3rd December 2008 : For some time now we have been thinking of upgrading our showroom from a rustic 200 year old barn, open to the rafters and a small colony of bats suffering from incontinence. Their droppings and the work incurred every morning cleaning pots and shelves was not acceptable to me or my clients.
A decision was taken two months ago to transform the exhibition space into a cleaner and pleasanter environment. Added bonuses are a purpose-built glaze preparation area on the newly created floor above and a storage area for finished pieces (carefully covered).
I employed Fu-fu, our local carpenter friend, to construct the ceiling and exhibition shelves with a little help from me.
There is never a right time for building and I have been obliged to close for two weekends before Christmas but I am positive that our new-look showroom will soon reap the rewards of this investment.

4th November 2008
For some time now I've been thinking about acquiring a Korean type wheel. Last year I was playing with one belonging to Seung Ho Yang and enjoyed throwing on it immensely.
It's possible to have one of these made by a highly skilled carpenter in a neighbouring village and I've been meaning to order one for over a year now but never got round to it.
The other evening we were invited to drink very special Korean tea at Corinne and David Louveau de la Guigneraye's studio. While supping these very expensive teas, David mentioned he was going to have a wheel made, like the ones he already owns, but lower and with a wider wheelhead, in order to make bigger pots. Our discussion ended with me purchasing one of these wheels. Now my workshop is equipped with no fewer than four wheels!

This is one of the pieces that form my end-of-year collection.

Finally the grass is growing and the horses need much less time and attention, so at last I am doing what I am supposed to be doing... WORK!
Riding is all very well but there is a living to be made, so here are a few photographs of the most recent work.
If you look at this blog you will see things here first, before they go onto my professional site, normally at the end of the year.
You may like to leave a comment over on my web site.

For those of you lucky enough to live in the British Isles, a new collection of work can be seen at St Ives Ceramics, Lower Fish Street from early April.
There are two new glazes on another porcelain body. This is the third porcelain I'm using; this one is from Limoges and, thank goodness, a little cheaper. Now all I have to worry about is the price of gas - and the price of getting the pots to their destination.
For anyone unlucky enough to live in France, the rest of these firings will be available in my showroom.

Last night, just before dark, Stephanie brought over Sienna. A gentle rain was falling through which Sienna saw a whole field of soft new grass. She rushed forward and cantered around the field. She will be kept in quarantine for the next three weeks before joining Joy and Liberté in another field lower in the village.
As Stephanie and I were leaving, Sienna kept calling to us in a pitiful way, afraid to be left alone. In my younger days I think I would have dreamt up some way of staying with her as long as possible. However, I'm older and harder now and drove away, only to find that I did a U-turn in the centre of the village, parked where she couldn't hear the car, and walked back to the field with an excuse in my head that I might not have put back the bottom strand of the electrified fence. She was fine. Pathetic of me really!
This morning, she approached us cheerfully, allowing Christine to photograph her, and showed every sign of settling in well.
Our visit this evening was even more heartening. She stood still while I attached her new halter and when she had finished her maize flakes, we trotted around the field together. She loves her reward of horse sweets and I have the greatest pleasure in comparing the photograph I took of her when she was so unwell (Horses and No Pots) with these latest shots.
This is the period when I hope that bonding will take place and that this little five year old mare and I will develop an understanding: she the spirited chestnut retaining her youthful headstrong character while learning that I am the boss! Already she follows me without her halter and approaches both Christine and I in a polite and friendly way.

Just a few photos to let you all know that I am not lying around eating chocolates. I do hope to put on an exhibition of new-type photos during the summer at our pottery.

This is who has been taking up my time.
Her name is Liberté, a very endearing, sometimes wilful horse I have grown very fond of.
Last summer, after a break of 40 years, I began riding again, with a friend, Ingeborg, in the forests which surround our village. Ingeborg owns two mares, Liberté and Joy; her stallion, Bronze, is a rescue horse from a stable near here.
After a proficiency riding test I was declared a very good horseman by stable owner Stephanie and chose another of her mares for myself. We will call her Sienna, although this name may change when we get to know her better. She's a lovely 5 year old chestnut who seems very calm, although lacking in confidence after a difficult start in life. She will join us in a week or so.
Joy is Liberté's field companion. She's an elegant grey mare, expecting her first foal in May. Their owners are away on holiday for six weeks and I have taken on feeding and watering duties until their return. It's very touching to see their pleasure at my arrival morning and evening. I always carry apples and the delicious little treats which they have now come to expect. Liberté searches my pockets and nudges me until I produce them.
Bronze, Ingeborg's beloved stallion, lives in his own field along the lane. Like them, he loves his food and the herbal sweets I save for last.
Photo of Sienna taken last week while she had a sore throat and high fever