, here are some images of the test pieces I've made just as a taster for what's to come... <br />
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I'll be back soon with more info on the progress with my sculpture and some feedback on the experience of my final year at Newcastle College. BFN!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-18371355004146432722013-01-28T22:23:00.000+00:002013-01-28T22:23:05.408+00:00EXPO 2012 - painting masterclass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is mainly for Pam and is a long over-due (and not that great!) blog post - I apologise for that. <em>Life</em> got in the way of this one!<br />
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Last year, I took part in the Jesmond EXPO, a great local art exhibition, details of which are here: <a href="http://www.stgeorgesjesmond.org.uk/community/expo"><em>http://www.stgeorgesjesmond.org.uk/community/expo</em></a> and also here: <a href="http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/gingerbread-houses-and-wind-blown-ice.html">http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/gingerbread-houses-and-wind-blown-ice.html</a><br />
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As well as exhibiting a wide range of high quality artworks by local artists and crafts people, the EXPO included a number of events showcasing the artistic and musical skills of people who live and work in the Jesmond community. One such event was a painting masterclass by Linda Scott-Robinson.<br />
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Tickets to the masterclass were sold out and the demonstration was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.<br />
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In front of her audience, from blank canvass to finished work, Linda painted one of her famous and much sought-after poppy landscapes. It was fascinating to watch her work - she made it all look so effortless. Her self-deprecating manner and humility - in spite of considerable talent - made it all the more compelling to watch.<br />
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I scribbled down a lot of notes whilst it took place and I promised I'd write them up so here they are - As it's such a long time since the event, I've made no attempt to write them in any kind of sensible English (mainly because there are gaps in my memory about what some of them actually mean!) - they're just <em>notes</em> and cover things such as colour and type of paint, type of paper used, etc. They will only really make any sense to those who attended. I also include some photos taken of the event, but as we were in a candlelit church and I didn't use a flash (so as not to distract Linda whilst she worked), they are a little grainy.<br />
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<em>Linda doesn't stretch the paper she uses - she buys 450gsm watercolour cardboard made by Bockingford.</em><br />
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<em>There were many questions about how best to represent the blue in skies. Linda uses Nordic Blue by Aquarelle, also umbre and indigo mixes.</em><br />
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<em>Linda advises to have your mount frame ready before beginning painting so that you can hold it in front of your picture as you go and check how the painting looks within its intended frame. She commented that sometimes it is possible to salvage a portion of an otherwise unsatisfactory painting by trying smaller-than-intended frames on areas of the picture.</em><br />
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<em>Linda usually begins painting with a broad, soft brush.</em><br />
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<em>She applies a rule of thirds... (I can't remember what she said that meant!) and works flat on a table usually - rather than on an easel.</em><br />
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<em>Watercolour dries lighter in shade than when first applied.</em><br />
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<em>To get her trademark cloudy, dramatic skies, Linda sprays her work with water and then 'swishes' it to cause bleeding and fuzzy soft edges giving a natural impression of clouds.</em><br />
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<em>For the demo, she used a hairdryer to dry the paint between stages of painting but would usually allow time for drying in between each stage.</em><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">God works in mysterious ways alright. <br />
Power direct from the pulpit...</td></tr>
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<em>For the middle ground of the poppy landscape - Linda used cadmium orange.</em><br />
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<em>She mixed together crimson, nordic blue and umbre for the 'black' tree lines - she never uses black paint straight out of the tube. </em><br />
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<em>Tree lines were 'dragged down' using a light touch to blend them into their horizon.</em><br />
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<em>Linda uses a palette knife to scratch texture into her paintings - laying on lots of colour and then scratching into it to soften it and create the impression of (for example) dry stalks on fields.</em><br />
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<em>She sprays her work with water and then uses kitchen roll to 'dab' out patches for application of further colour and detail.</em><br />
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<em>The poppies were made on to wetted canvass to encourage them to 'bleed' into natural-looking petals. Pure cadmium red and Aquarelle Bright Red were used for the colour.</em><br />
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More of my photos from EXPO can be found here: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117754133398658359200/EXPO#">EXPO</a><br />
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<em></em><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-30435731791510712772013-01-20T23:29:00.000+00:002013-01-20T23:31:48.165+00:00Goodbye SeaLorna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I promised I'd share the photos I took in Woodbridge and area, during my recent visit for Lorna's funeral so please find all 74(!) of them here: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117754133398658359200/Suffolk?authuser=0&feat=directlink"><em>Woodbridge and around...</em></a> (Not all are of Woodbridge; the first few photos are of Lavenham, just a bit north west of Woodbridge, John and I had a stop off there on the way down.)<br />
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As Rhoda has said in her posts on Lorna's blog: <a href="http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/"><em>http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/</em></a>, the day of the funeral was perfect. She and Aidan did Lorna proud; the service was truly special. On top of that it was <em>such </em>beautiful weather; and really great to meet so many of Lorna's friends - all lovely people - who had travelled from every corner of the British Isles!<br />
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It was an incredibly sad and emotional day - but it is no cliche to say, in this case, that there was much cause for celebration too. Lorna <em>was</em> special. No question.<br />
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The sailing club was a stunning venue to meet up after the funeral. The club members looked after us all so well - and all of them clearly had a lot of affection for Lorna, who, as well as being a frequent sailor there, was one of the Club's main 'working party' who had given a lot of time and practical help to improving the club house and making it into the fine facility it now is. One of the club members, Emma, told me that when Lorna arrived at the Deben club they'd asked her if she would like to help out with club duties and had suggested she might like to help with making tea and selling cakes in the club tea shop.... Hmmmm. Needless to say, Lorna was having none of that and was soon mucking in with the men in clearing the old club house site and building the new one - and from what I can gather, she carried on with many 'heavy duties' with the working party throughout her illness and only gave it up when she really could not do it anymore.<br />
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As well as the chance to say my goodbyes to Lorna, this visit gave me the chance to say a big hello to Woodbridge - and indeed Suffolk, where I'd never been before. Thank you for that Lorna - Woodbridge is lovely, lovely place, I really hope to visit again sometime in the near future - I feel quite smitten by it - it will always hold a special place in my thoughts now. <br />
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For those who couldn't make it to Suffolk, we plan to have a North East 'send off' for Lorna at Tynemouth later in the year, hopefully coinciding with the next Scammell Dash... <a href="http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/scammell-dash-good-luck-to-all.html"><em>http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/scammell-dash-good-luck-to-all.html</em></a> More news on that to follow later.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><em>I hope everyone who wants to can open the linked photos okay, but if not just drop me a comment below or contact me via my contact form here: </em></span><a href="http://ambientceramics.com/contactform.html"><span style="color: #666666;"><em>http://ambientceramics.com/contactform.html</em></span></a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-67101584574267695612012-12-31T23:33:00.000+00:002013-01-01T21:34:26.088+00:00Happy New Year from NE30 to IP12 x<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happily, as the years go by, <em>some things</em> don't change much. The coastline at Tynemouth and Cullercoats was truly fabulous today. For the first time in (what seems like!) weeks the sun was shining and <u>everyone</u> (and their dog!) was out and about enjoying a New Year's Eve wander along our beautiful seashores.</div>
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Johnny and I arrived in Tynemouth about 11:30am and headed for <a href="http://www.robinsoncrusoes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Crusoes Cafe</a> for breakfast. It was absolutely heaving, but no surprise - what a fantastic place! Fancy not having been there before! What was I thinking?</div>
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(I've decided that Crusoes could be a great venue for the UK leg of my 50th birthday celebrations...)</div>
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After we'd stuffed ourselves with our respective bacon and vegetarian breakfast butties, John and I wandered off towards the Priory... along the beach, over the rocks, searching for signs of life in the pools and taking lots of photos. The weather just kept getting better and better until there was not a sign of a cloud in the sky. The wind was quite strong off the land but this just made the breakers more interesting and blew our 2012 cobwebs away into the North Sea:</div>
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One of the reasons I love going to visit the coast is because I find so much artistic inspiration whenever I go there. Today was no exception, so many unusual and beautiful rocks, and the pools were full of crystal clear water and all edged with lovely purple furry sea plants and jammed full of thick strappy seaweeds....</div>
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The sea was so beautiful once the sun came out with lots of fine spray from the strong winds and the breakers catching the light....</div>
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It was an all-round wonderful day, thoroughly appreciated, and, as promised, </div>
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I'm sending a few postcards from NE30 to <span class="contact_zip">IP12 </span><span class="contact_zip">with much love</span>: </div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/117754133398658359200/NYE2012TynemouthAndCullercoats"><strong>New Year's Eve - 2012 - pics from Tynemouth and Cullercoats</strong></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-14787963982146258392012-12-31T01:32:00.003+00:002012-12-31T01:32:46.765+00:00First impressions of Newcastle College's BA Creative Practice Well you asked for it...<br />
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There now follows a good old (and quite long!) ramble about my experiences on the BA Creative Practice at Newcastle College - peppered with images of recent ceramic works just to make it <em>seem</em> less wordy.... and to prove that I'm doing more than just written work!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Aquarium caves with non-toxic dolomite glaze - this is a test piece </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> made for Tynedale Aquatics who have kindly offered to trial some of my aquarium </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">pieces in the tanks in their shop at Mickley Square near Prudhoe</span><br />
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Newcastle College is now teaching its final (ever) Foundation Degree in Contemporary Ceramics with no new intake this year following the College's decision to shelve the specialist ceramics FdA in favour of a more generic arts-based certificate known as the Foundation Degree in Contemporary Applied Art and Design: <a href="http://www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/course-information.aspx?courseid=200">http://www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/course-information.aspx?courseid=200</a>. As things stand, we don't really know if this change a good one or a bad one because the replacement course is in its first year - so we will have to wait and see what its students have to say...<br />
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The general mood in the ceramics department, though, suggests that the change is <strong>not</strong> a good one. Part of the reason for this downturn in mood is due to the random comings and goings of 'general arts' students who arrive, in large troupes, and take over the ceramics studio for short instruction in some or other pottery technique and then disappear back to 3D design or woodwork or interior architecture... or wherever else they came from. This random influx is quite unsettling for the established potters in the department who are used to the college ceramics studios being the exclusive domain of dedicated ceramicists who pretty much live and breathe pottery!<br />
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Having said that, there are some really excellent (and very inspiring) 'general arts' students kicking around the department, some of whom have already found their natural home in ceramics and perhaps wouldn't have had the chance to do this without the recent changes. <em>It's an ill wind that blows no good</em>...<br />
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But... anyway... before I go off on a rant about the somewhat ruthless business practices that led the college to axe the ceramics FdA along with various other <a href="http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2011/06/23/newcastle-college-job-cuts-spark-city-protest-72703-28929034/" target="_blank">pretty nasty cuts</a>, I'll try and keep on topic...<br />
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And, yes, this post is meant to give my opinion on the BA Creative Practice (Arts) or 'Level 6' (as it is also known) - i.e. the course I began in September 2012.<br />
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So, first of all to confirm: it is <em>still</em> possible to specialise in ceramics to degree level at Newcastle College. You need to complete the general applied art and design FdA (or an equivalent) and then you are able to apply to specialise in ceramics at level 6. Just one ceramics FdA graduate opted to carry on studying at Newcastle College this year: me! (The rest of my cohort went off to various other places: (delete as appropriate) Sunderland University's Glass and Ceramics degree course/Northumbria Craft Pottery/India/their own lovely studio.....) <br />
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Not only am I the only <em>potter</em> on the BA Creative Practice (Arts), I'm in a very, very small minority of <em>part-time</em> students (I think there are about 4 of us out of the 100s of full-timers).<br />
