Thank you Alchemist

Posted on February 12, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canada, Fun, Life, Postcard, Pottery, Raku, The Alchemist, VaseLeave a comment

Look what came in the post today!

It’s a postcard from The Alchemist, a blogger here who makes wonderful Raku pottery. He had asked his readers to come up with a name for a vase, and a little explanation or story to explain the thinking behind the name.

My idea was “copper tear” based on the colour and the shape of the vase. I didn’t win, but The Alchemist promised to send a post card to anyone who entered.

It’s good to be in contact with the lovely people here on WordPress!

Thank you, The Alchemist

Wedgewood artisan market

Posted on February 10, 2019 Posted in Cat, UncategorizedTagged Art, Barlaston, Blog, Cat, Crafts, Design, Fun, Life, Pottery, Something to do on Sunday, Staffordshire, Wedgewood, Wedgewood artisan market4 Comments

It was a fairly bright morning once you dodged the rain showers so we decided to visit wedgewood artisan market (2nd Sunday of each month). It’s at the Wedgewood factory, near Barlaston,, Staffordshire. We had a fine potters full breakfast in the dining room there (with beans and oatcake). Our friend from Yorkshire was visiting so it was good to show him one of the local attractions. Once we had eaten we went round the outdoor and indoor stalls. Charis Jones with her Sculpted Steel was there, together with Pat Myatt and her potteries art work. Other stalls included whisky fudge, crafted wool blankets, various cheeses and cakes, you could even buy your own fairy kit to make a fairy like the ones at Trentham Gardens. My partner bought me a kit and I bought him a wood turned pen. We also went inside the wedgewood visitor centre and I spent a happy hour trying to create a cat design plate. The pens and pencils they had were not very good but hopefully the image on the plate (a lithograph) will be OK.

I took a couple of progress photos but not one if the finished design. It might take 6 weeks for it to be delivered though…

Looking at backstamps

Posted on January 18, 2019January 18, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Antique, Art, Back stamps, Industrial heritage, Life, Potteries, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent9 Comments

What are back stamps??

They are the trademark or manufacturers mark that you find on the bottom of cups, plates and dishes that shows who made them.

This can be useful in identifying the manufacturer, whether they are antique and if they are worth anything. Sometimes they even get forged! People have added things like the Clarice Cliff signature onto modern pots to try and fool people into buying them as originals.

Some pots have simple marks on their base to identify them. Others have complicated patterns and writing.

The people who live in the potteries (Stoke-on-Trent). Have a habit of looking underneath pots to see if they have recognised which pottery made them. I think it’s called the “turn over club” but I may be wrong…..

Windows…

Posted on January 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Clay, Dust, Industry, Pottery, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Windows4 Comments

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No not the trade marked version. But old windows at Spode. Dusty and dirty and empty of footsteps, no faces staring out of them, no lights behind them, no shapes of pottery stacked. Life is quiet for the factory, silent. The place is shunned, surplus to requirements. How can it still exist?

Time passes, new movement as people take up spaces. Shift of light, shift of direction. Art and theater, people sleep on site now in the hotel. The chance to regenerate like a time lord. The site has age and power behind it. The ghosts look on, seeing the lights, wondering what will happen next. Will they be evicted from the deep soft clay dust that coats their footprints and hides their breath.

Today’s artwork

Posted on January 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on board, Art, Gladstone Pottery, Painting, Pantomime, Pottery, Scenery6 Comments

Last week I painted Edinburgh Castle and the London Eye. Today I finished them off by brightening the colours and adding some fireworks.

Today I painted a couple of bottle ovens which I slightly based on the Gladstone pottery in Longton.

I hope you like them.

A friends exhibition

Posted on January 11, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Design, Paper, Porcelain, Pottery, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Here are a couple of photos of my friend, Alice Thatcher’s, exhibition on at 118, Church Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent. It’s on from today, and is made up of peices of porcelain made by placing thin layers of the porcelain clay on paper and then firing it.

The exhibition is called “Porcelain and Paper”. I’m not sure when it’s on till but it will be visible through the windows of the building until the show ends. The pieces are delicate and fragile. They are displayed in various ways along with drawings of them.

Open day’s

Posted on October 1, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Ceramics, Open day, Painting, Pottery, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

It’s Spode Open day on 6th and 7th October 2018. It’s at the studios at the old Spode factory site on Elanora Street, Stoke-on-Trent.

As well as the studios being open you will also be able to see an exhibition of the artists work in the gallery space. These are the pictures I will be showing.

Spode studios are run by a charity called Acava and part of the remit of the charity is to allow the public to come in and see what we are doing. Allowing the community to see the creativity in its midst.

The open day is on from 11am to 4pm on both days. You could also visit the Spode visitor Centre, the works canteen cafe on the same days.

Stoke on Trent is such a creative place. There are Pottery classes and ceramics courses for people to join. Artistic hubs and creative groups. Music, art and history all in one small city in Staffordshire. I am proud to live here.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Pottery