Now it's October

Sorry it's been such I while since I last wrote anything!

It's been a fairly unemployed but creative summer. I went back home to Birmingham which is always lovely ( it's my favourite place). I saw friends, drank tea, made cakes, went camping and did LOTS and LOTS of knitting!I decided that as i have a christmas craft fair (potentially 2) this winter i should probably get creating early. I've made headpieces and Hats, and Beret's. I also Knitted a pair of hand warmers for my best friend Jenny's birthday that I'm particularly proud of. Although I do find that the disadvantage of homemade gifts is that its usually quite upsetting to give them away!

A Conclusion to the Stroud Project

Having submitted my spoons to The Museum In the Park in Stroud i felt that i needed a change of direction. the 8 month project based around the same simple form had left me completely drained of ideas.

I had managed to get my hands on a copy of 'The Subversive Stitch' a book by Rozsika Parker which looks at the oppression of women in society through needlework.

This is a subject I had touched on briefly in my project through the ideas of division of labour and some domestic objects being associated with women and 'Women's Work'.

So i carried on down the path of domestic objects .

These are old royal dalton 'mosaic collection' teacups and saucers. I've covered them in Latex, old crochet, lace and family photographs. I think they have quite a nice organic quality, like they've been overgrown.

Work Experience

I was on work experience at Lyndon School in Solihull a couple of weeks ago. i was terrified before i went but everyone was so lovely and i had a fab week!The kids were (on the most part) inspired and willing to try new things and ideas.

Although i came to the conclusion that if i'm going in for this whole teaching thing, i'm going to have to work on not being quite so frustrated with Key Stage 3!

This was a piece of year 9 work, i liked it because it was expressive and she was unafraid to make bold marks in her work.

'The Secret Garden' Exhibition

Just a few images from our exhibition.

Due to the exhibition Chapel being much bigger and having much more floor space than we'd expected we put in another couple of pieces of free standing work. I made some more embroidered teabags as well and exhibiting my ceramic work.

After a lots of setting up, painting, cleaning and preparing the Private View was busy and bustling. Thanks to Lindors Country House Hotel who provided copious amounts of free wine!

We had over 500 visitors over the week and over all it was a huge success.

Recent Tea Bowls

Just a few more of my recent tea bowls, these are simply reduction glazes on stoneware clay.

I like the wide rimmed ones best.

Spoons for Stroud

So i'm nearing a conclusion on the spoons for Stroud. after a fairly massive change of direction, i decided i would have to forget the idea of embedding my lace in resin for a while because of the short amount of time until the pieces have to be submitted for the exhibition (and also because the casting workshop at uni is shut AGAIN because the technician is stranded in Portugal)

These spoons are constructed on top of the wooden tea spoons "borrowed" from the canteen at uni, with lace, reclaimed teabags, old pattern paper and lots and lots of PVA glue. all mounted on " Jesse Elizabeth's Tea Tray".

Women of Studio Pottery - Lucie Rie

Lucie Rie was born in Vienna in 1902 and moved to england in her early career where she met Hanz Coper. Together they became two of the most renowned studio potters in recent history.

I think i'm particularly interested in Lucie Rie's work because of the fact that she is a woman and there is a very obvious lack of women in the ceramics and studio pottery industries.

Her work with the form of the bowl is very relevant to my tea bowl project at the moment.

Here are some of her works!