<br />
The fact that I'm a lone potter doesn't matter: the course is entirely relevant to <u>any</u> arts discipline. <br />
<br />
The fact that I'm only able to attend the college one day a week <em>does</em> matter. My first piece of advice to anyone contemplating this course is: try and do it full-time! <br />
<br />
The whole focus of the course is for full-time students and there is little (often no) consideration for how a part-time student might benefit from all of the 'enrichment' activities the programme has to offer, which is sad. It is sad because the course has a <em>lot </em>of great activities and resources to offer and could so easily be made much more accessible to part-time and distance learners <em>if</em> the course designers were to incorporate some proper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_learning_environment" target="_blank">VLE</a> provision into their plans. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDezSO96cBmwURwmypQqoE6OeGE9xbxZdKyB0wamIhlKHU7BblBNTA-J9VgqHOxA2bm5dhxz3ilUnGdzZXds1ycOlqDERp4L9giQxzevqxPv_UHVfPnp0zUElrpwniRQ9RCLRA8nmUpVA/s1600/weedDec12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDezSO96cBmwURwmypQqoE6OeGE9xbxZdKyB0wamIhlKHU7BblBNTA-J9VgqHOxA2bm5dhxz3ilUnGdzZXds1ycOlqDERp4L9giQxzevqxPv_UHVfPnp0zUElrpwniRQ9RCLRA8nmUpVA/s400/weedDec12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seaweed...</td></tr>
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The lectures I've attended so far have been very good, some have been excellent - all have been very interactive and enjoyable. I've even learnt stuff! :-) However, I've missed out on many of the talks from professionals in the arts industry and arts funding bodies because they've taken place on days when I can't get into the college. Since the college doesn't record its lectures (in any way, shape or form!), there's no way I can hear these talks. It's frustrating. <br />
<br />
I also can't participate in the student 'group activities' (of which there are many throughout each week), although this doesn't bother me so much I have to admit. Why? Oh I dunno... it's an 'age thing', I think. I certainly feel pretty <em>ancient</em> compared with most of my cohort! Actually, that's another thing: average age on the BA is about 20 (maybe younger!). Not that that <em>really</em> matters but it's another fact worth being aware of if you're a middle-aged potter thinking about embarking on this route of study. (I'm sure it'd probably do me good to work with younger, more energetic, less cynical people :-| )<br />
<br />
My experience with the teaching and support staff at Blandford Square (where the course has its teaching base) has been really good. All of the staff and support folk are very likable - all are enthusiastic and very knowledgeable in their fields of expertise. They are a lovely team of people, always keen to offer help and good advice, and there's a really nice 'vibe' about the place. I like going there. The IT facilities (all Mac) are great too. I've also learned a whole <strong>load</strong> of stuff I never knew about the resources available at the college library... beginning with a talk by the brilliant 'Library Richard' who writes (wrote!) a truly great and very educational blog: <a href="http://libraryrichard.blogspot.co.uk/">http://libraryrichard.blogspot.co.uk/</a> which (I've just this minute noticed) the college has also now axed. I could honestly <strong>scream</strong> on Richard's behalf for the stupidity and pettiness of that decision. <br />
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Moving swiftly on... (breathe in, breathe out...)<br />
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The course structure is fine and pretty much what you'd expect; it's broken down into modules which cover several main chunks of work, each of which drills down in the next. So you start by writing a Proposal (this basically expresses what you are going to do in order to attain your BA) which feeds into your Planning document which feeds into your Development work which eventually becomes your Project Realisation. It's all very logical and takes the age-old good practice approach of <em>divide and conquer</em> to get the (big) job done. Lectures incorporate plenty of tips and good advice on how to approach researching your subject, writing up your research, etc.<br />
<br />
The <em>major</em> written work is a Dissertation of between 7,000 and 10,000 words (depending on the approach taken: vocational (less writing) or academic (more writing!)) Students have the choice of writing up a dissertation based on their arts practice project work (for which they'll already have the foundation of their dissertation, made up from the various finished documents listed above) or writing on any other arts subject (which may or may not be related to their own arts practice). <em>One</em> advantage of doing this part-time is that I don't have to make my mind up about my dissertation subject matter until next September!<br />
<br />
For the practical elements of the course (i.e. making stuff) each student is assigned a main support contact within the college, for their particular area of arts practice, but is also encouraged to engage with people from all related arts disciplines - both inside and outside of the college. The emphasis is on developing good professional and/or academic contacts who will help you to progress in your chosen area of practice or research. The main objective here is to help you move your practice away from the 'safety' of the college environment and out into the real world.... and also to provide an opportunity to learn from other practitioners' experience. It's a good approach and the college staff have many contacts and resources to share.<br />
<br />
So, what else can I tell a prospective student of the BA? <br />
<br />
Well... there's the matter of course fees. If you started your FdA prior to 2012, make sure you ensure you continue to benefit from the same low fees you've paid so far. I heard rumours recently that the college were asking some ridiculous sums for the part-time BA Creative Practice. For me, the fees were roughly £700 per year <strong>because the BA is simply another level (6) of a course I started well before the recent HE course fee increases</strong>. It is accredited by the same Leeds Met body who ran the ceramics FdA (and don't let anyone tell you anything different). <br />
<br />
I opted to pay my fees in 2 chunks (October and January) which is worth considering (even if you can easily afford the whole amount in one go) because, if you change your mind about the course after the first couple of months, you don't need to pay the rest of the year's fees.<br />
<br />
I'm sure, if you were already on the FdA prior to 2012, that lower fees should apply whether you choose the full-time or part-time routes but you might have to haggle... <br />
<br />
Anyway, I guess that's (more than!) enough said for now. I'll return with (hopefully shorter) updates. It's still early days on the course for me, I've yet to even hand in my first module's work - i.e. my Proposal - which is due end of January 2013 along with a <em>viva</em> (gulp!). <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666;">If you're a prospective BA Creative Practice student who has managed to get to the bottom of this ramble and you would like to know more about the detail of the course, please feel free to get in touch via the comments options below or through my web contact page here: </span><a href="http://ambientceramics.com/contactform.html"><span style="color: #666666;">http://ambientceramics.com/contactform.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-34279132472341393952012-12-08T01:29:00.004+00:002012-12-08T01:29:42.447+00:00Gingerbread houses and wind blown ice....I don't know... usually I can't keep to any of my New Year's Resolutions, but this year it seems I've found at least one of them all too easy to fulfil: <a href="http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_01_archive.html">http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_01_archive.html</a> (paragraph 1)<br />
<br />
However, it's definitely time for a bit of a catch-up I think! What <em>have</em> I been doing? Pretty much working flat out in my day job lately I'm sad to say. However, this week the project I've been working on has gone 'live' so hopefully I'll have time again for more relaxing activities like blogging... and messing around with clay...<br />
<br />
It hasn't been <em>all </em>work since my last blog post though.... <br />
<br />
In <strong>August</strong>, I entered some of my ceramic work for display (and sale) at the <a href="http://www.stgeorgesjesmond.org.uk/community/expo" target="_blank">Jesmond EXPO</a>, an event which is run every other year and raises money for St Oswald's Hospice. As well as selling a good few pieces of my work, I won the prize for Best Craft in Show. The prize was presented to me by the <a href="http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/your-council/lord-mayor/biography-lord-mayor" target="_blank">Lord Mayor of Newcastle</a>, Councillor Jackie Slesenger (St Oswalds is one of the charities she has chosen to support during her mayoral year). I was both amazed and delighted because many of the other craft exhibits at the EXPO were of such a high standard... Here's the piece that won the prize:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRiQxdLlRgF8E1ztE9lzBnTmYzpaZMwn8mPvnhfe3UD2A88_X7R8ZLn1lTJmD6FL4Wq6f-ZmBX3-ciWInpXLaquUkjlku4vXNm3qAZzC-XjZbrJqBezsPi84LCBkhE6sWDL2dtMwmads/s1600/WinningWork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRiQxdLlRgF8E1ztE9lzBnTmYzpaZMwn8mPvnhfe3UD2A88_X7R8ZLn1lTJmD6FL4Wq6f-ZmBX3-ciWInpXLaquUkjlku4vXNm3qAZzC-XjZbrJqBezsPi84LCBkhE6sWDL2dtMwmads/s640/WinningWork.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Morpho-Ecology</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here's some other examples of my work that were included in the EXPO:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyyrB2sOR3vvhW1_s7XAFYGxx2LsRrF1j4A83y_yPH-an1GIPXyg_L9QA7pi7rwkadyGWmzvxGffzJMvxz_d-nnzrWOg7HXgeXlZ1Csvs1paum0euorN5h6eDRw9M9HmEsB9ks_I9LEU/s1600/funGuysOnTheBeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyyrB2sOR3vvhW1_s7XAFYGxx2LsRrF1j4A83y_yPH-an1GIPXyg_L9QA7pi7rwkadyGWmzvxGffzJMvxz_d-nnzrWOg7HXgeXlZ1Csvs1paum0euorN5h6eDRw9M9HmEsB9ks_I9LEU/s320/funGuysOnTheBeach.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<em>Fun Guy On The Beach 1 and 2</em><br />
These are simple slipcast porcelain spheres set on to interesting bits <br />
of driftwood found on the Northumberland coastline. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyG5BEOkf2L46GKBn8jUO1mOfzWtyGyeG641iLiSotYRRzStzrylYOmrVD-PKGomlS8EcXSMsXLYQhMES57tJ7LP2nGWXKMJlGUAUlX_HuzNUL_3VLAT4VLpI6lMrxeyq5JhyphenhyphenRxfNnpXg/s1600/TileWallHangings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyG5BEOkf2L46GKBn8jUO1mOfzWtyGyeG641iLiSotYRRzStzrylYOmrVD-PKGomlS8EcXSMsXLYQhMES57tJ7LP2nGWXKMJlGUAUlX_HuzNUL_3VLAT4VLpI6lMrxeyq5JhyphenhyphenRxfNnpXg/s320/TileWallHangings.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again these are pieces set on to driftwood found locally.</td></tr>
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In <strong>September</strong>, I started my BA Creative Practice at Newcastle College. This has been a pretty good experience so far but, due to the recent all-consuming demands of my day job at the University, I haven't really begun to sink my teeth into my college projects. I am busy researching and writing my proposal for the college work I'll be doing for the coming two years. More about that later hopefully.... <br />
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<strong>Last weekend</strong> I entered Newcastle's first Gingerbread House Challenge organised by our very own Loopy Girl, Lisa Vincent. It was really so much fun making the house and such a lovely escape from the stresses of work (of which there were many last week during the period just before the go-live!) Here's my own slightly rickety effort at a modern gingerbread house complete with poppy seed gravel and edible 'real glass' windows: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7tKY_D7eCQDujm8gik51GQEuzO2jvaOkOqcXEcmGJqBFaEJ_a_VoLA6lEC_qXAw1G_-SojRxGO44swcWp256WhyphenhyphenCiACNsQFMMVUKO4F4SMZ64_Tjg5KLGRDhOgIdJwfV8Nxipa0Qbcw/s1600/DelsPlace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7tKY_D7eCQDujm8gik51GQEuzO2jvaOkOqcXEcmGJqBFaEJ_a_VoLA6lEC_qXAw1G_-SojRxGO44swcWp256WhyphenhyphenCiACNsQFMMVUKO4F4SMZ64_Tjg5KLGRDhOgIdJwfV8Nxipa0Qbcw/s320/DelsPlace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lots more pics (of much better houses!) on Lisa's blog: <a href="http://gingerbreadhouse-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/">http://gingerbreadhouse-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/</a><br />
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I think one of the nicest things I've done for a while though was to take a trek up Cheviot on <strong>St Andrew's Day</strong> (that's 30th November for those who don't know) with John. We had such wonderful weather as you can see from these pics - blue skies and sunshine all day. The views were spectacular: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPZWsGQ8lwih-9vbs5JgS8-Q34aaYU6AcKDzOEx3Kc_bfDu2QNlxnClNl5N7NJ6KegPYav_jalRTc4JqRPDK7lJ09BJzN6bUN8LIcRuHbOuINShtUlGzRT0TGKoGc6rTdkbypIBIPchY/s1600/ScaldHill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPZWsGQ8lwih-9vbs5JgS8-Q34aaYU6AcKDzOEx3Kc_bfDu2QNlxnClNl5N7NJ6KegPYav_jalRTc4JqRPDK7lJ09BJzN6bUN8LIcRuHbOuINShtUlGzRT0TGKoGc6rTdkbypIBIPchY/s320/ScaldHill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_X9D1PcgRbvDFBq-eApZ0iORLS_nLAil7PGlRCRst8HlI-gAro9kaJOaHPuLlpPGP3xeLfliQzzmf2mNY4vtwSYA631yaC0INTLwCr_CTC0w3zX5a4hploJBxiSVrZEiD68pSTEWTEE/s1600/ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_X9D1PcgRbvDFBq-eApZ0iORLS_nLAil7PGlRCRst8HlI-gAro9kaJOaHPuLlpPGP3xeLfliQzzmf2mNY4vtwSYA631yaC0INTLwCr_CTC0w3zX5a4hploJBxiSVrZEiD68pSTEWTEE/s320/ice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrPvkpbO7eTytb6UKx_pAmkHNFDC5CfHVxSij8LnnaJd5xvVbQKgHEnuCzsaIWWlWUtOuQ7VchaKb2_kwfhAuhTUvgStYA8wxIzLFRLs20LSuNE5UshGxI9ktdyALtcE1npBlPfKM3wY/s1600/nearlyThere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrPvkpbO7eTytb6UKx_pAmkHNFDC5CfHVxSij8LnnaJd5xvVbQKgHEnuCzsaIWWlWUtOuQ7VchaKb2_kwfhAuhTUvgStYA8wxIzLFRLs20LSuNE5UshGxI9ktdyALtcE1npBlPfKM3wY/s320/nearlyThere.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIt7FJRbug1vHyG5-4nTax9mddz44s1M6SkDLH5HMbV5XyGq0AbAA3BRU47zR72a5eJjCyBCrbrEUr1PyuCU5Aqeo_Ytc67f31LnsD_izJk4IdHWDb0Wr6aspWR_4X02szQpgUYmzj_k/s1600/contrast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIt7FJRbug1vHyG5-4nTax9mddz44s1M6SkDLH5HMbV5XyGq0AbAA3BRU47zR72a5eJjCyBCrbrEUr1PyuCU5Aqeo_Ytc67f31LnsD_izJk4IdHWDb0Wr6aspWR_4X02szQpgUYmzj_k/s320/contrast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful contrast between the snowy summit of Cheviot, <br />
with the green and brown hills and fields beyond, <br />
vivid blue skies and the misty shore line on the horizon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr7JuifnfRTQaiZp2lcDgWGQvfJDNQYTtJ9AJqpsBmFCYZJBKZvZ_Ed1pTUe0h0VMRkKD1pWEq_zuC4405ey6-nka5fqKFcGZGG2zZiY5yHxH94Hlot9yowniOp_fPGKK2fwQkQp8VLA/s1600/windBlownIce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr7JuifnfRTQaiZp2lcDgWGQvfJDNQYTtJ9AJqpsBmFCYZJBKZvZ_Ed1pTUe0h0VMRkKD1pWEq_zuC4405ey6-nka5fqKFcGZGG2zZiY5yHxH94Hlot9yowniOp_fPGKK2fwQkQp8VLA/s320/windBlownIce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is wind-blown ice lying horizontal on the fence wires! <br />
John and I had a lot of fun rattling the wires and pinging it off!<br />
(well, we're only 12 after all....)</td></tr>
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When I was checking out our route and looking around Google images for inspiring pics to try to persuade John that a wander up Cheviot was (honestly) a great idea for a freezing winter day, I came across this blog: <a href="http://becausetheyrethere.com/">http://becausetheyrethere.com/</a> which is packed with superb photos and well-written posts - and lots of friendly banter on the subject of mountain walking around the UK and beyond. </div>
