on Tuesday, August 2 2011 - Beekeeping
Yes, bees need water just like us. We have built a pond at some expense; however, the 'girls', as we call them, do not want to drink from this. It is aerated with plants, a solar pump and even with a couple of fish. Although the pond is within 5 meters of the hives, they prefer a stoneware bowl of mine filled with rain water and a bed of moss.
As long as they are happy!
on Sunday, July 31 2011 - Beekeeping
What a joy today to have our lunch just next to the herb garden where our marjoram is.
I was too lazy to get my camera for my own part of the blog so thanks Christine for taking the photos
They must be after the nectar since I can't see any pollen in thier sacs
They look in very healthy condition so my hive inspection has paid off. All is well.
on Sunday, July 17 2011 - Ceramics
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.
on Sunday, July 10 2011 - Beekeeping
I spent the day near Saumur photographing Stéphane as he inspected some of his hives. The bees are working fields of sunflowers at this time of year.
on Saturday, July 2 2011 - Latest News
In 1971, when I was at the very beginning of my career, I was fortunate to meet a highly skilled craftsman. Greg Hamley made the stamp that I was to use every working day on my pots. Last year, I dropped my precious stamp and part of the lettering was broken off.
At about the same time, Greg, at home in Devon, was attracted by a pot he spotted in a craft market, turned it over to find the potter's mark and realised that it was one of mine. He bought it, found my address on my web site and contacted me. This felt both strange, after 40 years, and familiar. Time doesn't make much difference between craftspeople.
This week, to my huge surprise and pleasure, Greg sent me a new stamp, again in bronze and even with a mark to indicate the correct vertical position when I press it into leather hard clay.
And, thoughtful as ever, Greg has threaded it on a piece of leather so that I don't drop it again. He told me that this new stamp carries the same guarantee as the original - 40 years. I intend to keep him to his promise!
on Thursday, June 23 2011 - Beekeeping
On inspection of the top bar hive, we discovered an abnormal amount of drones (those whose function is to eat, drink and be merry and fertilise a queen). Stéphane and I looked for Queen Zena - she had been marked - and found that they had killed her and raised a queen of their own.
However, the takeover queen had not been properly fertilised and she was producing mainly drones. These larger darker cells were being built for them.
Stéphane was obliged to kill this queen and introduce a new one (bred in his laboratory and placed in a tiny cage). I am calling her Asha, a Hindu name meaning hope.
We decided to divide the colony in two (with a new queen in each group). In doing so, some combs were damaged. Neither of us was happy to see how we had inadvertently destroyed the work of weeks by the bees. It was heartbreaking. There wasn't sufficient 'bee space' and the gaps had been partly filled with wax. We have redesigned the system and Dan will make new bars next week. We'll introduce them as soon as possible.
There is better news about the smaller traditional hive. The number of bees has doubled and the colony is strong. Queen Boadicea has been laying well and there is a lot of honey. Since these bees are more aggressive than the others, we had to be careful in handling them. We took two worn and damaged frames and replaced them with brand new ones.
We kept the honey, gathered from spring flowers and the first chestnut blossoms.
on Wednesday, June 15 2011 - Ceramics
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.
on Sunday, April 10 2011 - Latest News
While in Amsterdam as guests of our friends Hester and Dan, we were introduced by Hester's sister Mirjam to an interesting Chinese lady named Amanda Yiu Runt who owns the Formocha tea house. She has plans to open a new tea house and gallery in a beautiful part of the town.
Amanda made freshly picked winter crop Oolong tea and showed us the traditional way in which the cups and vessels are prepared.
Knowing that I am a potter, Amanda presented the tea on a special tray and invited me to make the equivalent porcelain vessels for her new gallery.
From the photographs I took, I have been working on shrinkage and volume to arrive at the dimensions needed to fit the platter. I am finding this an interesting project and was up this morning at 5 o'c to begin the first test pieces.
on Saturday, April 2 2011 - New Pots
I have been asked by our favourite restaurant, Les Rives de l'Oizenotte, to create a range of rectangular plates to add to their existing collection of my tableware.
Since I now work exclusively in porcelain, there was a problem for me of rolling the clay into slabs. Working with a heavy rolling pin (50 cms wide) is very hard work. I have purchased an old second-hand slab-rolling machine, completely refurbished, from Gorris Keramikbedarf. I cannot wait to hear the clunk of its huge cogs in action.
In the meantime, I had to practise making the moulds for myself. The red platter is some 50cms long. This gave me the chance to sort out technical problems of firing and warping. I am very pleased with the results.
