Sophie made these new Christmas gift lines in porcelain: two bowls on a decorated platter 23cms long.
Available from our gallery. 25 Euros.
How's that for a great advert? She has been with us for only 2 months !
Apprenticeship
Monday, September 19 2011
Progress
Monday, September 19 2011
Sophie should be proud of her progress - her first pots, after two weeks with us, are on sale in the pottery.
Tuesday, September 6 2011
A good beginning
Tuesday, September 6 2011
The best way to begin training in ceramics is to learn to throw a cylinder and then to make a board full, all the same size. This is the way I was taught over 40 years ago and it has served me well.
Sophie surprised me by controlling the clay when throwing 22 cylinders on her first day. There were a few faults. These were discussed and corrected so that the next day the same project produced pots which were near enough perfect. It is important that mistakes should be ironed out early since it is so difficult later to get out of bad habits.
Her personal preference is for pots without handles and she was reluctant to tackle the daunting task of handling. She was shown the method I use where the handle is pulled directly off the pot - not the easiest way - and after a while resigned herself to improving each handle. She asked me to choose some music while she worked.
Result!
Tuesday, August 23 2011
New look workshop finished
Tuesday, August 23 2011
I have just taken delivery of a brand new Shimpo RK3E wheel, rather than another Roderveld. My worshop is complete.
Now I can announce that I have finally taken on an apprentice who will start work at the beginning of September. I hope that Sophie, when she is fully trained, will be an asset to the workshop. She already shows promise.
During the 1970s I had the pleasure of training a young Chris Hawkins who went on to become a very successful and talented potter. If Sophie shows the same dedication and talent as Chris, we are on to a winner!
A spanking new wheel is a good way to begin an apprenticeship.