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And, still on the subject of fantastic blogs.... whilst wondering up the hill and generally chatting about Life, the Universe and Everything (as you do) John and I talked a lot about our friend and colleague, Lorna who is currently battling with advanced lung cancer and not having an easy time of it at all. Lorna is pretty amazing: if anyone needs a bit of inspiration to keep going during the tough times in life, they should read her blog which begins here in The Summer of 2009 when Lorna retired from work in IT at Newcastle University and set off on a sailing voyage around the coasts of the British Isles... <a href="http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/preparation-for-summer.html">http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/preparation-for-summer.html</a> My thoughts are very much with Lorna tonight.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-17006011887806553462012-09-06T21:48:00.000+01:002012-09-06T21:48:38.567+01:00Waking up in time for autumn...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_aFnmDODCCf4jbjjbtxLkQptlka5ipU5IAEDrBDiobBMDvh-rLVJbSmPVDHNBv0ZEQjOAzd7L52t3XGWeiFRvFXfXB_PRp5GMXgy2Shh-BV0GvIR-Swzhwq0R8I-ImaNWPY7Rsue4Jo/s1600/WhitleyBayNewsGuardian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_aFnmDODCCf4jbjjbtxLkQptlka5ipU5IAEDrBDiobBMDvh-rLVJbSmPVDHNBv0ZEQjOAzd7L52t3XGWeiFRvFXfXB_PRp5GMXgy2Shh-BV0GvIR-Swzhwq0R8I-ImaNWPY7Rsue4Jo/s400/WhitleyBayNewsGuardian.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At last, my <a href="http://ambientceramics.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/theres-definitely-something-fishy-going.html" target="_blank">ceramic caves</a> are in position at <a href="http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/tynemouth.htm" target="_blank">Blue Reef Aquarium</a>. It's lovely for me to see them actually in use! They're in a great tank with some really beautiful fish swimming around and through them. The contrast between the bright colours of the fish and the muted browns of the unglazed clay is perfect. A true living work of art! I'm so pleased with them.<br />
<br />
And! I made it into the local press: <a href="http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/community/ceramic-cave-on-show-at-aquarium-1-4867825" target="_blank">http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/community/ceramic-cave-on-show-at-aquarium-1-4867825</a><br />
<br />
So... what about other news... ?<br />
<br />
Summer came and went... and I did not blog because I felt no compulsion to do so and there's no point wittering on if you've nothing much to say. I feel as if I've been in hibernation over the past few months, which is clearly wrong because one does not hibernate in summer! But sometimes things get turned upside down and you just have to go with it. But... now I'm back and coming out of my hole just in time for autumn ! :-|<br />
<br />
Nevermind...<br />
<br />
Tomorrow night I'm planning to go the <a href="http://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/" target="_blank">Biscuit Factory's Autumn Preview</a>, having been invited by virtue of being on the mailing list of various participating artists, including one of my all-time favourites, <a href="http://www.artistkevday.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kevin Day</a>, who will be exhibiting new works. It's bound to be a brilliant exhibition - the Biscuit Factory always has stunning work on show. Can't wait!<br />
<br />
A week on Monday, it's <em>back to school</em> when my <a href="http://www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/course-information.aspx?courseid=1281" target="_blank">BA Creative Practice</a> starts at Newcastle College. I have no idea what I'll be doing exactly but I've been told to turn up at 1pm at the LifeStyle Academy so I'll just take it from there.... and report back later on that one....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-22056075625713455042012-06-10T21:51:00.001+01:002012-06-10T21:51:11.484+01:00Newcastle College's School of Creative Industries hosts Final Shows this week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Just a quick note to say that the Preview Evening of my Final Show on the FdA Contemporary Ceramic Practice takes place on Monday, 11th June from 6pm until 9pm, with viewings available until Thursday, 14th. Details below:</div>
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It's definitely worth a visit - not just for our ceramics exhibition which offers a very interesting mix of styles and genres this year - but also for the really excellent work of the students of graphic design, fashion, interior architecture and photography. There's no shortage of amazing new talent in the School of Creative Industries, so much so that Final Shows comprise a <em>huge</em> exhibition of work stretching over two buildings. </div>
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Don't miss it! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-79884356362404831962012-05-07T01:08:00.003+01:002012-05-07T21:51:47.971+01:00Making a plaster cast of a fish<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When my
friend, <a href="http://www.mindrumart.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Linda Scott-Robinson</span></a>'s husband, Tony asked me to
make him some ceramic salmon for his garden, I have to admit that I was less
than enthusiastic. I don't know why, but I've just never been a big fan of
making pot 'creatures'. However, I said 'okay' and set about experimenting with
the shapes and colours of river salmon. Tony drew the shape he wanted and I
made a flat test piece directly from his drawing. I covered it a right old mix
of glazes and suddenly began to feel a lot more curious about what could be
achieved with this here fishy business...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I knew,
of course, that the thing needed to be more <i>dimensional</i> and robust to
survive the rigours of life in a North Northumberland country garden. Tony
(being an award-winning fisherman!) duly supplied me with a real (dead of
course!) salmon from which I could make a plaster cast... Oh heck.... I <i>definitely</i>
didn't fancy <i>that</i> idea!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Linda
dropped off the fish at my office and I stored it in our staff kitchen fridge
icebox until home time, much to the amusement of my colleagues who seemed to
think it was an excuse for a 'stream' of pretty bad fish-related puns... On
getting the fish home, I quickly put it into the freezer and tried to forget
about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After a
week of it being there, I realised that I'd have to face up to the task of
casting it. I got it out of the freezer on Friday night and placed it in a long
tub of cold water to defrost... in the garage... On Saturday morning, I had a
tentative look at it. It was slimey and horrible and still a bit frozen but it
didn't smell much, so I proceeded to rinse it with fresh water and gently clean
the slime off, taking care not to damage the skin. After several flushings with
cold water and a good pat dry with a bath towel, it looked like it might be dry
enough to cast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here's a
list of all the things I used when casting the fish:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">large
quantities of any old poor quality, softish, reclaimed clay</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">20 pints
of water</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">10 kilos
of casting plaster</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">large
wooden spoon, large plastic whisk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">large
bucket, glass jub</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">various
pottery tools - loops, ribs, kidneys, scoops, wires, pins...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">long
strip of lino</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">strong
tape and garden wire</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">plastic-backed
cloth</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">old towel</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">dust mask</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Here's
the steps I took:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Lay a large slab of clay on to
the cloth. The clay should be as long and wide as the fish with an additional 3
inches all the way around. Make it as even in height as possible across the
full length.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi117goPL0eLRF6jp4cM1DKID90BEhY_hsX4w6nbXJ9p7n-CdTP4lBNLhg63MqaZ92GT7vMKjX4BzvHuhw_FgipyqgjVtRAgF9n6rUi0-e1EtMQhGnp8VNwxqpBMz3q9TP798Ws4VHbKPk/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi117goPL0eLRF6jp4cM1DKID90BEhY_hsX4w6nbXJ9p7n-CdTP4lBNLhg63MqaZ92GT7vMKjX4BzvHuhw_FgipyqgjVtRAgF9n6rUi0-e1EtMQhGnp8VNwxqpBMz3q9TP798Ws4VHbKPk/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Trace the fish shape on to the
clay and begin to scoop out enough clay so as to be deep enough to insert half
of the fish along its length into the clay slab:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C5tpG-Kbss8IaQQ9DS8N-YNvtACFXPX_qTkGruSTqj9OLPw1PRSamJHfkivqvzwO6Y0WlfzcpQZZ5xEAQJPDF9jNV1LNNGbSk1dXsJT6IP56Tv5q7bY4HdRh7YH0BCpmyKAISJBktdI/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C5tpG-Kbss8IaQQ9DS8N-YNvtACFXPX_qTkGruSTqj9OLPw1PRSamJHfkivqvzwO6Y0WlfzcpQZZ5xEAQJPDF9jNV1LNNGbSk1dXsJT6IP56Tv5q7bY4HdRh7YH0BCpmyKAISJBktdI/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Keep testing the size and shape
of the hole and scooping out more clay until the fish fits perfectly, with
exactly half of its body above the clay and half inserted. Finally, lay the
fish into the clay slab and carefully spread the fins and tail, gently pressing
in so that they too are half immersed in the clay. Ensure that the area around
the fish-shaped hole is smooth and flat (the flatter and more even it is, the
tighter the finished mould will be):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA05OT8Bob_WidBATKtw4xUmafAatMwsEaXg-LDl_B3-gpt2b_BIclTrIsKeHpyW2nUYPQ8oUaU8SECdoXSbIMjSlABYP38rIIEmn-lkbaOHoUUovVkZIqLiFZC4mX_uSwD2Re7_uLz50/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA05OT8Bob_WidBATKtw4xUmafAatMwsEaXg-LDl_B3-gpt2b_BIclTrIsKeHpyW2nUYPQ8oUaU8SECdoXSbIMjSlABYP38rIIEmn-lkbaOHoUUovVkZIqLiFZC4mX_uSwD2Re7_uLz50/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Watch out for the fish sagging
over the edge of hole - and compensate for this by cutting the hole bigger if
necessary. Sagging on to the top of the clay will create an 'undercut' and make
it difficult - or even impossible - to remove clay work from the finished cast.</span><br />
</div>
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</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtnUAqlTRZu3WjTMaBB2TvduB2_-si7XvYcIdkeaAW7zzUjWFvzvH6Rl4-O_QjrkCfKvHdkCnWMC60ZRIkYRKvb4Shvd5PKrqb0amXlxvM5ay7xJPuLl80mGqEmB9T3ThjWpGdxYALxQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtnUAqlTRZu3WjTMaBB2TvduB2_-si7XvYcIdkeaAW7zzUjWFvzvH6Rl4-O_QjrkCfKvHdkCnWMC60ZRIkYRKvb4Shvd5PKrqb0amXlxvM5ay7xJPuLl80mGqEmB9T3ThjWpGdxYALxQ/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really don't like this image, but it does illustrate the saggy nature of a dead fish !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Create locating holes by pressing
the handle of a turning tool into several areas of the clay surface. Create a
solid 'funnel-shaped' piece of clay and cut this in half along its length, fit
on to clay surface flat side down, as shown below. This will create a funnel
into which casting slip can be poured (mine is probably a bit narrow). <i>Note
in the background all the various tools used in scooping and tidying the clay
slab:</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2CR2qIh3D5Qf08zCQvJnS3jBoCwesksYihx-kb253iZflup0jCHF2zLNDh6N-4IHzHw1IxYbaPZ4C_WpsHSD1Ebw1gtchwZ_RFvtyUgeyjhYP772hR-uZS-aw3kRka6u6wwUmySuEc0/s1600/6a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2CR2qIh3D5Qf08zCQvJnS3jBoCwesksYihx-kb253iZflup0jCHF2zLNDh6N-4IHzHw1IxYbaPZ4C_WpsHSD1Ebw1gtchwZ_RFvtyUgeyjhYP772hR-uZS-aw3kRka6u6wwUmySuEc0/s320/6a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now surround the whole thing with
a strip of lino that is tall enough to allow for at least a 3 inch thickness of
plaster to be poured on top of the fish.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHNMTw_OMsFAWTGWQEDmo1MnVMC-2OCXFsvlFnjvMV8oU7nFb4ewJUBZNbh2YkKg3STIKnRNiDebjq0DgmwJ42L3Zf3gP2bYGtRGPlMC0oMDZiRvcq5_nHlkIkCcne2bd-EHwIK8PRjg/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHNMTw_OMsFAWTGWQEDmo1MnVMC-2OCXFsvlFnjvMV8oU7nFb4ewJUBZNbh2YkKg3STIKnRNiDebjq0DgmwJ42L3Zf3gP2bYGtRGPlMC0oMDZiRvcq5_nHlkIkCcne2bd-EHwIK8PRjg/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Secure the lino with tape and/or
wire or string. Push plenty of clay up against the outside of it to form a
tight seal against the clay inside. My lino was a bit floppy because it was
brand new, so I added some wooden boards for support. Using an older, stiffer
lino or some metal flashing would have been better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWgx7CKrmew33hkTGmIxWbVB5si1JJeW3Jk7ypNfN1wtN-bKJwIaQr1WvgpP3cLd5WAo5y20-KSVN4JLc7FowoGGjMHrxVKf1mPirk6-L4rbPkVyR8Y7UU2Ts-xrwxiHiR4gS64JQ0TE/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWgx7CKrmew33hkTGmIxWbVB5si1JJeW3Jk7ypNfN1wtN-bKJwIaQr1WvgpP3cLd5WAo5y20-KSVN4JLc7FowoGGjMHrxVKf1mPirk6-L4rbPkVyR8Y7UU2Ts-xrwxiHiR4gS64JQ0TE/s320/8.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Time to add plaster... I use the
'island method' for making plaster. I decided that I needed about 10 pints of
water to cover the fish and build up the 3 inch thickness. I put all of the
water into a bucket, donned my dust mask and then scooped in plaster bit by bit
until there was enough plaster in the water to form a little island of dry
plaster above the surface of the water. I then gently stirred the plaster with
the plastic whisk and wooden spoon until it was smooth and creamy, but not
bubbly. Once the plaster began to thicken a little, I poured a thin layer over
the whole fish, and ensured a good covering. (Some horrible mucus seeped out of
the gills during this process and floated on top of the plaster - I had to
remove this carefully by simply laying a sheet of kitchen roll on to the
surface of the plaster to soak it up... yuk). I gradually added all of the
plaster until the bucket was empty. It's important to get all of the air out of
a plaster mould otherwise you end up with holes that can spoil the finish and
even cause the mould to crack or break. Gently bang the workbench and sides of
the lino to encourage bubbles to burst. Now leave the plaster to set. I don't
know how long it should be left for! I'm an impatient sort of person... I left
it about half an hour, then removed the lino and flipped the mould upside down
and gently removed the clay to reveal a fish embedded in plaster! (It wasn't
stuck)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEqv8CKSDRUgTH4zkmUC4bw2tlOTCSIMvnrguQ4esNVJCxKiF8Kc9PTRRL0bLr5FAzr8exDfZP-Q3CTl68ox6PDR-G31iNbf9d6vnLdPTnsjV4wF_JlaE6e9sg5rEweWCf3V8R7OBomY/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEqv8CKSDRUgTH4zkmUC4bw2tlOTCSIMvnrguQ4esNVJCxKiF8Kc9PTRRL0bLr5FAzr8exDfZP-Q3CTl68ox6PDR-G31iNbf9d6vnLdPTnsjV4wF_JlaE6e9sg5rEweWCf3V8R7OBomY/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEqv8CKSDRUgTH4zkmUC4bw2tlOTCSIMvnrguQ4esNVJCxKiF8Kc9PTRRL0bLr5FAzr8exDfZP-Q3CTl68ox6PDR-G31iNbf9d6vnLdPTnsjV4wF_JlaE6e9sg5rEweWCf3V8R7OBomY/s1600/9.jpg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now to make the matching cast of
the other side. Gently clean any clay or other debris from the fish. Add the
other half of the pouring funnel, then coat the entire cast (not the fish!) in
a <i>thin</i> layer of clay slip using a brush and ensuring that no bare
patches of plaster are showing through the slip. Once again, enclose the whole
cast in lino and seal tightly leaving at least 3 inches of thickness for
plaster above the fish. Make up another bucket of plaster and add it to the
mould pretty much in the same way as before. Leave to set. Remove the lino and
you will end up with something looking like a fish sarcophagus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PzRXAF-EowexKyrMX2L9PGyv8zlta44iqknWqHPTG0VxmiP6v8n-UxbKvXqFibACD08sIdCbrfAzv96I6mLSEJ9Zh3KLNBvrEvOApbhoAJt3RNgUJed9nFweJUGal56uiPDzfn0CcZw/s1600/93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PzRXAF-EowexKyrMX2L9PGyv8zlta44iqknWqHPTG0VxmiP6v8n-UxbKvXqFibACD08sIdCbrfAzv96I6mLSEJ9Zh3KLNBvrEvOApbhoAJt3RNgUJed9nFweJUGal56uiPDzfn0CcZw/s320/93.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 48pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The next bit is tricky...
