Now then...

 As I was saying....

January, 2015. Snow. Cold. Dark nights. Nature in its natural place. For now.

A tidy workshop. A tidy desk. A tidy mind. For now.
There's a saying, isn't there? Tidy desk means a tidy mind. Or is it, empty desk, empty mind?
You choose.

A tidy workshop ready for open studios last November

It's been difficult to concentrate recently. Bad news first. The last few weeks have had a very serious, and very worrying nature to them, with the news that Rufford Craft Centre in Nottinghamshire will close this year in July. The County Council has finally got its claws into the arts service, once and for all. This has far reaching implications on so many people - artists, arts staff, students, schools, communities of many kinds.

The arts facilities, in particular specialised ceramic equipment, is the best in the area by a mile, and the skill, support, and expertise of the arts staff is outstanding. The Earth and Fire International Ceramic Festival will see it's last year here http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/enjoying/artsandculture/arts/earth-and-fire/ I will lose all my ceramic classes, and this has disturbing consequences on my work practice, as they provide my bread and butter. All devastating news. But something else will come up. A big year of change looms.

Let's focus on the good things for now (and there are lots of them!), and get up to speed on events over the last few months. Here are some of my favourite moments.

My fabulous students at our Christmas fuddle at Rufford Craft Centre.

  A few examples of the lovely pots my students have made. I'm very proud of them all.

Susanne, helped by potter, Johannes Peters, and Steph.

Hoards of collectors arriving by ferry at Diessen Ammersee for the annual ceramic event.














On my way home after Diessen, I always enjoy my stay after with Susanne Lukacs-Ringel in the Schwaebische Alps. Here she is unpacking her salt kiln. http://www.holzbrandkeramik.de/

Ladenburg Marketplatz (I lived in the flat on the right)

A brief visit to visit Ladenburg, Baden-Wurttemberg. I lived here as a language student many moons ago.

For a fleeting moment, I considered a career change when I saw this cafe sign in Holland!

Great fun as demonstrator at Art In Action, Waterperry, http://www.artinaction.org.uk/. Here I'm demonstrating a bark vessel, assisted by my lovely helper, Betul.

I managed to squeeze some walking in the Lake District, luckily on a sunny weekend.


And finally, here are a few of my favourite pots from last year. Catch up with you again soon.