WORK IN PROGRESS - A delivery from the farm

Straw Bales.

Took delivery of a few straw bales today... the gallery certainly smells quite authentic now! Didn't help with the smell that some of the bales arrived in a trailer during pouring rain. Also got the dilapidated metal shelves sorted today, they're in the gallery now too... Thanks to Jade & Carl for all their help.

STUDIO - A cautionary tale

The roof of the kiln.

Broken element.

As a student you hear cautionary tales all the time... I think every ceramicist lives in fear of the kiln breaking down on the run up to an exhibition! It won't possibly happen to me!! And then... pop! The roof of the kiln lifts off & an element breaks! Not what I need right now but hopefully someone can come & look at it in Friday (regretting my lack of element changing knowledge)... all other kilns in town seems pretty booked out due to North Yorkshire Open Studios... Ho hum....

WORK IN PROGRESS - The countdown has begun

GM Reaper legs - Work in progress.

Just under two weeks until the Farm World (work in progress) exhibition now... have a couple of GM Reapers assembled and painted with underglazes (gone for the underglaze with transparent glaze option over coloured glaze with on-glaze enamels), should be able to get them in the kiln this week. I'm currently focusing my attentions on "A Poultry Life", don't want to give too much away about this piece yet... except to say that I'm currently on a slip casting spree!

STUDIO - Unwitting victims

Michelle James "Not more mixing"

Oh how I appreciate days when unwitting victims offer to come and help me out in the studio for a few hours!! Oh Great!! Casting slip opportunity... it's just like making a great big cake says Michelle!

STUDIO - Random things

Things to send to Random-things.co.uk

Took a little moment today for a quick aside... have been thinking for a while about what I could send to Scott at Random-thing.co.uk. Had these 3 heads hanging around the studio from various casts of the man in the 'Trilogy of Deaths' series. I had beheaded them all and fired only the heads as the casts were no good as they had dried out before I had managed to do the necessary work on them. I also have old inner tubes lying around the studio for holding my plaster moulds together... a blue latex glove and some elastic bands. Let's see what http://www.random-things.co.uk/ will make of them and how they will be photographed!
 

WORK IN PROGRESS - A mouldy old time

The moulds that make up the GM Reaper.

At last I have all the moulds ready & dried for the various sections of the GM Reaper. I'm busy rapidly pressmoulding a few copies at the moment. I'm a bit behind to be honest and it's going to be a push to get them dried, bisqued, glazed and on-glaze enameled in time! Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong! I only need one but am making a few to choose from....

EVENT - Happy 10th Anniversary Resonance FM

With Dexter Bentley.

With technician - Natasha Dutt.

It's 10 years today since Resonance 104.4fm first took to the airwaves!! I have fond memories of that time and found myself in the position of being one of the first engineers for the station. I remember engineering on the first day of broadcast! They were exciting times and it's great to see that Resonance FM is still going strong... May they continue for many more years.
Photo credit - The hello Goodbye show

http://resonancefm.com 
   

DRAWINGS - Simon Lewandowski

Simon Lewandowski by Karen Thompson

An interesting visit yesterday by Simon Lewandowski from Wild Pansy Press. He came into Crescent Arts to talk about the portable reading room and the formation and publications of Wild Pansy Press. I exchanged one of my porcelain PMN-2 landmines for one of his 100 things with handles books. Oh how I love exchanges! Simon also became my latest BADGERED victim...

http://www.karent.co.uk/badgered.html
http://www.wildpansypress.com/index.php?/about-wild-pansy-press/

WORK IN PROGRESS - One mans junk...

Dilapidated metal shelves...

...have so much potential.

Have been on the lookout for dilapidated metal cages for a while... then a friend called me as they walked past a scrap van parked at the end of the street with these on! I dutifully raced out to have a look and could see SO much potential for the chicken project. It's difficult working to a tight budget but in some ways it adds to the creativity of the work... I originally had a slightly different vision but I like the direction these could take me.

AIM & CLICK - Blossom & Victorian road signs

The Crescent, Scarborough.

Spring is in the air... this blossom jumped out at me as I was walking to the studio today. The sprouting through of new life and growth after the darkness of winter comes as a timely reminder... 

WORK IN PROGRESS - Danger Farm Entrance

Lovely old battered 'Danger Farm' Sign.

Sorting through some photographs I've taken as research or inspiration for Farm World... I came across this beauty which I had forgotten about!! I can remember where abouts in the country I took this photo (top secret information), so I might approach the owners to ask if I can borrow it for the exhibition!

