New workshop dates

Collaborative workshop with

textile artist Priscilla Jones and ceramic artist Julie Miles.

At Higherford Mill, Gisburn Road, Barrowford, Lancashire

Thursday 23rd January 2014 10-4pm £85 per person

or

Saturday and Sunday 1st-2nd February 2014 10am-4pm £145 per person

Day one: textiles and machine stitch.

Day two: will be working with porcelain using hand building techniques.

Through the weekend we will look at ways of working to incorporate porcelain as an embellishment to the works produced or working towards creating pieces to be impressed into porcelain to create sculptures or vessels incorporating stitch as a decorative element.  

No experience is needed just enthusiasm for either of both media and works will be fired to be collected or posted back for a small fee.

All materials included but own sewing machine would be desirable though there will be a number provided.

Maximum of 8 participants.

Booking and a deposit to secure place is essential. 

Please contact priscilla@priscillajones.co.ukor info@juliemiles.co.uk

And there are new Beginners Porcelain workshops starting in January on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1-3pm and again on Thursday night 7-9pm at Higheford Mill.

£75 for 5 weeks to include basic materials. 

Contact Julie in the reply box below or email info@juliemiles.co.uk for details.

Places went fast on the last ones.

new landscape vessels

I love Autumn it's my favourite time of the year. I love the trees turning the red, yellows, golds and eventually brown. I love kicking the leaves along the pavement or woodland path. The chill in the air, warm wooly jumpers and a roaring log fire. 

So I have fettled some pots and have been playing with underglazes this week. All based on my photographs of my walks in the lakes over the last few weekends.

The birches are a recurring theme in my work from smoke firing coiled pots over a bonfire in the college grounds in Carlisle to drawings in my solo show in Brantwood, Coniston. 

These landscape drawings are from images taken along the Lancaster canal whilst foraging for elderberries. They are being turned into wine as we speak along with some damsons fermenting in gin hopefully ready for Christmas.

The birds are based on drawing for my work in the Witches 400 exhibition last year commemorating the trails of the Pendle witches 400 years ago in 1612. The feathers are drawings from my life size cloak made for Alice Nutter with hundreds of black stoneware press moulded feathers. She was said to live at Crow Trees Farm, Roughlee before she was accused, tried and hung for witchcraft. The theories today are she was covering up for her families Catholic religion outlawed by James I.

All are now in the kiln so cross fingers they fire without warping!

Autumnal thoughts

  

Food for the soul walking in the woods this time of year. I spent the weekend recharging the batteries by just being in these amazing places full of life and colour. It has always been a favourite time of the year for me but to find a Sweet chestnut tree would just top it off for me. They seem to be a rare thing this far north as my childhood memories are full of collecting the chestnuts by the box, running through the golden leaves all wrapped up in a scarf, hat and pair of bright yellow wellington boots! 

Some time was spent at Grizedale Sculpture Trail but lots of my favourites have gone back to nature.

 Back at the ranch but how could you resist those eyes!