Dust Rising 19

Posted on September 21, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, BCB, British ceramic biennial, Ceramics, Day trip, Design, Dust 19, Dust Rising, Painting, Pottery, Staffordshire, Staffordshire University, Stoke, Stoke-on trent, VisitLeave a comment

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Dust rising (or Dust 19) is a group show by artists being held at Spode alongside the British ceramic biennial which is currently on till mid October.

This is me with one of the plates that have been created out of transfer prints. (if you look over my left shoulder the green patterns on the window are where the image comes from).

It’s amazing what’s going on here. We might be a bit down in the dumps but Stoke-on-Trent is so full of creativity. There is still a full time Fine Art course at Staffordshire University which is quite unusual in the current economic climate.

Stoke-on-Trent is situated in the middle of beautiful countryside. You can’t complain if you want places to visit.

So I guess what I’m saying is come visit!

Today at the BCB

Posted on September 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artistic pottery, British ceramic biennial, Ceramics, Life, Pottery, September and October, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Too much to see! There were many interesting and beautiful pieces at the BCB (British Ceramic Biennial) being held in Spode over the next four weeks, ending I think on 14 October. The BCB sees the China Halls at Kingsway Stoke taken over and turned into a massive gallery to showcase ceramics, with hands on experiences making solid flat back figures and more abstract work.

There is also access from the Eleanora Street entrance of Spode. Useful to know if the car park in front of the building is full.

It’s great to see this asset being used and bringing much needed visitors into Stoke Town centre.

No doubt I will post more photos later…

Phil Hardakers’ Piano.

Posted on September 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ceramics, Piano, Pottery, Sculpter, Spode site, Stoke-on trent, Stoke-upon-Trent, TilesLeave a comment

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I hope I’ve got his name correct. He’s a really unique artist who uses found pottery and hand made pieces together in large mosaics on various objects. In this case a grand piano. I wonder how much more it weighs with all the tiles and broken pots. It’s on display at the hotel on Spode site.

Hopefully I will be going round the BCB (British Ceramic Biannual event). There is lots going on there. Will see what’s on display.

Long weekend

Posted on September 15, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ceramics, Classic cars, Etruria, Etruria Artists, Etruria Industrial museum, Exhibition, Jewellery, Long weekend, Paintings, Staffordshire, Static steam engines, Steam engines, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

What a long weekend! Two days manning the pop up exhibition at Etruria. I didn’t have much time to look at the static steam engines on display yesterday or the classic cars today. The place wasn’t buzzing but there was a constant stream of people coming in. Most of them were interested in what we were doing, what the building used to be used for, or decided to let their children make things with clay. A few people walked in took one look and walked out again. Sometimes they even asked where the tea room was.

Etruria Artists had paintings, photos, ceramics, jewellery and even painted stones on display. It was good to share the space with other artists there. I even bought a pottery frog, a mug and a whale.

So many people to talk to, to help, to explain to. I also helped a bit children with modelling clay. My friends usually do this and I just helped when they were not around. We made frogs and ladybirds, and an owl. Sadly I didn’t take any photos of the pieces as I forgot my phone.

To be fired?

Posted on August 8, 2019August 8, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Ceramics, Etruria, Life, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent2 Comments

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These three pieces are unfired. I made them a couple of years ago but never got them fired. The coloured one is painted in metallic acrylic paints. I need to hollow them out so that they can go in a kiln. The problem is they are fully dry so it might be difficult to do it. I think I need to dampen them but I don’t want them to dissolve. Made them at Etruria, at the warehouse.

Rose bowl

Posted on August 5, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Ceramics, Gladstone Pottery, Life, Longton, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent4 Comments

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This is my kind of pottery. The beautiful contrasting colours and patterns really appeal to me. This was in the Gladstone pottery museum last year, in the bathroom display section.

If I had it at home I would use it as a fruit bowl. There seems to be a bird or a parrot in the centre of the bowl. Beautiful piece.

Cherished Chimneys

Posted on July 16, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beautiful, Ceramics, Cherished Chimneys, Chimney, Fun, Life, Longport, Pottery, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

I finally got into Cherished Chimneys in Longport, Stoke-on-Trent. Its an Aladdins cave of Chimney pots. Small, short, long, tall, fluted, straight, curved. Dark, light, terracotta, superb ceramics. The shop restores chimneys for buildings where the original pots have been lost, but also sells to the public who use them as ornamental sculptures and flower pots in their gardens. It’s worth taking a look if you are ever passing.

Nice bowl, too expensive

Posted on June 23, 2019June 23, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bowl, Ceramics, Design, Interesting, Pottery, PrettyLeave a comment

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I saw this gorgeous large bowl for sale today. The diameter was about 2 foot. The colours and pattern were right up my street. But…..

£200! Beautiful but too expensive for my tastes.

It was one if many bowls and pots for sale, including a tapas dish. It’s nice to look at things like that, but you don’t have to buy.

Art at the Villas

Posted on June 22, 2019June 22, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Art at the Villas, Ceramics, Drawing, Life, Oakhill, Painting, Pottery, Print, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Textiles, The Villas, Urban Sketchers, Urban sketchingLeave a comment

I was going to get up early today and going on a community walk along the local canal, but I got up late. I also considered going to an Urban Sketchers event at the Chatterley Whitfield nature reserve. But again I was too late. In the end we went to the Villas which is just down the road. There was an event called art at the Villas. The show was almost at the top of the road on the right hand side. The road is unadopted so go carefully driving up there. We parked at the bottom and walked.

The house we went in and its garden were full of interesting art. There were prints, original tee shirts, paintings, ceramics and a warm welcome. They were also accepting donations for charity. If you feel like visiting its in the Villas up the hill on the right off London Road, Oakhill , Stoke-on-Trent.

Since I was there and had missed other sketching opportunities I did a quick drawing of the garden and summerhouse in the distance.

Minton tiles

Posted on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ceramics, Life, making, Minton, Minton tiles, Potteries, Staffordshire, Stoke your gratitude, Stoke-on trent, TilesLeave a comment

One thing I have got to do is paint some images of minton tiles. These were made in their millions over many years and can often be found in the hallways of town houses especially in Stoke-on-Trent. People are enthusiastic about them even now and get excited about them when they find them in old houses.

There were apparently 12 original designs which are documented in a little book called touching history by Hans van Lemmen and Bret Shah. This is available through StokeYourGratitude.org.uk #StokeYourGratitude

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Ceramics