Almost 2013...

Now that the Christmas festivities are done and dusted I've started looking at the diary for next year. It's been good to get a short break from the studio as its certainly been a hectic year..! This time a year ago I was starting to plan the new studio and think about what kind of space I would need and how it would all take shape. We've had some lovely people through the doors and worked on some great projects..hopefully more of the same this year :) 

Its also meant a huge change in my working practices; spending much more time on admin, teaching, preparation, marketing and more marketing than making work. But when I have got my new project underway I've really enjoyed it; have finally had the space to draw again and have loosened up a lot in the objects I've made. I've been reflecting a little on early work, and in some respects revisiting elements of it in terms of looser gestural brush work, monoprinted mark making, and recently returning to red earthenware clay. Although the clay is covered with layers of slip, there is the warmth of the clay colour coming through and the red colour on the inside of the jars. 

I've also been working on a chapter for a forthcoming publication 'Travel, Tourism and Art'. Its co-authored with Kevin Hannam and offers an insight into my previous project The Albertan Animal series. Final amendments have just been made and so all being well it will be going to the editors and then the publishers soon. Details to follow! 

There are a few shows planned for next year; will post details of these soon.

New work, open studio and experimental glaze development

Recovered from the hectic weekend of open studio last week; which went really well! Definitely doing it again next year. Lots of lovely visitors, thanks to everyone that made it along.Always nice to meet the public directly from time to time, and to give people an insight into how and why we make things. Quite a few older pieces were sold (always nice to make way for new work) but I've got more if anyone wants a reduced piece of work...
A few images below before the crowds arrived. There is work by my partner Chris Donnelly, Clare Andrews, Sally-Ann Provan, Hatti Pattison and Lyndsey Jean Henderson also in these shots; just a few of the other lovely Beaverhall residents!
More details on the Beaverhall FB page: www.facebook.com/BeaverhallStudios

The first new finished pieces were sent to Contemporary Applied Arts for their Christmas show; image below. Work over the last year has explored natural history collections, with different series of specific forms such as plate the focus. This new series focuses on collections viewed in UK based museums. The lidded jar or container is associated with collecting and containing historic specimens. It is sometimes directly connected with the animal (18^th/19^th century tobacco jars made from rhino feet for example), and so was chosen for this project (as yet untitled). Like the animal specimens themselves, the jars are hollow and function to 'contain' and permanently fix the images of the animals, frozen into their poses. 

The jars are intended in a sense to commemorate the animals and reflect their characteristics. Drawings were made of various specimens, which were then made into transfers layered over painted and printed surfaces. Selected photographs have been used, although the focus with this work is on the drawn image. Abstracted backgrounds refer loosely to the museum setting. They are handbuilt and individual, although part of a larger ongoing series which will develop over the next few months. 

 

And finally here is a image of some work made by product design post-grad student Jaume Miro at the studio; he is developing experimental glazes using reclaimed and recycled computer parts. I've built the vessels to his requirements based on traditional African pots (the black ones), and he has created glazes from scratch using the extracted raw materials...deceptively simple, but a lot of work to get to this stage and some exciting results so far! its been a really interesting process to work with someone else to help them develop their ideas and practical outcomes. Useful I think as an artist, when you are used to working on personal or specific concepts and themes, to step outside of this and create things to someone else's specifications. To date it has been a rewarding process to work with others at the studio and get differing perspectives on ceramics. 

Open studio

Forgot to add the details of the open studio event on the last post..so here it is...

New work and open studio event

Hadn't realised it has been quite a while since I posted anything...time has certainly been flying by, and its been fairly full on at the studio! My new work is slowly evolving, and I'm getting used to only making work on a part time basis as most of the emphasis at the moment is running the studio. It does however make you really appreciate focused creative time. I have found spending more time working with other people on their various projects rewarding; and seeing how others interpret and utilise the materials and processes. So far at Cyan Clayworks there has been a wide range of individuals making everything from slip cast cups, handbuilt vessels to tiles, and material testing /glaze development using recycled materials. Students from Edinburgh College of Art have been in to create ceramic projects as well. This really highlights the diverse possibilities of clay; with its uses in the fields of product design and sculpture for example. Definitely to be encouraged I think, as there are still those who think that ceramics belongs solely in the field of craft...
Few images below of work in progress. Coil built lidded jars, with multiple layers of image and colour. There are lots of stages, from the initial building, to refining, then slip application through painting and printing. Once fired the glaze is applied and fired, then the decals applied. These are developed from my drawings. Hopefully will have some images of finished pieces next time...

New project beginnings

Lots of things on the go as usual in the studio. Various taster sessions were held this month, a couple of one off workshops, student projects finished and discussions underway for other projects.  Plans are also underway for a print and ceramic workshop which I've been invited to hold in Margate for the Pushing Print festival in October. My own classes will start at the studio in September.Cyan Clayworks is now officially registered as a Community Interest Company, which will hopefully open up various possibilities...!

It also mean I can separate my own work to some extent. In between teaching, firing/glazing and filling out application forms, I've started my own work after a long gap. 
This will continue with the natural history theme. I've started things off by a visit to the National Museum of Scotland to look at and document the animal collections there. Various test pieces have been made to explore potential forms- lidded containers and surface imagery. The lidded container was used as a starting point after seeing a Victorian tobacco jar made from a rhino foot in Traquair House, and jars used to store specimens in museums. My versions of animal themed containers will be simplified forms and will make a more subtle reference to these sources.

All my new work now is project and research based. A lot of time is spent initially gathering source material, exploring and defining ideas, images and forms before beginning to make resolved objects. I've also bought a Victorian tanager bird to draw in the studio...

Update from the studio

Hard to believe its August already...the year is going by very quickly! So far in the last month we had the open event at Cyan Clayworks which went really well. Student projects are almost complete..just the final glazing and firing to do this week. More equipment was bought so we now have a newly renovated slab roller.

Have even managed to start some of my own work...will post some details in the next blog. I'll be continuing with the natural history collection theme, but exploring some new forms and images. I find the process of working through ideas by making small test pieces really useful; often the ideas start to really develop through the making process. Quickly made small scale objects are used to make decisions about proportion, variations within a particular form and how they interact as a group. I like to separate form from surface at these early stages, with imagery developed in the next stage of development.


It will be interesting to see how my work evolves in this new space; a larger scale is now possible. I'm looking forward to having the room and the kiln size to make larger scale work again. The addition of the slab roller will enable relief printing so opening new possibilities for printed images. Each time I've worked in a new space, whether temporarily during a residency or in my own studios, I find it has quite an impact, often generating new ideas and approaches. No doubt spending more time working with other people will have an effect as well.

Open Studio event

To officially open the studio now that everything is set up (including the lovely new workbenches...) we will be holding a launch event. 

So if you're in the area on the 28th you'd be welcome to join us.