separate the two halves of the mould. Depending on how careful you've been with
the slip between the moulds, you may need to work a groove between the two
halves in order to separate them. (I ended up shoving a kitchen knife between
to the two pieces to break them apart and, in the process, chopped off one of
my 'locating nuts'!) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZe3yeXgP8oxR6RgsFT7LLb7HP1GAV81VA2Kq1wNLuBcywr7yCjkuOFJNevGnXXVn2O5oTwFZVXqdadTQW6SgjClq_KAJY6Ufe31fx19oKeQAxwCmtx3VLA5BTbfNZXULdCiniMV7s8Y/s1600/94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZe3yeXgP8oxR6RgsFT7LLb7HP1GAV81VA2Kq1wNLuBcywr7yCjkuOFJNevGnXXVn2O5oTwFZVXqdadTQW6SgjClq_KAJY6Ufe31fx19oKeQAxwCmtx3VLA5BTbfNZXULdCiniMV7s8Y/s320/94.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If all goes well, eventually the two halves should
come apart revealing a fish-shaped mould ready for use...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0lRhPFIO2FDt4ympDODqBx_ifFwrTNPviOQLchzRCu3rJAoiGIItGEBDJO1JLuNWnpKCMeXEHeITzcAOoR9qHTB1rsmKZOt5-m5WNsnVJ4fWTDcTmsAwBJ1Nl9b-lIj0i9JYRLo7iRg/s1600/95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0lRhPFIO2FDt4ympDODqBx_ifFwrTNPviOQLchzRCu3rJAoiGIItGEBDJO1JLuNWnpKCMeXEHeITzcAOoR9qHTB1rsmKZOt5-m5WNsnVJ4fWTDcTmsAwBJ1Nl9b-lIj0i9JYRLo7iRg/s320/95.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I'd like to say that no fish were hurt in the
making of this mould, but that wouldn't really be true. Admittedly the fish was
already dead by the time I got it to make the mould. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I did feel a bit sad
though - it was a lovely looking fish.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Definitely a one-off experience for me!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">FIN</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Special thanks to Paul Allen from Newcastle College who taught me everything I know about how to make a slipcast mould.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-1978748311271508292012-05-06T22:36:00.002+01:002012-05-06T22:36:57.062+01:00Rolling clay slabsThere are a number of seemingly straight-forward tasks that can cause all kinds of problems for a student potter. For example, the making of large, good, flat slabs without the luxury of a mechanical slab roller can be a real pain. Apart from the sheer effort of bashing several kilos of clay into submission, it is always a challenge to ensure even thickness, and bubble-free, perfectly flat surfaces that wont distort under firing. However, when making large slabbed work, the preparation of the clay is critical to success so it is worth making the effort to get things right. <br />
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One of the first problems with working with anything bigger than fairly small-sized slabs is that the clay has a tendency to stretch under its own weight when you flip it over between rollings...<br />
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To get around that, I've learned to always, always roll out clay on a sheet of cloth. This also serves to keep the clay clean and grit free (especially important if working with porcelain) and prevents it from sticking to the workbench. I've found that the best cloth for this purpose is flock-backed cheap plastic tablecloth (the kind that can be bought from Poundland in quantity! Thank you to Jess for that top tip.); this can be cut to size and washed and reused many times. <br />
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Before beginning to roll out the slab, I stop and think about the desired final shape of the slab - is it rectangular, square, round, other... ? Whatever shape I want, I try to start with a block of clay that looks like it might roll into that shape! From the bag, I wire off a large lump of clay, trying to avoid tearing or folding the clay. I then bash this into shape using a combination of repeatedly dropping on it to the workbench, thumping with my fist and patting into shape, again avoiding tearing or folding. Depending on the size of slab I want, I may cut this larger lump into multiple thick slabs. If the clay is uneven in thickness to start with it, it will stretch and bulge in all the wrong places when rolled. The ideal tool for cutting thick starter slabs is a metal harp as this gives a lovely, controlled, even cut:<br />
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Once I've got my clay ready, I lay it on a piece of cloth that is <em>twice is as big</em> as the slab I'm going to roll and begin rolling. I use a long straight-sided rolling pin. A pair of wooden slats of even height serve as guides. (It pays to have a good supply of pairs of wooden slats of varying heights.) </div>
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It's necessary to frequently turn clay between rollings in order to ensure optimum and even stretching without dragging or sticking; this is where the tablecloth comes in very useful. To flip the clay, I fold the tablecloth in half over the clay and then flip the whole thing over, peel back the cloth and carry on rolling the clay on the other side:</div>
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<br /><br />The use of the cloth in this way is extremely effective with really large slabs as it maintains the shape and prevents unwanted stretching between flips. If the clay is particularly sticky it will stick to the rolling pin, so it might be necessary to roll it sandwiched in between the cloth - i.e. just roll on the cloth rather than the clay. However, it's better if the clay isn't so damp that it sticks to the rolling pin; keeping the rolling pin wiped cleaned between rolls will make this less likely to happen too.</div>
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So that's my technique for rolling slabs; other potters may have better methods but that'll work fine for me until I have room to accommodate a proper mechanical slab roller!</div>
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For my next trick - making a plaster cast of a 20 inch salmon... watch this space....</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-3933311966711273372012-04-02T22:48:00.005+01:002012-04-06T23:52:05.334+01:00The perfect spring day spent at Yorkshire Sculpture Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Friday, 23rd March, Simon and I decided to have a day away from work and head for Yorkshire Sculpture Park to see the Joan Miro Exhibition. We'd been meaning to go and have a look at YSP for about a year and were full of excited anticipation about what we might find there - as if Miro wasn't enough! <br />
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<a href="http://www.ysp.co.uk/page/find-us/tc" target="_blank">Getting to YSP</a> was a breeze; we came off the M1 South at Junction 38 and there it was! YSP has an <a href="http://www.ysp.co.uk/page/heritage/es" target="_blank">interesting history</a>, set in the beautiful Bretton Estate, once upon a time the home of knights - and playground of kings. These days it depends entirely on public donations and Arts Council funding. Parking costs £5 for the day but there are no other mandatory charges for entry. There are a number of car parks to choose from depending on whether you want to start your tour indoors or outdoors; tickets are transferable so you can move your car around during the day - and it's even possible to catch a shuttle bus between the galleries on site. I'd advise you to just park up and walk around though. Bretton Estate and Country Park are impressive and extensive, with beautiful woodlands, meadows, lanes, gentle hills and even a lake; and at every turn there are breathtaking artworks by some of the world's best artists and sculptors - past and present.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthony Caro - Promenade. What a contrast!</td></tr>
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YSP provides non-stop sensory pleasure from the minute you get there until the minute you leave! Simon and I arrived at 10am and left at 6pm and still didn't manage to get to see everything - we plan to return for the <a href="http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/flashback-anish-kapoor" target="_blank">Anish Kapoor</a> exhibition in June so we can go to some of the areas we missed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatever you do - make sure you explore Basket#7! It's fab.</td></tr>
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A particular favourite for us both was the work of Henry Moore, of which there are many superb examples at YSP. It was lovely to be able to see his pieces in real life and appreciate the true scale of them... to trace their continuous lines and closely examine their carefully worked surfaces.... and even lay your cheek against the curves of metal warmed in the winter sunshine. Ah.... Heaven. <br />
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So, to the Miro.... what can I say? Lovely. Lovely, stunning, exciting, funny, lively, impressive.... but most of all it is just bursting with <em>freedom of expression</em> - and was just incredibly inspiring!<br />
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The Miro exhibition is complemented with excellent informational resources which help the visitor to get a true picture of what Miro was like as a person - his methods of working and his aspirations - but if you want to get a further insight into the legend of Miro, have a listen to Mark Lawson's Front Row interview with Miro's sons during the opening of the YSP exhibition earlier this year: <br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01d2h3h/Front_Row_Miros_grandsons_on_his_sculptures_The_Devils_on_DVD/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01d2h3h/Front_Row_Miros_grandsons_on_his_sculptures_The_Devils_on_DVD/</a><br />
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I took 300 photographs during my visit to YSP and could honestly write pages and pages about how wonderful the place is and give away all of its delights here in pictures... but that would just seem like a spoiler for the surprises in store. So all I have to say to any reader here is: Go! <br />
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The Miro Exhibition is on until 6th January 2013, Anish Kapoor's exhibition arrives June 2012. Pick a nice day (don't go in the rain), pack a luxury picnic and a sturdy pair of shoes and prepare to be WOW-ed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-33243039968503725442012-03-19T21:45:00.004+00:002012-03-19T21:49:38.148+00:00Eight By Eight Fine Art Exhibition - 17th to 31st March 2012This Saturday past I visited the <em>Eight By Eight</em> exhibition at the <a href="http://www.newcastle-arts-centre.co.uk/news%26views.htm">Newcastle Arts Centre</a> on Westgate Road in Newcastle. This is an annual exhibition of ceramics, paintings, sculpture and 3D design work of 8 selected staff and students of Newcastle College Art Departments, covering many styles and genres. The exhibition this year offers an incredibly vibrant and colourful display in a lovely venue. <br />
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If you've never been to the Arts Centre, it's well worth a visit if you're in town. There is a great artists' materials shop, a lovely gift shop, a cafe, a pub and a pottery all within the same very interesting, old-fashioned courtyard complex!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeudp4gZvkUpmWvhjXIDrb5_-UNsE9IMmnADY1LX95xDidQ_DpkvE9y3IyOnV-UxCtHta6PDVEVTyFj4kMIMlV4wzHoUu7d-yf8mB81GlOBvk5tDYZedE99_qoDcTpJisyzM1xggAiUys/s1600/EightByEight1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeudp4gZvkUpmWvhjXIDrb5_-UNsE9IMmnADY1LX95xDidQ_DpkvE9y3IyOnV-UxCtHta6PDVEVTyFj4kMIMlV4wzHoUu7d-yf8mB81GlOBvk5tDYZedE99_qoDcTpJisyzM1xggAiUys/s320/EightByEight1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_HQimPTgWm65dV8Cz_v7yk5Kjyi9PllGuNeZfUsXH-m7E5RnEzVXvIgpsFxAO-7badWxna1MY6eOsCw2DxPDNWmZW-PmxSBxl4A_Ja2V4iqmlVj1Ktrcvs6Nf1RqyM700Hy7yDUURfE/s1600/EightByEight2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_HQimPTgWm65dV8Cz_v7yk5Kjyi9PllGuNeZfUsXH-m7E5RnEzVXvIgpsFxAO-7badWxna1MY6eOsCw2DxPDNWmZW-PmxSBxl4A_Ja2V4iqmlVj1Ktrcvs6Nf1RqyM700Hy7yDUURfE/s320/EightByEight2.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxJHw3iqvsaJdxctGfEvLu28FoaqwVS7-9NS1Wr7uZMXoH6JPvoBfcrMBGxlyugAnJtorjC75-5TU_tigupibw7CFTkrSAXHj-a53OsdAWsXvOk__J4UFnGW2qyiBsNMlpwC9cFbpf3o/s1600/EightByEight3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxJHw3iqvsaJdxctGfEvLu28FoaqwVS7-9NS1Wr7uZMXoH6JPvoBfcrMBGxlyugAnJtorjC75-5TU_tigupibw7CFTkrSAXHj-a53OsdAWsXvOk__J4UFnGW2qyiBsNMlpwC9cFbpf3o/s320/EightByEight3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely cake stands by Jess Cohen, tutor on FdA</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjQmvTcu32lTMn8HfZ0YYgRgmX1BWzoEcmeQbYKdkxpKIFd137cEgb9AMbtr6B3wqcdGoHjB7k19VZcRixQOG8zBOAEiy51_BWg9nUAMuZ-1ba_UytDftZho_1mu6nUa8DRGOE9FX6_E/s1600/EightByEight4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjQmvTcu32lTMn8HfZ0YYgRgmX1BWzoEcmeQbYKdkxpKIFd137cEgb9AMbtr6B3wqcdGoHjB7k19VZcRixQOG8zBOAEiy51_BWg9nUAMuZ-1ba_UytDftZho_1mu6nUa8DRGOE9FX6_E/s320/EightByEight4.