Mushrooms everywhere

It's the time of year, when it's getting darker, cooler and certainly at the moment much wetter - perfect conditions for mushrooms.  If only one could be certain which ones are edible and which would send you packing to an early grave.  

Large grey mushrooms were seen growing out of the joins of the portable coffee stand at Harpenden Station!  And in a bark chipping bags in an alley way.  There's no stopping them!

View from Parliament Hill Fields

The wonderful view from Parliament Hill on a clear day!  Not too wet considering all the rain that England has had in recent months.  Only a few pockets of mud that can be avoided if so wished.  Not often one can see out past London into the countryside.  An energetic walk, topped with this magnificent vista.

Ceramic Professional Practice Workshop @ The Victoria & Albert Museum

Ten participants had the fabulous opportunity to attend a two day workshop led by the sleek ceramicist, Louisa Taylor, throwing porcelain in a wonderful array of forms.  The second day enhancing their skills in throwing on the wheel and exploring methods that combined hand building and construction techniques.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1782/skills-studio-ceramic-professional-practice-workshop-2950

Louisa Taylor who has been researching new techniques in this area during her six month residency at the Victoria and Albert Museum.   

The source of inspiration for her work stems from museum collections of historical dining vessels.  Louisa is fascinated by the rituals of dining and the role of tableware in contemporary dining.  Louisa creates objects for the table that aim not to prescribe specific functions but instead encourage sharing and relaxed eating; she likes the suggestion of how eating meals together can build stronger bonds/relationships within the family unit.  Each piece is thrown in porcelain and freely assembled.  Louisa's inspiration for the subtle colour palette is from the hand-painted decoration on soup tureens.  I deconstruct each individual colour and match it with glaze.  Louisa uses the content of the decoration to inform the overall composition of a piece; for example the height of the vessel correlates to the proportion of the colour in the pattern, jug forms suggest birds or figurative details.  The intention is create works that as a whole, describe the pattern from where they derived.

Louisa Taylor studied a BA (hons) degree in 3D Design: Ceramics, at Bath Spa University (2000-2003) followed by a Masters in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art, London (2004-2006).  Louisa set up her ceramic business in October 2006 and received a Development Award from the Crafts Council in January 2007.  Her studio is based in Deptford, south-east London where she produces her tableware range for shops, galleries and collectors in the UK and internationally.  Alongside making her work, Louisa is a Lecturer on the BA(hons)/Mdes 3D Design and Craft course at the University of Brighton and she is a professional member of the Crafts Potters Association and Contemporary Applied Arts, London.  Louisa is also the author of “Ceramics: Tools and Techniques for the Contemporary Maker”, published by Jacqui Small Publishing.

http://www.louisataylorceramics.com

http://louisataylorceramics.blogspot.co.uk

Alexandra Bircken, Unit 3 (and detail), 2008.  Coated aluminium, copper, brass, wire, roots, stones, acrylic paint, spray paint, cardboard, mortar, branches, tomato panicle, steel, concrete, wax, oilcloth, tangerine, apple cores, screws.  Frame: 220 x 140 cm.  Base: 185 x 80 cm.

Richard Wilson, 20:50, site specific installation, previously at Boundary Road NW8, where one could walk through the installation and dips ones fingers in the oil. It was fabulous there and is equally super in its new home, but not as interactive and accessible.

Jeppe Hein, Mirror Wall, 2010.  Mirror foil, wooden frame substructure, vibration system.  200 x 356 cm

Saatchi Gallery, Duke Of York's HQ, King's Road, London  SW3 4RY

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/

 

Ceramic Art London 2012

The Ceramic Art London fair is a fabulous yearly treat at the Royal College of Art.  77 stands of ceramics from simple functional pots to dynamic sculptures.  A show with work to appeal for everybody and prices that cross the board too.  It's also a great event for makers to take inspirations from others and to see a huge variety of techniques in one venue.  If only one would have enough money and space to accommodate all those gorgeous pieces.

Christiane Wilhelm

The fabulously tasty creations of Anna Barlow.

These two are from Ikuko Iwamoto.

Derek Wilson's tiny functional pots.

Dale Chihuly at the Halcyon Gallery

A must see, Dale Chihuly at the new Halcyon Gallery on New Bond Street until the 28th February 2012. The astonishingly beautiful glassworks take your breath away. Uplifting organic forms and vibrant colours, a show to blow away the January blues.

 

Victoria and Albert Museum, Entrance Hall

  

The wonderfully atmospheric entrance hall of the Victoria and Albert Museum.  These images were taken from another fabulous room: Room 141, The McAulay Gallery of Contemporary Ceramics on Level 6, full of cutting edge pieces and site specific installations.