http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/juliemilesceramics

 So I have final got my page live on NotontheHighStreet!

I have had the page a while as I took it on just before being diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis which knocked me for six to be honest. The worst affected joints being the fingers and wrists and lately the elbows. Hmmm what was I to do as I could not spend my days rolling out porcelain to 2 mm thin slabs without being in excruciating pain, work was not looking good.

So I undertook a residency at Cumbria in the ceramic department on the AA2A scheme which is how this blog started as I had to document the processes learnt. With a lot of help from Steve Ogden and Gwen Bainbridge (Dylans Mum as shes known here) I learnt about slip casting techniques and decals for my drawings.

I now have a range of works that I have designed and created in plaster on a lathe by me and create in parian slip with my drawings as the decoration. They can be found and bought from here:

 

 http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/juliemilesceramics

So that is where I am today. I have a small range of works which I can create in my studio all designed and made by me with a disease that can catch me out at any time but I am doing it and coping so far.

The disease is not stable but being treated with injections of disease modifiers and quite a lot of pain killers and anti inflam drugs. It can let me climb a mountain one day and the next keep me bed ridden with no rhyme or reason.

But we are getting there. I still have a couple of galleries thankfully and have been invited to create work for a couple of exhibition next year so things are looking good for the future. 

Crossing fingers Arthur behaves itself! 

photography of new and old work

 It's taken me 4 days but I think I have mastered the camera and light cube thingy! Just uploaded images now need to put them on website which so needs revamping but maybe tomorrows job!

 

 

new work - Birch trees

Well I have debuted the new work, 'Birch Trees' at the Northern Potters West Exhibition at PR1 in UCLANs Victoria building in Preston. 

Birches are a bit of an obsession I love them for their drooping branches, white paper park, beautiful yellows in the autumn and purple haze in the winter. They give so much joy in all seasons. 

I am making more in the kiln as we speak it's the first time I think I have used my potters stamp as I normally sign the bottom but as they are soo thin it was a bit harder. 

 

 Other exhibits I liked were.....

Dan Bridge

Geoff Wilcox

David Horsfall

Eryl Fryer

It's on for the next few weeks and all works are for sale too 

so go and have a look. 

There are a few pieces I missed but it is a good show. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Potters-Association-West/142965781079

Our Lady of the Rosary and St Lukes Brick commission

Well at last I have pictures of the installed piece.

Not sure why I have not been to see it yet....time, busyness etc but my mother went to stay at her sisters in Staffordshire and visit her oldest friend in Newport, Shropshire a few miles away from the piece so she went to take pictures. It is actually not far from where I grew up in Shropshire but it gives away the fact that I am a ceramic cliche as I was born in Stoke (it says so on my passport!) My parents are from Newcastle-under-Lyme and most of the relatives worked in pot banks or brick works.  So must be in the blood?

rotating pictures

This has never happened to me before but I can not for the life of me turn my pictures in my blog the right way round. I have always done it before i uploaded them but they have reverted to their original at source....help anyone please.



done it!

you have to do it in picasa web where your blog pictures are stored but noe they look squished hmmmmm.


phew then you go in to edit and revert normal size and choose the size you want a palaver if anything put the guinea pigs are looking good waiting on the finished photos from the  school too.

back in the saddle

First workshop back this term and what a day we had! I went to work at Wheatley Lane Primary school looking at PSHE (?) and looking after things i.e. the class guinea pigs. 

How cute! I was given one to hold called Toffee and to be honest I was very excited! The teacher did say she was going to check my pockets before I left just in case I had smuggled poor Toffee out. There were two class gps which were very young and very cute. Then lovely TA brought in her 'babies' for us to study and draw. 

After lunch we then launched into making clay heads from our drawings.Using basic thumb pot techniques we used a red earthenware add  a little porcelain for definition at the end.

I added a little copper too to enhance the sgraffito designs.

Pendles first Print Biennial

Well that was a full fun packed weekend I can tell you. Will over 700 visitors to the first Print fest held at the Mill and over £3000 worth of sales so all the hard work promoting and cleaning and tidying was worth it. The cakes weren't too bad too....

The soil on the floor was part of a performance piece from one of the international artist Buffy Klama and we all took part as resident mill artists. There is a video but will post links when edited. it was very funny as we all fell to the floor and people just carried on as if we weren't there! 

Though one lovely lady asked if I was ok down there. 

A good do was had by all.

Pendles first International Print Biennial at Higherford Mill this weekend

Anita Burrows Lino print

You are all welcome to the

Preview Evening of the first Pendle International Print Festival this Friday 

31st August 6 - 8 pm featuring resident artists

Buffy Klamma from Berlin, Germany &

Jetta Araneo from Odense, Denmark

Then Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm with a number of exhibiting artists featured on the websites

http://www.pendleprintfest.org/

dedicated to the festival 

or our new page on facebook which has an artist featured daily who will be exhibiting at the Biennial.

https://www.facebook.com/HigherfordMillArtists

holidays are over

Back to work this week after short breaks in London and elsewhere. My tan is from a weekend dog sitting in Carnforth and no one believes me, it is I promise. So a bit of paper shuffling and studio cleaning and not much else so I am off to play with clay today as I have missed it.

Carnforth fun with Charlie dog. Before he had his op on his leg! Who knew that such a white dog would have such Dalmatian like skin underneath all that white fur!

London Olympic stadium in Lego! 

Nice London bricks.

Gelato mio oh why aren't you nation wide your sorbet is to die for!

http://www.gelatomio.co.uk/index.shtml