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWhyIxRBXtKX6Nf-pgtaIhsJtkWBqn2xWEvs_jkGYm5EW8pxX8IebA0SsCh_uJYyzM4kOXHXZDgw9IB_DfHwwK0saFLQ2xMf1q_MnYviABvPCKDvq7SMXqWWMYAjCRowKoWAilw2Hjaw/s1600/EightByEight5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWhyIxRBXtKX6Nf-pgtaIhsJtkWBqn2xWEvs_jkGYm5EW8pxX8IebA0SsCh_uJYyzM4kOXHXZDgw9IB_DfHwwK0saFLQ2xMf1q_MnYviABvPCKDvq7SMXqWWMYAjCRowKoWAilw2Hjaw/s320/EightByEight5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRJykSoRnDFSUDQFz5M_YRQcb5-CRIeAy3aegHKkXycOVYhLWcFpwyp00bAJwHgr7ibOYts8DpTW9ot63uOusQZk7R_qAmHqpijUUqHGn0ZK3Udz73KN0sYdej4WZSDW7mDgXf38yzc8/s1600/EightByEight6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRJykSoRnDFSUDQFz5M_YRQcb5-CRIeAy3aegHKkXycOVYhLWcFpwyp00bAJwHgr7ibOYts8DpTW9ot63uOusQZk7R_qAmHqpijUUqHGn0ZK3Udz73KN0sYdej4WZSDW7mDgXf38yzc8/s320/EightByEight6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn87JjUB8BHFvkl9b8N7_qmZ0fD962pM-lFHHrix8WaglMiJAPLxae3rxOB5NPHRLv5kliCOf_tgZy4dJVSNK2cSPTgER7Rsy17o-tTFw7ydkKoXy-10jb1520RLqj5G5vPQ_evOJUkI/s1600/EightByEight9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn87JjUB8BHFvkl9b8N7_qmZ0fD962pM-lFHHrix8WaglMiJAPLxae3rxOB5NPHRLv5kliCOf_tgZy4dJVSNK2cSPTgER7Rsy17o-tTFw7ydkKoXy-10jb1520RLqj5G5vPQ_evOJUkI/s320/EightByEight9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful sculptural work by Christine Constant - tutor on the FdA </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rqdQIWa838cfNtZNOz0vGtodmif60jH3zk0-PLP0TtEWAR4oxhkKpO82YZokcLpihUfx_v7Ze1V6bw-OFKyVOkcQzX-QDNjIkA_s5kr3bKd7ak1ejgasSPB2jh7ekJQOV-iEEPcDJjM/s1600/EightByEight10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rqdQIWa838cfNtZNOz0vGtodmif60jH3zk0-PLP0TtEWAR4oxhkKpO82YZokcLpihUfx_v7Ze1V6bw-OFKyVOkcQzX-QDNjIkA_s5kr3bKd7ak1ejgasSPB2jh7ekJQOV-iEEPcDJjM/s320/EightByEight10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara Mann</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG6-hZktypahOUSe2oKqDwgRtIF2beKT3Jbcw6UbPjPEcm5kiY3hv69Ie6AFwWCyKWxmJAjrhIGk8UNVdndDZp1cw9wkhx9IZKNY979FGI6s39q2DN672zWGHYKkE-Pawjd4D8EyReuc/s1600/EightByEight8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG6-hZktypahOUSe2oKqDwgRtIF2beKT3Jbcw6UbPjPEcm5kiY3hv69Ie6AFwWCyKWxmJAjrhIGk8UNVdndDZp1cw9wkhx9IZKNY979FGI6s39q2DN672zWGHYKkE-Pawjd4D8EyReuc/s320/EightByEight8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very interesting piece</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-68188977600746572012-01-08T21:24:00.000+00:002012-01-09T09:30:16.440+00:00Introducing 6th Morpeth Scout Group and their Amazing Earthenware Christmas Freak Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've definitely lost a bit of momentum with my blog lately. I spend a huge percentage of my life at a keyboard and lately it's all got a bit much! I'm beginning to feel as if I'm actually <em>living</em> through my keyboard these days. So, although I don't really have any real New Year Resolutions as such (mainly because I'm hopeless at keeping to them), I <em>have</em> resolved to spend less time at the computer and more time <em>doing</em> stuff. If nothing else, I'll probably write fewer words on my blog posts this year. Probably.</div>
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But first... I<em> have</em> to write <em>some</em> words about one my favourite ceramic events of 2011....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys, <em>this</em> is a snowman!</td></tr>
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During November, at the request of Silmara Hodge, Scout Leader, I had the pleasure of running a ceramics workshop with the 6th Morpeth Scouts' Discovery and Rover Groups in order that they could gain their Craft Badges. My class consisted of 18 Boy and Girl Scouts, aged from about 10 to 13 years old plus a couple of the adult helpers who couldn't resist joining in too. Given the closeness to Christmas, I decided we'd make ceramic snowmen lanterns.<br />
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During the workshop we covered coiling, pinching, joining, slip decoration and worked with white earthenware (snowman coloured see?) as our body. It was great fun; my class included a lot of very creative young people, but I'm not sure that many of their finished articles could be classified as 'snowmen' as such! We ended up with all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures. I learned a bit that day, myself, about giving workshops to young people! I had a very specific objective in mind and quite definite plans about how we were going to achieve it. Within the first half hour, I'd set those plans to one side and found myself advising not on how to add a scarf or a hat or a carrot nose to a <em>snowman</em> but rather how to add tentacles to a monster, a mohican hairstyle to a glam rock star, an abducted dog under an alien's arm and even how to apply a coat of green paint to Yoda! <br />
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The boys in the group were definitely much keener to make monsters, aliens, <em>anything other than </em>snowmen whereas the girls (including the 2 adult female helpers) did, in fact, make some recognisable and very lovely snowmen, including a really delightful 'Harry Potter' snowman complete with wand and magic broomstick. All in all... clay, colour, imagination and skill all combined to give some pretty amazing results and everyone ended up with an impressive 'lantern' of some kind. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donny Darko and friend</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glam rocker</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZqDaUSZcQGeLIR1-We2psUagVWKaVaHVii6zYva_JVDV56ZILgi5u3gT7_C3CzalAPphyP8zysZCThNcy2rUQUPwev5yXaJ4CCmPB4eUeggEa96TyApaAcPov2etzcdJI0sswnHgGrI/s1600/IMG_3145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZqDaUSZcQGeLIR1-We2psUagVWKaVaHVii6zYva_JVDV56ZILgi5u3gT7_C3CzalAPphyP8zysZCThNcy2rUQUPwev5yXaJ4CCmPB4eUeggEa96TyApaAcPov2etzcdJI0sswnHgGrI/s320/IMG_3145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lock up yer dogs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfrb0ZzroOo_TGxPHsCZ8vXi3KHR7cWBUHUNdaj5iApCJUbtl2alvsR2f8sggCj9MDkY25VLnUUf2Yd0oTDL1rlhQe9g3wBJatpzx5yPr86b2uZtGzTVw3uBRuL-ZZNNic3enUz-uNSs/s1600/IMG_3147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfrb0ZzroOo_TGxPHsCZ8vXi3KHR7cWBUHUNdaj5iApCJUbtl2alvsR2f8sggCj9MDkY25VLnUUf2Yd0oTDL1rlhQe9g3wBJatpzx5yPr86b2uZtGzTVw3uBRuL-ZZNNic3enUz-uNSs/s320/IMG_3147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqnmW-9k_R_5eeaf5GqXlq8JSzZxdgXDxToP5W_ZTY-XVf0xYJN8hcesAQN9tPS6pzy5uaAtcOveNIW6sCgXARefxBq6Afee3baGZWbuznXKB2mM6IvnROpKibJ47PYfHsC_IfB2etyY/s1600/IMG_3158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqnmW-9k_R_5eeaf5GqXlq8JSzZxdgXDxToP5W_ZTY-XVf0xYJN8hcesAQN9tPS6pzy5uaAtcOveNIW6sCgXARefxBq6Afee3baGZWbuznXKB2mM6IvnROpKibJ47PYfHsC_IfB2etyY/s320/IMG_3158.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, Libby, show 'em how it's done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PzSG5cf23KtBrNr5TfIWev9ixTmfdb9EiNJ76d_HtsAf40AG-GG01zSz_7awkiZnxr1EFKKwRRi5jJNcP8xb1kNup0_WN1ILPOXF9gEQPKF_lsZQ4Tk0tlv4mKziJ-zHJN95rHA2uPs/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PzSG5cf23KtBrNr5TfIWev9ixTmfdb9EiNJ76d_HtsAf40AG-GG01zSz_7awkiZnxr1EFKKwRRi5jJNcP8xb1kNup0_WN1ILPOXF9gEQPKF_lsZQ4Tk0tlv4mKziJ-zHJN95rHA2uPs/s320/IMG_3163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">True freaks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjsKAzB2P8EKqEYUpTWqc5489euGJAEQK6TW8nMIDJIgQKEroewmlCKQHWvn1iGQ7pDU9_8a-fhyphenhyphen4VdVVxqQvWbwKRvf8Sm7MY_L0j-pJnctzjTJ0liVkViQFks75VO_iaFcRZ6rTpb4/s1600/spotTheSnowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjsKAzB2P8EKqEYUpTWqc5489euGJAEQK6TW8nMIDJIgQKEroewmlCKQHWvn1iGQ7pDU9_8a-fhyphenhyphen4VdVVxqQvWbwKRvf8Sm7MY_L0j-pJnctzjTJ0liVkViQFks75VO_iaFcRZ6rTpb4/s320/spotTheSnowman.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just love the concentration here<br />
(and the colour scheme of course!).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y-dSeWu4h8bjERaynsPeTef0zs1eNcjW_BH5E32XLj-TV8mysouTfFogzrs7-oatUBE20pLgpBkAoeQNskLGL_SMkgKyFgRfYF1BDQ49EWtc9VIfSOvM85Unx10IRP6dspEbJ8zs3wM/s1600/IMG_3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y-dSeWu4h8bjERaynsPeTef0zs1eNcjW_BH5E32XLj-TV8mysouTfFogzrs7-oatUBE20pLgpBkAoeQNskLGL_SMkgKyFgRfYF1BDQ49EWtc9VIfSOvM85Unx10IRP6dspEbJ8zs3wM/s320/IMG_3159.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking of colour schemes....<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9xRPSQusM1o08SYvLEV0-9zbLNSHOvcsIwuWWqF2aLV_jrd8j7SduSbEr5I8Sn-Y-mup1lnQU2FAp-iBLtW1ghpT5nGewWLYk2UfhBfYeV2iOVdnNNTJCZG84ZPtvcrQhdKPlIxU9sg/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9xRPSQusM1o08SYvLEV0-9zbLNSHOvcsIwuWWqF2aLV_jrd8j7SduSbEr5I8Sn-Y-mup1lnQU2FAp-iBLtW1ghpT5nGewWLYk2UfhBfYeV2iOVdnNNTJCZG84ZPtvcrQhdKPlIxU9sg/s320/IMG_3177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well done 6th Morpeth Scouts! You were brilliant! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiye_-5XbHQXkioO7emDyltk1J9cgAJGtnFKpmsrdvzqb3wLyw3BL_MieD2Qk9BSZX9NUFP-2bQ3rQXKQB8ws9OKBiZXcPIwHO3B_xtaQczEOGHekXIKcpar5aprVKEtKEHDf3DzmocVY0/s1600/rivetting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> Many thanks also to Silmara and Alex Hodge for inviting me to do the workshop, and to Patrick Smith, fellow student from Newcastle College for invaluable assistance on the day. </div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-15060119731860529492011-10-30T22:18:00.002+00:002011-11-04T23:48:50.132+00:00Bittersweet British Ceramics Biennial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMucvqZ8HZn-ckg7AUoDd_9no2PqXHrXsIRhsmrIqolHjWqI5QWOoY-TOpNfB9GnhVenm3NN8dezHCje9mWDInOM-PMwpxZu3zjfHJOFaF0lwK1D_YwHnhuApzYV9vMlYKJ1tXPZMNNjM/s1600/P1090030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMucvqZ8HZn-ckg7AUoDd_9no2PqXHrXsIRhsmrIqolHjWqI5QWOoY-TOpNfB9GnhVenm3NN8dezHCje9mWDInOM-PMwpxZu3zjfHJOFaF0lwK1D_YwHnhuApzYV9vMlYKJ1tXPZMNNjM/s400/P1090030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) takes place this autumn
in Stoke-on-Trent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">The organisers are hoping that the BCB will generate wealth and regeneration for Stoke and help to strengthen a new interest in ceramic wares. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2009 BCB brought 35,000 visitors to the district, generating around £2 million for the local economy. </span></span>Held partly in the
crumbling Spode Factory and partly at other sites in the town, including the
truly marvellous Potteries Museum and Art Gallery at Hanley, the exhibition evokes
bittersweet feelings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Spode Factory
is awash with signs and memories of a thriving and vibrant past, however, tragically, it's now a
decaying, cold, damp and soul-less place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As an exhibition venue - although a significant and historic presence in
the town - it is perhaps a strange choice in its present state. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The BCB exhibitions are separated into a number of
themed areas, including a large hall given over to artists from a Dutch
collective known as <a href="http://sundaymorning.ekwc.nl/index_win.php">sundaymorning@ekwc</a>, an international workplace of artists,
designers and architects who use ceramics. Many of their pieces are architectural in nature. There are further large areas
dedicated to recent graduates in ceramic art from Colleges and Universities
around the UK; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and to commercial and industrial ceramic
manufacturers, such as hand-made brick makers and makers of ceramic water systems
for use in drought-affected countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Added into this mix are various side rooms with all manner of ex-Spode
paraphernalia of mixed historical interest left behind when the factory closed - and
not forgetting ‘The Spode Room’, which is not so much a room as a temporary,
cordoned off area, repeatedly cycling its flat-screen history of Spode's famous blue and white pottery, and displaying myriad examples of
Spode patterns on isolated plates hung around its make-shift walls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is no question that much of the ceramic work at the
Spode BCB site is interesting, innovative, exciting, stunning... in some cases breathtaking… and there is
work of an exceptionally high standard to suit all tastes, but there is
something about the deterioration of the venue that seems to dampen the
vibrancy of the displays. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
exhibits overcome this, for example the bright and welcoming coiled pots of
Thomas Weber that greet the visitor on entry to the exhibition, but many of the works
struggle to compete with the atmosphere of the setting. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX-ZjlalUvPt0k9f3emDTIValsOxtfKajmPnu5GXMIOKSj5DwTrSqupmImjG1jYdVBVETrrHA141t6C_QTYqXtCQjya8PZkTJWPF5YDsV0XaqflkiCmrof2KH-gJepI0-JLbO0PW1ToI/s1600/P1090011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX-ZjlalUvPt0k9f3emDTIValsOxtfKajmPnu5GXMIOKSj5DwTrSqupmImjG1jYdVBVETrrHA141t6C_QTYqXtCQjya8PZkTJWPF5YDsV0XaqflkiCmrof2KH-gJepI0-JLbO0PW1ToI/s400/P1090011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On a positive note, it is gratifying to see such a large