OUT & ABOUT - Great gifts...

Angela Knipe - Queens Corgi (Brooch).

Received a lovely gift from the talented Scarborough based artist Angela Knipe over the weekend... I've had my eye on one of these Corgi brooches for the past few months! All of Angela's work is very desirable and I seem to have an ever increasing list of pieces that I would love to own... Thank You Angela!

http://www.angelaknipe.com 

Susan Slann - Heart (Lino print) 2011.

 
I also received as a gift something else I've had my eye on for a little while... I love these lino prints by one of my fellow studio holders Susan Slann. I particulary like her works exploring the heart and the brain... Thank You Sue!

http://www.susanslann.com
 

OUT & ABOUT - Launch of the Portable Reading Room at Crescent Arts

Valley Press Poetry Readings 1 in the Portable Reading Room.

The portable reading room has arrived at Crescent Arts. After a few comical attempts last Tuesday (by three and a half of us) to construct the structure in one of the gallery spaces, we were all set to go for the launch today. The Portable Reading Room is the brainchild of The Wild Pansy Press. Today saw poetry readings from Helen Burke, James Nash and Norah Hanson, all published by Scarborough based independent publisher Valley Press. 
Looking forward to the other readings & events coming up in the next 4 weeks...

http://www.crescentarts.co.uk/site/exhibitions.php
http://www.wildpansypress.com/ http://www.valleypressuk.com/

OUT & ABOUT - Edward Bawden map restoration

Unveiling of the restored Edward Bawden illustrated map of Scarborough.

I joined a host of other folks for the grand unveiling of the recently restored EDWARD BAWDEN illustrated map of Scarborough at the local library yesterday evening. The work was commissioned by hotelier Tom Laughton for the Pavilion Hotel in 1931. It was presented to the library when the hotel was sold in 1961. Recently the work had deteriorated badly and was under attack from silverfish.

http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/lifestyle/newly-restored-map-now-in-place-1-4436158

INSPIRATION - Vintage metal hen moulds

Vintage metal chocolate moulds.

A friend sent me a link to these chocolate moulds which are currently for sale on ETSY. I love them! They are so sinister and make a statement in their own right. They would be ideal for Farm World... little caged chickens. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90577602/vintage-metal-chocolate-mold-4-antique

WORK IN PROGRESS - Chicken acquisition II

Ceramic chicken egg holder

I've just bought this beauty in an antiques shop for £1 - I couldn't believe the price! I'm currently scouring charity shops and ebay for different varieties of these vintage classics. I've not come across this style one before, the eggs on the base are such a bonus! Can't wait to make a cast of it and get producing and subverting my own copies for Farm World.

OUT & ABOUT - Visiting Stef Mitchell's studio

Artist Stef Mitchell in her portacabin studio

Spent a lovely evening with the very talented artists Stef Mitchell & Ian Mitchell at the Duchess in York yesterday, watching the also very talented singer Liz Green perform on her current tour. Had the opportunity today to see Stef's portacabin Studio and some of her new body of work... which I must say is very desirable (think she might have noticed if I'd tried to smuggle a piece out!). Sigh... One day maybe I'll be able to afford to buy some contemporary art.

Stef's blog - http://www.possessedbyprocess.blogspot.co.uk/
Stef's website - http://www.stefmitchell.com/

AIM & CLICK - Dust collective

Scarborough harbours dust at ALMA

Beautiful old typewriter gathering beautiful dust in the Alma Inn in Scarborough...

INSPIRATION - Staffordshire Cow Head

Staffordshire pottery - Cheese plate & cover, 19th Century

What a beauty! I love this piece... I shall definitely be drawing some influence from it when I come to create my Staffordshire style cow for Farm World.

WORK IN PROGRESS - Farm World

Work in progress - The GM Reaper

Focusing my attentions back onto FARM WORLD, this is my next exhibition and will have three main components. I'm currently working on THE GM REAPER. This is a new way of working for me, usually I build up my models but here I have started with a large block of clay and am carving into it... I intend to press mould the finished piece so lots of stages still to go.

WORKSHOP - Workshop heads made by Cultiv8

Delivered the first batch of mini heads made by Cultiv8 during the Phrenology Head workshops to the Art Gallery. We concentrated on modern health conditions so I like to think of them as being AILMENTOLOGY HEADS. The heads will be split up and displayed in both the ladies and Gents... more heads to follow when decorated.

