One down three more to go.......

So I am back from the first Rural Arts Market in Thirsk. The weekend event was at a really lovely venue on the outskirts of the market town in Yorkshire. There were 12 designer makers showing there with workshops running alongside. (http://rural-arts.squarespace.com/news/)

 

 

 Work by Priscilla Jones. 

My stand was next to Priscilla Jones who made the weekend all the more enjoyable. 

 My new work.

 and also thanks to Ian for the entertainment over the weekend.

Next weekend is Open Studios at Higherford Mill. Come along on Saturday 11am- 4pm  if you are free for tea and cake and to see all the fab artists in the mill and their work on display.

Sunday is the Arts Market at Holmfirth where I will be exhibiting for the first time. Follow the link to find out where it is it would be lovely to see you there.

http://www.artmarkets.co.uk/next_art_market.php

My week in pictures.....

The week started with a delivery of a big bunch of flowers to make me smile I don't think I have had flowers delivered before, ever, it was a lovely surprise.

First school of the week involved decorating our mini beasts with under glazes and then covering with a layer of slip these wee beasties will adorn the entrance hall of a a school which we are turning into the enchanted forest....did I say I love my job sometimes.

The next day was Ancient Egypt with Cherryfold a stressful day with Ofsted in but we got outstanding results so all worth it and these are our cartouches with the completed River Nile on our tableau outside the classroom we seem to have taken over the whole corridor with work, oops.

Day three in school involved making our own Grecian urns with year 3s at Lammack Primary School. A good day was had by all, new techniques but ancient methods learnt by the children and then I got to play at after schools art and craft club well I couldn't resist constructing and creating this little creature.....

Away from work and we had a new addition to the Miles family, after losing our German Shepherd dog Max over 10 months ago my parents could not stand the empty nest much longer and plumped for a lovely dog called Charlie who is a cross breed from the RSPCA at Altham near where they live he is a cutie and very placid as he is finding his feet in his new home. Though he's found the cream sofas which my dad isn't to pleased about and he dug up mums onion setts as quickly as she planted them!I think with a face like that he got away with both misdemeanors and will love his new home!

And so to the weekend with Hannah's Hen do with a difference she wants willow lanterns to adorn the gardens at the reception and so we roped the girls in at my studios to create them well why not when you have willing participants.

 

 

And on to an evening of pink champagne, talk of the venue at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park over a takeaway curry, and Breakfast at Tiffanys, all good stuff. Sad to miss Joejoes birthday bash at the mill though as we went down too earlier and it hadn't started! Hoping they had good fun and the weather didn't spoil the evenings festivities!

a rare day off to look at pots.......

So after a week in schools I took Friday off to visit my fellow potter and friend Stephen Kingsford over in Mawdesley. Well it would be rude not to nip in to see Babs Taylor too at Cedar Farm Gallery and Studios along the road and guess whose work I spotted.......

in the window...Gwen Bainbridge and Emer O Sullivan 

Babs was on the ceramic tour of Lancashire which inspired my open studios last week and I hope some of you got to see some of the other works on display over the week. She was a mine of information regarding the struggles I am having with my bowls as they are cracking quite badly in the firing so it was a useful trip and a good place to visit with artist studios, an art shop, gallery and a cafe that serves brown sugar meringues to die for. Whilst over that way Stephen and  I went to visit the new Craft Gallery run by the Craft Guild of Lancashire at the newly opened Burscough Wharf with a special exhibition of ceramic work by local potters.

Stephens beautiful porcelain work

Christine Cumming raku dogs

We bobbed in to the Blue Mallard Restaurant for lunch and the sandwiches were amazing I recommend it and it is cheaper than the cafe downstairs in the courtyard but I am told they do a mean breakfast!

So back to work this week and three Curious Minds schools to content with I was working on putting up the 'Under the Sea' displays for the Year 1 entrance at Heasandford. We started on the jellyfish and starfish games with more to come.....

Today was Ancient Egypt with Year 3s at Cherryfold where we were looking at investigating materials through papermaking and feltmaking to create a tableau to go on display in the corridor outside the classroom.

Next week we are looking at making our own cartouche in clay I think the children can't wait! The last school this week is Lammack where we are looking at Ancient Greece through maths and exploring repeat patterns with symmetry it going to be fun as we are creating our own block prints too. Then hopefully I can concentrate on making the last few pieces for my Harrogate orders hoping to send then this time next week keep everything crossed for the bowls going in the kiln tomorrow night.

First Open Studios of the year.......

Royal Wedding offical pics

So the celebrations are over and so is the lovely four day weekend though I stupidly booked an open studio event in conjunction with the Craft and Design Magazine National Crafts Month. There are ten potters opening across Lancashire through out the week and you can find the times and venues if you follow the link off my website front page. I hope everyone has a good event I had a lot of interest and visitors on the Saturday but the Sunday I only had three people through the door. I also had a workstation for people to have a go at clay which was a success with some children going home happy with their creations. There was also some buzz from sales and I am thinking that my work is going to good homes too. Thanks for coming if you did and look out for other events going on through the week relating to ceramics and also other crafts throughout the month.

I did have some time off this weekend and I went to a friends barbeque on the Friday with champagne, veggie sausages and vegetable kebabs all good stuff. We also went to see a premiership footballers donkeys which live in the fields near my friends home. He used to put pictures up on Twitter but sadly no more. But the donkeys are gorgeous though we forgot the carrots and one did have a nibble of my top!