Pottery closure

There was a pottery in Burslem where they let you paint your own designs.

Unfortunately like many other ceramic factories it has closed. The cost of gas and electricity means that a once thriving local industry is dwindling. Stafford pottery was one of the latest victims.

There are still excellent potteries that create designs and pieces of art for the 21st Century. Portmeirion, Emma Bridgewater, Wedgwood are a few that continues to produce beautiful work. It’s hard to say whether they will still be producing ceramics in a few years time. We also have a company called Lucideon which undertakes research and development of ceramics for such things as electrical insulators, non slip tiles and other diverse uses.

Hopefully this city of potters will continue to survive well into the future.

Egg cups

DSC_2589

I have at least eight egg cups!

More than one a day. I’m particularly pleased with a couple I hand painted. I even have a Margaret Thatcher one, although I didn’t like the woman. And a plastic smarties one (the British firm of m and m’s. There’s one with a hate chasing round the cup and another with thorns and flowers, from a ceramics firm that has sadly closed down.

There’s one from Portmeirion. One that is too big except for duck eggs.

I had a glass hen shaped one, and one like a tigers head, but they may be broken or lost….

Other collections? Paintings, cat ornaments, books, hats….

Blue and yellow.

DSC_2216

I love the colours in this photo which I took at the British Ceramics Biennial held in Stoke-on-Trent last year.

I like the triangular patterning on the body of the pot, and the shape of is neck. I think the blue glaze is painted by hand. I love it. The yellow table surface is a brilliant contrast, making the pot stand out well against it. These primary colours are a lovely combination.