number of examples of the excellent work of recent graduates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Curated by BCB Directors and NACHE, the National Association of Ceramics
in Higher Education, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fresh for 2011 </i>exhibition
provides an important platform for showcasing work made in UK centres of ceramic art education and helps to promote the continued funding and support of such
establishments for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In contrast to Spode, The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, housing
the second part of the collection of BCB exhibits, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Award</i>, is a joy to visit and generates an over-riding feeling of hope: a belief in the resurgence of Stoke’s ceramic prowess. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum is one of the finest
examples in the country, notable for its dedicated conservation of world ceramic art throughout
all ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum houses a mind-bogglingly
vast collection of ceramic work that includes all of the most famous names, past and
present, and is an absolute must for any visitor to the area. </span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGesU4svONDVTz8qXL2xxT-CS2KW0g0cg823Q4Lfq07j4hqWf-NEWRiKzbaM3DY4oc9p1EYuYoYuip_44HqNpeH-nzXAwq5wHbIniyjt85Zzipk8qm1TybljrCiNQRkeU4Vf310PMbdzI/s1600/P1090089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGesU4svONDVTz8qXL2xxT-CS2KW0g0cg823Q4Lfq07j4hqWf-NEWRiKzbaM3DY4oc9p1EYuYoYuip_44HqNpeH-nzXAwq5wHbIniyjt85Zzipk8qm1TybljrCiNQRkeU4Vf310PMbdzI/s400/P1090089.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The work on display in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Award</i>
is mainly that of highly talented, established ceramic artists, such as Ken
Eastman, Philip Eglin, Craig Mitchell (below) and Katherine Morling to name only a few,
and is unquestionably awe-inspiring.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBXlsrz_PibqSc5yfbBh-Q4aM-MEqYnzXspHwzdghUXUs7-4rgKfn6uOba2TFomHJI72QUyqf0PRsqUoTb12-3JuhzGlNtkNV-nx7F9gXIaFpWUi50D2HLZje7r700OTzaamVekkFXWw/s1600/craigMitchell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBXlsrz_PibqSc5yfbBh-Q4aM-MEqYnzXspHwzdghUXUs7-4rgKfn6uOba2TFomHJI72QUyqf0PRsqUoTb12-3JuhzGlNtkNV-nx7F9gXIaFpWUi50D2HLZje7r700OTzaamVekkFXWw/s400/craigMitchell.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Compelling as it is though, it is unlikely that any visitor
will not be distracted by displays in rooms adjacent to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Award</i> exhibition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is entirely appropriate, for The
Potteries Museum and Art Gallery holds many, many thousands of stunning ceramic
works that should not be missed by any visitor. The real beauty of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Award</i> is that it provides a
wonderful continuity to this superb collection and brings the observer seamlessly
through to a present day display of delightful and accomplished ceramic works.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Visitors to Spode are advised to wrap up warm, visitors to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Award </i>are advised to set aside several days for the visit! Whatever you do, don't miss any of it!</span></div>
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<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Second British Ceramics Biennial </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">takes place in Stoke-on-Trent</span></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">from 30<sup>th</sup> September to 11<sup>th</sup>
December 2011</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">See website for more details: <a href="http://www.britishceramicsbiennial.com/">http://www.britishceramicsbiennial.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-50278131837389404812011-10-01T00:49:00.001+01:002011-10-01T00:50:29.007+01:00Ray 'steels' the show at The Sage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ngartfair.com/"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j8UMIp5lOmiXRePBERipGWcVdZH_4jZTAxWwbVZhWLdUvg9IL7btkZZq24pXc3fmx7jCDE5Awb5vf_p0ImYU-GRvTMi7Dx0Fs-L31Vygb0njDEw0GqkMOQA1rUwx9YAs0FlfwS378oI/s400/flyer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been very disinclined to write my blog this month. There are various reasons for this, but mainly it's just because I've been spending so much time on the computer for work-related tasks, and then just haven't been able to face sitting down again at the computer to write the blog. I'm not going to write much now either, but here are a few images from the current NewcastleGateshead Art Fair(I hate that joining together of two distinctly different towns!) at The Sage. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the preview evening for this exhibition courtesy of my friend, Jan. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm night and particularly pleasant down on the Quayside. The Art Fair exibition is made up mainly of paintings and there are some fabulous ones, including some work from one of my favourites, Kevin Day: <a href="http://www.artistkevday.co.uk/">http://www.artistkevday.co.uk/</a> . I was disappointed, though, that there weren't more sculptural and ceramic works, but I guess it isn't that kind of an exhibition. Anyway, that said, for me, it was worth a visit solely to see Ray Lonsdale's amazing steel figures. These are just stunning - almost like android beings I thought, incredibly technical in their detail and, no doubt, in their making - beautifully constructed, each with its own story and secrets... I was really impressed by them; a couple of them made me feel quite overcome with emotion (and I'm not meaning to be overly arty-farty here). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This great big guy is situated outside of the exhibition just by the doorway into The Sage. I wasn't the only girl to sit by his knee...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA15rQLHVunE2PQ3BonjzrF1h-CY-6gWRm8MJjsN_3iJR6SY2W5vNJ_w8eZ5S1CQTr5t4LndbRycSj1fjxbGvZyq5mC9Q34KdOaLpG6aaXVZoir7Hw20kp6TkC09juv7drFc8pLdIdWo/s1600/P1080771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA15rQLHVunE2PQ3BonjzrF1h-CY-6gWRm8MJjsN_3iJR6SY2W5vNJ_w8eZ5S1CQTr5t4LndbRycSj1fjxbGvZyq5mC9Q34KdOaLpG6aaXVZoir7Hw20kp6TkC09juv7drFc8pLdIdWo/s320/P1080771.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So what's going on in your head, young lady? <br />
Not much, just wondering if I can have a drag on yer tab.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT5Nx34zXDl2a694WqaDFpl7yW0qV9kvqqkRzFm2OoyVQmW6mJPzGQL7IMrcYyfPbT3UT46xp7Wg1ROHdmMpatYa_fp-AeLntr4lo5PdMCiMkeZSkI3lSOWUgBgHP8uxkFwh6fyGc7uw/s1600/P1080772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT5Nx34zXDl2a694WqaDFpl7yW0qV9kvqqkRzFm2OoyVQmW6mJPzGQL7IMrcYyfPbT3UT46xp7Wg1ROHdmMpatYa_fp-AeLntr4lo5PdMCiMkeZSkI3lSOWUgBgHP8uxkFwh6fyGc7uw/s320/P1080772.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing details</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroIh1aYRZj7P9_SmDiu0F9E9SEkrkiT0pBL2CAaiLCadtUgD8wP5S3U-tr5YDEUf7pM8izWTb3USgfLOxY-B86-CuzyF9YI3RAo2J_BoSZ3X4N6jLLISc-3Bj3crOWMFWVopO903IKMs/s1600/P1080794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroIh1aYRZj7P9_SmDiu0F9E9SEkrkiT0pBL2CAaiLCadtUgD8wP5S3U-tr5YDEUf7pM8izWTb3USgfLOxY-B86-CuzyF9YI3RAo2J_BoSZ3X4N6jLLISc-3Bj3crOWMFWVopO903IKMs/s320/P1080794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sage looking ship-shape...<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Will come back with an update about other stuff once this busy spell at work eases off... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-57232300729794117332011-08-21T23:53:00.001+01:002011-08-21T23:54:19.727+01:00Super wavy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFv2c7gsOKLiizGwKCFJ2YPXvmSocknzpXn1jYKOtgr-P2k4PQzgEX4sGpKWh0CbRvEuBuPLUqY6lltEo7vdOETv5LNsaZWjPRwXdFPO3jTHnC3NIXdHuY59dhLE_pH-Mc5RU2sDtzcc/s1600/firedMaquettes6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFv2c7gsOKLiizGwKCFJ2YPXvmSocknzpXn1jYKOtgr-P2k4PQzgEX4sGpKWh0CbRvEuBuPLUqY6lltEo7vdOETv5LNsaZWjPRwXdFPO3jTHnC3NIXdHuY59dhLE_pH-Mc5RU2sDtzcc/s200/firedMaquettes6.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KuAS2TdYu7wW30Z07dz6vgPf7kJ5d2AbnxmkbnzzLDzVps6jP7b5h7flJT2t9AJ2oUFfIa1vB5robhWph75VrKaKGEm1sSPvNrhpIkIzPQi884R_eYqU2ck5u-J-d0-IgKHrt2XMFYU/s1600/firedMaquette4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KuAS2TdYu7wW30Z07dz6vgPf7kJ5d2AbnxmkbnzzLDzVps6jP7b5h7flJT2t9AJ2oUFfIa1vB5robhWph75VrKaKGEm1sSPvNrhpIkIzPQi884R_eYqU2ck5u-J-d0-IgKHrt2XMFYU/s200/firedMaquette4.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend I started work on the full-size versions of the wave forms for Blue Reef; they will be something like the models above. I've decided to make 3 large waves, all in rough crank clay and have them stand close by each other, thus creating passages for fish to swim in, as in the picture on the left. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I've said in previous posts, making items out of large sheets of clay is a difficult process: handling and moulding the form is hard because clay stretches all too easily under its own weight. It's essential to support all surfaces of the clay during any movement of the entire piece. I've been using old pillows and tablecloths to rest the work on whilst manipulating it into shape. Pillows are great for this particular work as they're soft enough to allow me to add the wavy shape into the pieces and supportive enough so as to keep the clay in position whilst it dries out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT6Gx2BaacQKtknUnqI8ZjolRWOVihehhzPpsFad25rCyrJA8ppes15mAX6S9XvNEfzp_cYLTlQm6tPdlqu7tZwr1jSpJfARHhZ9ezYiyzCmUed33MvSaQjRTtwTeJyE8bWzfcsUiz-w/s1600/waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT6Gx2BaacQKtknUnqI8ZjolRWOVihehhzPpsFad25rCyrJA8ppes15mAX6S9XvNEfzp_cYLTlQm6tPdlqu7tZwr1jSpJfARHhZ9ezYiyzCmUed33MvSaQjRTtwTeJyE8bWzfcsUiz-w/s320/waves.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preparing and rolling out large clay sheets in the first place can also be quite a pain. I've learned from experience that the easiest way for me to do this (lacking a slab roller at home) is to work the clay on two separate cloths, flipping between one cloth and the other between each roll of the clay. Clay can be stretched that little bit further, by rolling, each time it is flipped, so it's more or less unavoidable that the clay will need to be flipped a good few times for large surface areas. The cloths mean that the clay can be turned and moved whilst supporting its entire surface area, thus meaning an even thickness throughout as the clay is rolled. Lifting the clay without the cloth underneath it causes stretching and some areas inevitably become thinner than others - or worse still the clay might rip in half as it's lifted up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvLImjM_tvaL_RBnK-oiSj7y1L0ljMmlbLN67Cn3Dm4U04V5A-KsNfdP6flioUgb2riHsQd0k8T8dubWrSqhNdoE-YVyAZo8o0negaRwp-AzxKJEVbZ4eyg_uP1tPtUuh3pp6XuK7pUA/s1600/wave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvLImjM_tvaL_RBnK-oiSj7y1L0ljMmlbLN67Cn3Dm4U04V5A-KsNfdP6flioUgb2riHsQd0k8T8dubWrSqhNdoE-YVyAZo8o0negaRwp-AzxKJEVbZ4eyg_uP1tPtUuh3pp6XuK7pUA/s320/wave2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Getting a large quantity of clay prepared for rolling takes a bit of muscle power. I have resorted to all kinds of methods of beating big lumps of clay into submission. If the lump gets the better of me, or my arms get tired from wedging, I often just load it all back into its orginal bag and then walk all over it until it's flat, and then take it out, cut and reshape it as necessary, then back into the bag and walk on it again! I'd say the best method of wedging clay that I've found so far though is to persuade a willing man to do it for me :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpphBsnRjXJ1iE5xz8K9lrSj2hcA_S_y7bgFsbwkqSrmYW1zxBWqMpM7P434TVeiDt_KfhLveb7LJ3JuDK-cTemnGleLFxzOMrw65LCAu1uYDGShY79xaZeXox12Pb9dwNPssZH8T4C4/s1600/wave1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpphBsnRjXJ1iE5xz8K9lrSj2hcA_S_y7bgFsbwkqSrmYW1zxBWqMpM7P434TVeiDt_KfhLveb7LJ3JuDK-cTemnGleLFxzOMrw65LCAu1uYDGShY79xaZeXox12Pb9dwNPssZH8T4C4/s320/wave1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lying down, this one reminds me of a ray.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So... I embark on another period of anxious waiting now to see how well these great slabs of clay dry out and fire, and whether they'll stand upright on their own without need for further support.... </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-90247886407835062472011-08-16T23:53:00.002+01:002011-08-16T23:57:10.526+01:00Update on Blue Reef Aquarium Sculptures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDCDkFD5xay4Lwp4ymH6MqqiJIwrcJLdL_mM7LPP0qaOsA84ncebby8IqDoBCa9o6rBU1ajRU2OS5Lc-_CwrhSZLx39IAqT9FR8UubrpHF1N4TGZBWlaWz4PsFQ-1CgtKLNaL78inXlc/s1600/P1080313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDCDkFD5xay4Lwp4ymH6MqqiJIwrcJLdL_mM7LPP0qaOsA84ncebby8IqDoBCa9o6rBU1ajRU2OS5Lc-_CwrhSZLx39IAqT9FR8UubrpHF1N4TGZBWlaWz4PsFQ-1CgtKLNaL78inXlc/s320/P1080313.