Click on the pics!
on Wednesday, March 9 2011 - Beekeeping
I have just been informed by CIPAV, the people to whom I am obliged to contribute large sums each year towards my pension here in France, that I shall be awarded the grand sum of 25 euros per annum! After more than ten years of paying into the system.
Since the likelihood of being able to retire seems aeons away, I'm going to put this aside and concentrate on the present.
I went early to the market at Henrichemont to buy some spring cabbage plants. In the middle of the square I met my bank managers and together we had a meeting about a loan. Right there in the sunshine. Long ago in England I used to have to fill in forms requesting a loan and go through several hoops to get one. Today, I was told I'd be telephoned when the sum is ready. How relaxed to work this way. Forget the pension.
We spotted a bee in the newly opened celandines and heard hundreds more humming in some catkins- the noise was impressive.
Although I lost all my bees this winter (in company with most of the beekeepers in this area) I am looking forward to installing new colonies in my two hives and have moved both to their permanent positions.
Click on the pics!
on Thursday, February 10 2011 - Latest News
At 2.30 this afternoon, I heard the wonderful noise of cranes passing overhead. I always get excited when I hear this because normally 15 days later spring weather returns.
This is usually in the month of March. I feel very sorry for them as they have obviously had a false alert further south.
Thanks to my 270mm Tamron lense, I was able to capture this image.
Click on the pics!
on Saturday, February 5 2011 - Ceramics
I have been concentrating on using Limoges porcelain for my production pieces. This is a new departure for me since I am used to the more expensive Australian porcelain which will be kept for individual studio work from now on.
I am particularly pleased with my red glaze. Last year I had huge problems with it on stoneware. On porcelain, the colours glitter more and are purer.
The mugs are selling very well, in spite of the higher price. I have devised an espresso-sized cup in the same shape. Size: 5 x 7cms high.
The picture on the left shows the difference between an oxidised firing (mug on left) and reduction firing.
I made some tiny espresso mugs (5 x 5cms) which took flashing from the copper red glaze in the kiln. Nice to have freebies like this!
The difficulties of throwing dinner plates in porcelain have not occurred. However, the drying and turning process has to be followed carefully and delicately in order to stop warping in the firing.
I am building a range and hope my clients will like the changes as I do.
Click on the pics!
on Wednesday, January 5 2011 - Ceramics
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!
on Saturday, December 18 2010 - Ceramics
Next autumn I will be celebrating 40 years as a self-employed potter.
To set up my pottery in 1971, I had to borrow £1000 from a friendly gallery owner (thank you, Sandy Moore). I was a penniless, though fully-qualified potter, having just finished a ceramics course and having gained a diploma with distinction. With this loan I managed to purchase a small gas kiln, a wheel, one ton of stoneware clay, some raw materials for glazes and other light equipment. The money was all spent but I had already lined up premises in a new craft workshop complex in Newquay, Cornwall. I had 3 months to turn a ton of clay into saleable pots to pay the rent.
Today, I took delivery of another Roderveld wheel costing the same sum as I had spent 39 years ago on my entire workshop. I'm glad that I don't have to turn out mugs at the rate and the same price as I did all those years ago.
The Roderveld in the background has given me more than 15 years wonderful service and has produced literally thousands of pots. It is still a beautiful wheel but this new Christmas gift to myself is noticeably quieter. In fact, it is utterly silent and I know it will be a great pleasure to use next year. Meanwhile, the older model is still in perfect working order and will serve for many more years to come.
As you can tell, I can highly recommend Roderveld wheels!
Click on the pics!
on Saturday, December 18 2010 - Latest News
In spite of being slightly lame, Marley can't help taking an instinctive interest in garden birds.
Not knowing I was looking at him through the window, he managed to reach the bird table. Fortunately, there were no unwary bluetits or finches feeding there. They would be far quicker than him anyway.
Look carefully at his whiskers and his innocent expression.
Time to move that bird table, I think.
Click on the pics!
on Tuesday, December 7 2010 - Beekeeping
I do know how our bees stay warm in cold weather. However, I just hope that I made the right decisions for them as far as their supplies of food for the winter are concerned. The colder weather has arrived a little sooner than expected so I have done the best I can to try to protect the hive.
We will know more later on.
on Saturday, December 4 2010 - Ceramics
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!
on Sunday, November 28 2010 - Photography
I have had to face some health problems recently. A more relaxed way of life is called for so we were delighted to be asked by friends to look after their house, a chambre d'hôte in the Cantal, while they took their annual holiday. This was the opportunity to play with my new camera. My Canon with its lenses is far too heavy to carry all the time and has to be reserved for studio work now.
Click on the Cantal link (above) for the gallery.
Christine's blog shows further photographs of this beautiful mountainous area.
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