Well, I have certainly been busy this Autumn. Yet another exhibition, this time with a local artist, Dudley Bennett.

Thirty ceramists, members of the Association here in La Borne, have collaborated with their chosen artists to create new works together. The exhibition will run from 10th December to 8th January and should be an exciting one.

Dudley and I have been working with porcelain and under-glaze colours to produce a set of 6 square dishes. These have been been decorated in Dudley's own unique painterly style. The delicate bowls echo the motif and my own distinctive black slip borders.

Here's a preview.

Here is where my new stamp will live. Just behind me, waiting for the moment of use.

This week has seen the first use in production of my wooden moulds.The first ones were bought from Canada  at great expense, my friend Dan saw these and decided that he would make ones to measure.Think I owe him a few plates.

I saw these mould frames advertised by a company in Vancouver, Bamboo Tools, and began to use them successfully this week. They are slow to use but very precise. I bought one at 120 degrees angle, and another at 140.

A 40cm long plug of clay from my pug mill is the right amount for this mould. It is flattened with a tool for beating lead on a roof.

Here the clay has been rolled to a thickness of 10mm.

The clay is carefully draped into the mould and the edges are trimmed.

A little piece of rope to make the patterned edge.

A couple of lines to mark the borders and a curved rib to indicate the corners.

The finished piece is weighted with kiln props to keep it flat while drying.

Now I can clear the work bench. I'm off to see my bees.

Today I returned to throwing after the long Christmas break. I started making some mugs on my brand new Roderveld wheel: so silent, it gives you time to think. Interestingly, my mind wandered back to 1971. The first items I threw on the momentous day when I opened my first workshop were mugs.

I make mugs as a way to get back into throwing. These days, I'm working almost exclusively in porcelain.

Click on the pics!

I opened both my kilns on Friday evening, each containing only porcelain pieces.

The gas kiln has had her shelf spaces altered to give a smoother flame pattern.

I must admit that, even after all these years of experience, I was still a little nervous of the latest firings. I think it must be the Scottish blood getting even thinner thinking of the financial losses if it all went wrong. I don't know why I worry so much, the results were very rewarding: no 'S' cracks on the bases, no distortion, in fact no seconds. All in all, I am really pleased with the end results. 

Now I have to wait to see whether I can make a living producing only porcelain.

Click on the pics!

After a minor heart operation, a major change in the workshop.

Huge pots are now a thing of the past and I have altered the throwing room by selling the two kick wheels. The de-airing pug mill, which has been moved from the kiln room to take their place, has only ever been used for porcelain. Now I no longer need to wedge my clay and only a small amount of effort is required to prepare it for throwing.

The cost of changing raw materials is frightening - 4 times the price. When I use an Australian clay, it is 8 times the price of stoneware. However, during my enforced 'leisure' time I came up with a reasonable price increase for the finished product.

Having arrived at the decision to work exclusively in porcelain, I find I am totally relieved and very excited by the new possibilities this brings. I already have two new glazes for 2011 and I am working on new shapes and ideas.

Photos by Christine West

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These little porcelain boxes, 14 and 10 cms tall, are some of my third firing in the new electric kiln. The tags are new and designed to take the place of beads on some pieces.

My mini teapots, also in porcelain, are selling well. They are very fiddly to make but rewarding. They stand 7 cms high and hold one cup of tea.

I am very pleased with the results from this kiln.

Click on the pics!

My daughter Jessica (in Cornwall) is increasing her range of jewellery to include porcelain earrings and necklaces. She has bought a small (20 litre) electric kiln and we are embarking on a short course - which I am teaching her by Skype!

At the same time, I have also acquired a slighter larger (50 litre) model of this Rohde kiln. I decided that it would be easier to teach the course if she operates her kiln at the same time as me since, after 40 years in the trade using wood and gas kilns, firing by electric is new to me.

Today I punched in a firing chart on the thermal computer. This is so WONDERFUL! At any given time the kiln will reach the temperature I have programmed without attention or effort from me. Obviously such a kiln will only be for a tiny new part of my work. I will continue with my dirty, big, old kiln.

New work will be shown here as soon as possible.

Having recovered from a cough which lasted 8 weeks, giving me time to think about new work for this spring, I can now show the first batch of photographs.

While I was ill, I read on the internet that drinking ginger tea is supposed to help with a severe cough. I designed these pestles and mortars for grating ginger or for grinding spices. The compact pestle is easy to handle and works really well.

In the same vein, I wanted to make a small covered dish for the table. I'm not quite sure about the final design of this item but I think it's worth showing.

And the red teapot - well, you know how I love making tea pots!

Here are four examples of my new lidded porcelain boxes, influenced by the discovery of this sliding knot, originally from Africa. I've enjoyed making these. I wanted to make them more precious and think this is the ideal way to make a sealed container.

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For those who can't make it here before Christmas, you can at least share this new show on line.

This seems to have been the year of the teapot and all things associated with the preparation of tea. The window display includes most of my teapot shapes - more of these can be viewed early next year on my web site.

Click on the pics!