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First of all: cave news. Here they are! As seen yesterday sitting in the electric kiln following their first (biscuit) firing. All appears to have gone well with only a few minor flaws at places where I joined the individual caves together. I think these flaws will be eradicated during the reduction firing. All in all, I'm really pleased with the results and looking forward to seeing the fully fired piece next week. Phew!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, on to the next piece... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The 'anchor chain' is now finished and ready for firing also. As it's unglazed earthenware, it'll only need one firing and so should also be complete next week. I did make a slideshow of how it was made, step-by-step, but then I realised that Blogger will only allow graphic file formats so I can't add it in here except by referencing it from elsewhere on the Net. I'll do that when I get time, but not tonight! In the meantime, here's an idea of the beginning...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjjAouJPOeSnQEKPVJfy1rZLs8KlGkDHXxBsTQZsRucs94260XJWyp2jBLzunRdb_qDbo-OFdQ9CLc6n9uHEhk5eCmOJXq2LVkL8yjW4abkPc0U8DLP16OE2szX9YtwIVV-QxcomUXCs/s1600/P1080308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjjAouJPOeSnQEKPVJfy1rZLs8KlGkDHXxBsTQZsRucs94260XJWyp2jBLzunRdb_qDbo-OFdQ9CLc6n9uHEhk5eCmOJXq2LVkL8yjW4abkPc0U8DLP16OE2szX9YtwIVV-QxcomUXCs/s320/P1080308.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loadsa clay rings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eDFIIe5QV4LkPaSGFhKpbrMNcYmXjh0PR7KLHfyAMGnbum5egpwa2miwxLhOo4iOKcEp0pBrVQeHaIJZtOA6SXmDaE3NV9ITNYnnUlQw9cBzQez61Ue9z14Gn2m9DP-V8q2DZ0RMj9k/s1600/P1080315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eDFIIe5QV4LkPaSGFhKpbrMNcYmXjh0PR7KLHfyAMGnbum5egpwa2miwxLhOo4iOKcEp0pBrVQeHaIJZtOA6SXmDaE3NV9ITNYnnUlQw9cBzQez61Ue9z14Gn2m9DP-V8q2DZ0RMj9k/s320/P1080315.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">starting pieces and model in background for scale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhH8WGap0dTDnEDyWhl6U0Ks9kmwW-GejPQxoPFzJQFzj1RXg4dd1WCpZk9TZPpc_Z2E4iSoFMR2O8x8j261WUdpns8wGN0GuOkgttppR19XBFMvn7I_V_EigIB2BiO3i0fKOxKCO-2k/s1600/P1080334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhH8WGap0dTDnEDyWhl6U0Ks9kmwW-GejPQxoPFzJQFzj1RXg4dd1WCpZk9TZPpc_Z2E4iSoFMR2O8x8j261WUdpns8wGN0GuOkgttppR19XBFMvn7I_V_EigIB2BiO3i0fKOxKCO-2k/s640/P1080334.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.... and the completed work</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was immensely good fun to make! I have really enjoyed all the work I've done for Blue Reef so far. I think, as I've said before, that part of it is that I'm imagining fish swimming around in my work whilst I'm making it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few notes about the work, whilst they're fresh in my mind: small scale models are not necessarily a good indictator of how a finished piece will look nor are they always helpful in determining how to approach construction. I am beginning to realise that there is a lot to be gained from constructing <em>sections</em> of a work in full size in addition to making entire models. In particular, with this work (and the caves), the weight of each component was far greater than in the equivalent model piece and this meant that downward force had a much more significant effect on the piece as a whole. This required a change in overall design.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fortunately, I remembered to build this piece directly on a kiln shelf this time, so I'm expecting it will be a breeze getting this piece into the kiln. Shouldn't say that, should I? ;-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a million other items I need to upload on to my blog. It's been a real Summer of Art. I wish there were more hours in the day.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-32669381655664518102011-08-10T00:29:00.003+01:002011-08-10T00:55:14.912+01:00Post Potfest Disorder...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmvUB_GWHACuL3L83udRL3Y8QKO4Fu9L9Tp5wmEoMWEwba-OhS43x879iqH-lK5bQxc8oU9-lFkicYOUd2DXCYZMJTy5tPJVZRtYEcuWIyCfXttb5scb8V5Nn1CCj0VS1OiCsmvwa4kk/s1600/newpotfestMED3crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmvUB_GWHACuL3L83udRL3Y8QKO4Fu9L9Tp5wmEoMWEwba-OhS43x879iqH-lK5bQxc8oU9-lFkicYOUd2DXCYZMJTy5tPJVZRtYEcuWIyCfXttb5scb8V5Nn1CCj0VS1OiCsmvwa4kk/s320/newpotfestMED3crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I am suffering from a bad case of PPD. <em> Post Potfest Disorder</em> is a syndrome with both psychological and physical symptoms. I've just returned from 3 days at one of Europe's most outstanding ceramic art events: <a href="http://www.potfest.co.uk/potfestpens.htm">Potfest in the Pens</a>, having been lucky enough to be an exhibitor myself this year rather than just a punter.<br />
<br />
To explain the physical disorder: it's taken me 48 hours to sort out the chaos of boxes, tools, camping gear, display materials, etc that travelled to Potfest and back with me, and were then spread around my house from Sunday evening, when I arrived home too shattered to properly unpack them. <br />
<br />
Over the past couple of years, I've really come to appreciate that Potfest is a truly incredible event. Apart from the overwhelming diversity of art works on show (all made from the same basic material: i.e. mud!) the logistical and organisational processes behind the event are, in themselves, quite stunning.<br />
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The general public who come to enjoy Potfest don't know the half of what goes on behind the scenes before and after the events. There is <em>such </em>a lot of hard work involved with getting the pens set up.... and then with taking it all down again. Not to mention the matter of engaging with the public for 3 very 'full-on' days when most potters are used to working in solitary confinement in a quiet studio...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirONcbg_jUmKEvkzdsmDw2OOIjuzluex5YZ6YSY-da_B6JC39z7HowbKJD0a63gnng8nyTimSM4BPjzwngb-sVVvEJgJz8yqweO3NRoHjsIEj76QMuFwUhL1_hk-fQjp-G3kHZLkZ6vD4/s1600/ProsPacking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirONcbg_jUmKEvkzdsmDw2OOIjuzluex5YZ6YSY-da_B6JC39z7HowbKJD0a63gnng8nyTimSM4BPjzwngb-sVVvEJgJz8yqweO3NRoHjsIEj76QMuFwUhL1_hk-fQjp-G3kHZLkZ6vD4/s320/ProsPacking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing at the end of another very successful event</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUatPh28VfoMRJ_QUKV869fVKB5y7jrrUtGU0h5-kCmxpQ2x5MDdVv-ykeAXp8KjQtfl0q8ybe7cLtbHRTKiSJwtE-LfUalY9N0OdGC_jxPONfqeDMm_88XEACu8Q4Aruf14dWaD0ryB8/s1600/fetchingCarryingPacking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUatPh28VfoMRJ_QUKV869fVKB5y7jrrUtGU0h5-kCmxpQ2x5MDdVv-ykeAXp8KjQtfl0q8ybe7cLtbHRTKiSJwtE-LfUalY9N0OdGC_jxPONfqeDMm_88XEACu8Q4Aruf14dWaD0ryB8/s320/fetchingCarryingPacking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fetching, carrying, packing, dismantling, tidying...</td></tr>
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</div>My involvement with the event this year came about when Steve Nicholson, my good pal from Newcastle College, in his final college year, was given a free 'pen' for himself and fellow students in return for running 'some kind' of ceramics workshops for Potfest visitors. Geoff and Christine Cox, who are the organisers of Potfest make great efforts to help student potters make it commercially. Steve's work went down a storm! He was inundated with customers and nearly ran out of work to sell on the last day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNJFBz2gmIRxkWoPjvAZoOjagSZaWDQFy5cgAXdhCI7OPm92wGL9pmF3MS4WWILcMznX0LJ9VZimGYAS3tB0qZnh3nk7ySPIa-6QFNJvfniAKVdGhNy2yyOCMrxznUUCZW5mS8INHjRc/s1600/Stephen+Nicholson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNJFBz2gmIRxkWoPjvAZoOjagSZaWDQFy5cgAXdhCI7OPm92wGL9pmF3MS4WWILcMznX0LJ9VZimGYAS3tB0qZnh3nk7ySPIa-6QFNJvfniAKVdGhNy2yyOCMrxznUUCZW5mS8INHjRc/s320/Stephen+Nicholson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign I made to go with Steve's work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have to admit to having enjoyed running the workshops more than trying to sell my work, even though it was very tiring. I talked to so many lovely people and met so many enthusiastic youngsters who were just desperate to get their hands on a lump of clay and start making! As we didn't have the facilities to fire the work made in our workshops I promised all the young budding artists that I'd showcase their work here on my blog, so here goes...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cmrOM05Fe3BYzUlFt6EkdvuWiDmSH_VaCPfvuC89uFdSRQLJbOW9pEiIKvXCYk51W8l8UshQWaX_3wLzD3O6f9LG-EQwUsTaQn89DarmQv2NOkDtLRqF8HSs2AsN8ehFz2YnqizNfq4/s1600/P1080197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cmrOM05Fe3BYzUlFt6EkdvuWiDmSH_VaCPfvuC89uFdSRQLJbOW9pEiIKvXCYk51W8l8UshQWaX_3wLzD3O6f9LG-EQwUsTaQn89DarmQv2NOkDtLRqF8HSs2AsN8ehFz2YnqizNfq4/s320/P1080197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah Furnival - first to try my workshop and definitely a potter in the making!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbORc8b3UvczglW796XZyS4W8BbaGCYbvqmLY9na9p1465ld5hOrsxpCJ4bneDMB7q0Ys7Ro4y7Vuz01M_VaskRGiMVt4-oTujgGOnOsXXOBwLTD594OGh-nr6ZoKihn-N_lJP2aoYEcs/s1600/P1080198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbORc8b3UvczglW796XZyS4W8BbaGCYbvqmLY9na9p1465ld5hOrsxpCJ4bneDMB7q0Ys7Ro4y7Vuz01M_VaskRGiMVt4-oTujgGOnOsXXOBwLTD594OGh-nr6ZoKihn-N_lJP2aoYEcs/s320/P1080198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah's lovely printed tile</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The above are only some of the lovely things there were made. Many folk took their work away with them before I got chance to photograph it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>So Potfest is packed away for another year.... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W1_Qwm4uuSTqQgUX7onktDVvPKbAqkrhOi38pO4SLAuEHexU6QmGLsuDUQy9gjgWzvQihQu8ccjn1MxIB8F2g6qNILvZgbYFzp09H_zmo16sCj3fHpKGTlGDicw_MHasCc0_4HE7Ny8/s1600/whatCameOutMustSurelyGoBackIn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W1_Qwm4uuSTqQgUX7onktDVvPKbAqkrhOi38pO4SLAuEHexU6QmGLsuDUQy9gjgWzvQihQu8ccjn1MxIB8F2g6qNILvZgbYFzp09H_zmo16sCj3fHpKGTlGDicw_MHasCc0_4HE7Ny8/s320/whatCameOutMustSurelyGoBackIn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">....and I am feeling a little lost without the vibrant, cheery company of 150 other potters. I don't know quite what to do with myself... I suppose the best way to cure my PPD is to just start getting ready for the next one... :-) </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-91330336249678567482011-07-29T23:39:00.000+01:002011-07-29T23:39:26.854+01:00Good luck to G and Sa for their Big Ride<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgfKAk39eaOsiPTuPdIrLCj8wmU077mBVFkGSrCWeG-c_kPaTfiYBkaHaw3J5TZInRbdAJWOi80b9KWjDpxBTuB6H7WZCEe47LYeYJyJipPKqcQx3lJDnfHFtLW-PEVtYHGvqvdP1NvA/s1600/whitejersey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgfKAk39eaOsiPTuPdIrLCj8wmU077mBVFkGSrCWeG-c_kPaTfiYBkaHaw3J5TZInRbdAJWOi80b9KWjDpxBTuB6H7WZCEe47LYeYJyJipPKqcQx3lJDnfHFtLW-PEVtYHGvqvdP1NvA/s1600/whitejersey.jpg" t$="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G suits white in 2011!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Geraint and Sara Thomas are riding 160 miles to raise money for the Stroke Association tomorrow. Given that it's a year since Harv had his stroke, and it is very much worth celebrating that he came out of it all with a barely a scratch, and since we're big fans of cycling and have been avidly watching Geraint fly through the Tour de France this past few weeks, we (and various friends and family) have been very happy to donate to G and Sa's fund. If you haven't already given your support, and can spare a couple of quid to add to the pot, their JustGiving page is here: <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Glyn-Taid">http://www.justgiving.com/Glyn-Taid</a> <br />
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Best of luck G and Sa. Hoping the sun shines and you have a memorable and fun day!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-40389139606503993942011-07-13T00:31:00.001+01:002011-07-13T00:35:40.547+01:00Anchors away Colocini and Twitter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAdyWOHM_ZOzNdLTb-mAxGSUNaykzfyE6j48nK7Aa36d7W9xwUrxRlXmsTZUl6BKapJQ8EZZyurlsYYcOJORVd4uwfNq_mJcNo_5AeiIcpQxqmYKYyWBLWQZ2oIqaX_Lo64i0WzmwRY/s1600/caves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <br />
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAdyWOHM_ZOzNdLTb-mAxGSUNaykzfyE6j48nK7Aa36d7W9xwUrxRlXmsTZUl6BKapJQ8EZZyurlsYYcOJORVd4uwfNq_mJcNo_5AeiIcpQxqmYKYyWBLWQZ2oIqaX_Lo64i0WzmwRY/s320/caves.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br />