First batch of 'Ailmentology heads' made during workshops

Delivery of CHARMOLOGY HEAD to Scarborough Museums Trust

Shirley Collier, Chief Executive of Scarborough Museums Trust.

Charmology Head outside of its new home for the next 6 months.

Delivered the finished CHARMOLOGY HEAD to Scarborough Museums Trust today. It will be exhibited in the Fears, Foes & Faeries Exhibition in the Art Gallery. Fears, Foes & Faeries

CHARMOLOGY HEAD... It's Finished!

The lustred & finished CHARMOLOGY HEAD

This charming man! It's finished! The gold lustre didn't run! Phew... although I have managed to leave purple blotches all over the top of head where I've tried to wipe away any excess gold lustre and it's left a faint trace... oh well - at least the head was so pink that you don't notice it that much! I have learned a valuable lustre lesson today.

WORK IN PROGRESS - Charmology Head

Decals fired on

Tashtastic

WORK IN PROGRESS - Have transformed the tash! Also received the decals from FotoCeramic yesterday, have applied them to the head and it's back in the kiln...

...The ceramic decals firing done... Clarke's handwritten labels and the Charmology text have transformed the head. Thought of declaring the piece finished at this point - time to draw the line. Drawing the line was exactly what I should do... many lines, in Gold Lustre, Of course!Put the head back in the kiln this morning, not something I would recommend to the faint hearted! I don’t have vast experience of applying lustre’s and now when I try to recall some of my previous attempts I seem to remember that they ran. So fingers crossed I’m not going to open the kiln tomorrow to runny gold lustre lines on the day I deliver the work to the Gallery!! I think I must secretly enjoy the pressure, I could have erred on the side of caution but I thought the gold lustre would add to the glorious over the topness of the piece, and also add to my trepidation it would seem.

EXHIBITION - Ferens Art Gallery, Hull

Outing to the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull today... whilst I was there I took some photos of a piece of my ceramics that's in their current exhibition. THE DEATH OF SAINSBURY'S will be displayed until April 15th.

Death of Sainsbury's - Ferens Art Gallery

Death of Sainsbury's - Ferens Art Gallery

WORK IN PROGRESS - Installing charms with Cultiv8

Spent some time today helping Cultiv8 (Scarborough Museums Trusts - Youth Group) install the health charms into the Fears Foes & Faeries exhibition in the Art Gallery. Whilst I was there I took up the Work in Progress Charmology Head to see what it’s going to look like in its allocated space… everyone was excited to see it! Have brought it back to continue working on it - it still needs the decals of the charm labels added and the tash sorted. The exhibition looks Fab! A complete wonderland! Scarborough Museums Trust have tweeted a little *spoiler alert* photo of the Charmology Head from today… Thought I’d share it… I took some photos too but best wait until the exhibition opens before I post any!!

Testing the work in progress head on its plinth

WORK IN PROGRESS - Charmology Head

Grinding of the tash

Opened the kiln today to reveal a well glossy and ultra thickly glazed Charmology Head! Oops! Was thinking to myself as I glazed it that maybe the glaze was a bit thick!! Well it was! The glazed has pooled really thickly in some areas creating loss of definition and cloudy opaque patches! It’s worst on the tash and a tooth, am busy grinding the glaze off these areas and will paint on an on-glaze enamel instead… won’t be as ultra glossy as the rest of the head but I think it should work well as there were a couple of the charms I didn’t put any glaze on as I thought they would look more authentic without. The head’s a wee bit more pink than I had expected it to be too, quite like this however, it adds to the psychedelic feeling of the piece!

WORK IN PROGRESS - William Clarke Labels

William Clarke's handwritten health charm labels.

Still busy sorting out the handwritten labels William Clarke wrote to explain the charms he collected… I’ve scanned the labels and am busy resizing them in Photoshop before I send the photoshop file off to be made into ceramic decals. These will then be added to the Charmology head. There are also 3 charms on the head that Clarke did not write labels for, I will have to build up and create these labels from scratch in photoshop by taking a letter at a time from Clarke's other labels
 

INSPIRATION - Womens Shoes ca. 1650

INSPIRATION - Wowsers... just come across this image, they conjure up all sorts of imaginings

DRAWINGS - Art Gallery

Art Gallery (6th March 2012) maybe I’ll finish it one day - or maybe it will never be finished - or maybe it is finished….