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</div>At last the caves are finished - front, back and sides! I just need some kind of a miracle now to get them off of the board they're on and on to a kiln shelf! (Anyone got any suggestions....!?) <br />
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Honestly... I <em>do</em> have <em>some</em> ideas for transferring them to the kiln so..er... no worries about that at the moment. (Like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand.... I will move on...)<br />
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I have now begun work on the next of my Blue Reef pieces, the full size version of the 'anchor'...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWtKFlPathCBv_5qweY0gQmxz35Yozq-YgPr4mg0BNiqfb6t8kjkB-0Oy1Q_WXS1vFFjZMLy1WKb19tEbM640l3I0vhSCcHuC38_dfliMIY2b8GwFAhIHaRZ72gehORf3ipJ2DC8P2yQ/s320/firedMaquette2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="305" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model of anchor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBzoBWm1fFE87QhBIwbN5RRsnAlQX-G1nlpQxPZ25wx9vdsdDOgwkSwJyy1Ht73h5mFqxRw-ZaZNBjnXHGWPW9-LZMTsIDjvAc9sFPjPqpE6kMBsmCgNtGe52mDzLafKyEB3EFeN-HWI/s1600/anchorsaway1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBzoBWm1fFE87QhBIwbN5RRsnAlQX-G1nlpQxPZ25wx9vdsdDOgwkSwJyy1Ht73h5mFqxRw-ZaZNBjnXHGWPW9-LZMTsIDjvAc9sFPjPqpE6kMBsmCgNtGe52mDzLafKyEB3EFeN-HWI/s320/anchorsaway1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clay sections are all prepared for joining together. Early days though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Great to be getting going on the next piece. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. Shame I have to go back to my day job tomorrow!<br />
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So what else has been happening lately?<br />
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Against all odds and my better judgement, I decided to join Twitter. I am @ambientceramics if anyone cares to follow me! (To put into perspective how momentous this was: my colleagues in the IT dept at Newcastle Uni commented that Hell must have frozen over...) I did this partly just to check out what it was all about and partly because I thought that if I was going to criticise something so vehemently, I'd better be damn sure I knew what I was talking about. Now I hate to admit that I find I'm eating most of my words and tweeting the rest! <em>I actually really like Twitter.</em> 'Like', in the old-fashioned <em>and </em>new sense. I have found out about so many great events from Twitter, and discovered stacks of new artists and new work that I'm sure I'd never have bothered to look at by simply 'browsing' the web. So it's not just a load of pointless and inane 'witterings-on' as I'd thought it was. It's not all good though! Tour de France + Twitter results in a potent mix that is far more addictive than EPO.... <br />
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Who'd have thought it, eh? Finally sucked in by the social network! Resistance is futile and all that. Still... I'm in good company it seems.<br />
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And at least 70% of my day was spent making stuff out of clay so that's alright.<br />
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In other news... I didn't mention this at the time it was announced and I should have. I am <em>so</em> pleased to hear that Colocini has been given the Newcastle United captaincy: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/08/fabricio-coloccini-newcastle-united-captain">http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/08/fabricio-coloccini-newcastle-united-captain</a> Not just because he is a truly wonderful defender and a great team player (and has the best curly hair in the world - obviously), but because we really couldn't bear another team to be singing the best football song ever!<br />
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I Googled for his song and found various YouTubes but as most of them are of such poor quality as to be almost unbearable <span style="background-color: white;">to listen</span> to, I decided that this had to be the one:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-EldlBNPrQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-EldlBNPrQ</a><br />
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Best of luck for the coming season Colo!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev-E6y-NSuTb2AW0G-Y7y2rnUiuwpCgO8QSwATLlMTLygnVivIsf0DRD6eX9knYM3IjHiYpnz-oYwn936IlzFVFgcQv5R5waI_6kcAVREi3nbWS7KD_Ud8BukddIoyF_2IGxKmbxjm1A/s1600/colo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjev-E6y-NSuTb2AW0G-Y7y2rnUiuwpCgO8QSwATLlMTLygnVivIsf0DRD6eX9knYM3IjHiYpnz-oYwn936IlzFVFgcQv5R5waI_6kcAVREi3nbWS7KD_Ud8BukddIoyF_2IGxKmbxjm1A/s320/colo.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-12484618594891630892011-07-09T11:01:00.001+01:002011-07-09T11:10:24.399+01:00In praise of Tableau<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64iRq-raSDz2-XiyozCyDpn1TeqgO7Hip3DMJUow9HDloOJUirNzREdHPwEwivtbAl7kjNRqAbWb2D8soOuSah6jZ_P6V4R7mYV0tr7BlBxqTeNEWHJYallNQhYuo99nAmwaU8L0I6n0/s1600/tableau_logo.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>In my day job in IT at Newcastle Uni, I've been looking at some software called Tableau that provides an easy way to create 'visualisations' of data in databases, spreadsheets and even text files. I don't say this very often about software but I've been incredibly impressed with Tableau - it is a real delight to work with. Anyone who has done it will know that extracting data into nice graphs and reports in a meaningful and accurate way is something of a black art a lot of the time. With Tableau it suddenly becomes easy!<br />
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Having explored the product website a bit more this morning, I've spotted that they provide a free Public version of Tableau that looks as if it could be <strong>extremely</strong> useful for bloggers and website managers. Have a look at this video which gives a clever example of how to use it: <a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/how-it-works">http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/how-it-works</a><br />
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There is a 50MB limit on the data size for this free version of Tableau which doesn't sound like much, however you can get an awful lot of text into 50MB. (<em>Images</em> do take up a lot of space of course, but you can just provide web links to those rather than including the actual images in your data.)<br />
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I can't help thinking that Tableau is the <em>killer app</em> for data management that we've all been waiting for. Undoubtedly I'll be waxing more about this product in posts to come!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-29425682728727917652011-07-07T23:41:00.000+01:002011-07-07T23:41:47.639+01:00The sum of its parts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNfuQr5i7OeFlAfWHLblakabtq2nkmcIDuqVoNUxfFGr3fBYgKShus4xMzYP7hyphenhyphenk2etHHZ-880TgLSJrywGdDsrIheInUQI5068mKHoK0flM0RzIQR_MLpjYTulZf7ITTA36cCASSh-g/s1600/P1080030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNfuQr5i7OeFlAfWHLblakabtq2nkmcIDuqVoNUxfFGr3fBYgKShus4xMzYP7hyphenhyphenk2etHHZ-880TgLSJrywGdDsrIheInUQI5068mKHoK0flM0RzIQR_MLpjYTulZf7ITTA36cCASSh-g/s320/P1080030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Just a quick post - no time to write much today, but here's a picture of progress so far with the 'caves' (with the original model lurking in the background). The sculpture is stable but the whole thing has a <em>slight</em> backward lean, so to be on the safe side I'm making some additional supporting caves for the rear. I have to keep the sculpture completely wrapped in plastic for now so that it doesn't get too dry before I add the caves to the back. Drying of a large, multi-component work like this is quite a difficult and slow process - it can't be rushed as each part must dry evenly and equally, so as not to shrink faster than its neighbouring parts and thus cause the kind of stresses that might result in cracks.<br />
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I reckon I'm looking at around 2 weeks drying time for this piece - at least. Ho hum.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-886136597231704932.post-73981883162375461202011-07-05T00:05:00.000+01:002011-07-05T00:05:48.739+01:00Aquarium caves begin to take shape...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMSveJVGxUbIFG_3OyNKZ-SHLVHTn-EbdcrSsgsdxFfTyQCQgXcgI1n6_2xuTkjmyKYemzdvqLn2hT7znZoUGbKQhblsdZ4WoeM7qSi1b8ufq5OAsXgvdcQsfrEqsY11sLZZRBuHbBG4/s1600/Level1_lined_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMSveJVGxUbIFG_3OyNKZ-SHLVHTn-EbdcrSsgsdxFfTyQCQgXcgI1n6_2xuTkjmyKYemzdvqLn2hT7znZoUGbKQhblsdZ4WoeM7qSi1b8ufq5OAsXgvdcQsfrEqsY11sLZZRBuHbBG4/s400/Level1_lined_up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have at last reached the stage where I can begin to put the hoards <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(is that the correct collective noun?!) </span>of ceramic caves together into a single form. I have procrastinated quite a bit over this today! I spent <em>such</em> a long time in making the caves that I was terrified it would all go horribly wrong when I came to join them together. It <em>was </em>a bit of a faff! As my friend, Rebecca suggested I could really have done with some help from the Blue Reef octopus tonight; I just didn't have enough hands! I also needed to switch off gravity for a bit... (that's the force I'm talking about, nothing to do with my general outlook.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thankfully, things seem to have gone okay... so far... At least they did once I got myself properly sorted with everything I needed in order to do the job. I never seem to be properly prepared when I begin this kind of task - you'd think I'd <em>learn</em> (maybe I'm taking this 'thinking like a fish' business too far)! For example I hadn't really thought about how I was going to move the finished - delicate and heavy - piece from my work bench to the back of my car for transporting to the kiln. Fortunately, I did manage to get a wooden board underneath it on completion of the first layer of caves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The balloons idea actually turned out to be a good one. The balloons gently support the lower caves without putting any pressure on the clay and I've blown them up so as to only just touch the inside of the ball thus allowing the clay some room for shrinkage during the building process. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fOhXIlUwDNYTJJxg2QfqZuLfCNPkcOS7JYGBIp1ZfbDenkSYL5O6fV85HdfgHTQ2njLpSIBBhYwXAWaq-_X-EOmUsfG4aU_dnzxjWEfnC9MuYawMgeOyJVwpAY91GPpVeoVivMponzo/s1600/Level1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fOhXIlUwDNYTJJxg2QfqZuLfCNPkcOS7JYGBIp1ZfbDenkSYL5O6fV85HdfgHTQ2njLpSIBBhYwXAWaq-_X-EOmUsfG4aU_dnzxjWEfnC9MuYawMgeOyJVwpAY91GPpVeoVivMponzo/s320/Level1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If necessary I'll let a bit more air out of the balloons as the clay shrinks although balloons always seem to shrink over time as well. I reckon this work is going to take a lot of monitoring as it dries. There are good few stress points to keep an eye on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I managed to get up to the third level of large caves tonight and then I'd had enough! Each of these caves has a passage way to the one at the side or above/below it, thus fish can swim between them. I've varied the hole sizes between the caves so that some of the bigger fish will be limited to certain routes through, and the smaller fish will then get chance to zip through the entire sculpture and hide if they need to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2u-_tpchepSC3cYeWPA5d_dhSsgYw_OTXquc8_PK_a1gbcHKR1sPAS5rjy8GsrvbO8AXpJNLx5XQRoXypIMQ2Kgz18EuqRQ_p1BTVmdNRPTqvzVVS-CDM0CgkH2cnrr2KiPl1MqpG50/s1600/Level2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2u-_tpchepSC3cYeWPA5d_dhSsgYw_OTXquc8_PK_a1gbcHKR1sPAS5rjy8GsrvbO8AXpJNLx5XQRoXypIMQ2Kgz18EuqRQ_p1BTVmdNRPTqvzVVS-CDM0CgkH2cnrr2KiPl1MqpG50/s320/Level2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dRjfGSYQnrErqXn2REq08QaRYL75tlHxyL6H4N6M7zoLRYCRo52e3t6CPHPuIH0-fzEjDfCaFxr2eGD2JnWoOOAxtTD9sqde2OwoybAmiOv7Yktj5RqxlSp54kqccn3lUsCjmnEyKY/s1600/Level3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dRjfGSYQnrErqXn2REq08QaRYL75tlHxyL6H4N6M7zoLRYCRo52e3t6CPHPuIH0-fzEjDfCaFxr2eGD2JnWoOOAxtTD9sqde2OwoybAmiOv7Yktj5RqxlSp54kqccn3lUsCjmnEyKY/s320/Level3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I said in an earlier post, this particular work is really great fun to make. There's something very appealing about making something I know will be used by an animal or two! I hope to have the piece finished by the end of tomorrow. Will report back on further progress later...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3