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

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.

OBA (Old British Artist) gets into The Cabinet of Fame

Very old and decrepit British 'artist' makes the 'Cabinet of Fame' at Morley College, with an over sized pear. 

Made with pugmill clay over a period of five to six weeks.  Spray glazed with 'Lime Green', 'Yellow', 'Philmore Red' and tooth-brushed flicked and flecked with 'Sherry' glaze.  The stem is courtesy of Morley College's garden, and the fruit sticker produced in Photoshop.

Useless bowl was glazed 'Shiny Yellow' inside with a TOXIC 'Sky Blue' outside.  The blue glaze was poured on an upside down pot in patches to achieve this patterned effect.

Grayson Perry's Alan Measles inspired tray.  Depicting Alan Measles on his journey on the Kenilworth AM1 motorbike tour of Germany to Backnang (twin town with Chelmsford).  Glazed with Copper Oxide and Celadon.

These hearts have been lovingly imprinted with Savoy cabbage leaves, glazed with 'Crackle #2' over a red slip.

Ceramics Batch Number 2

Job Done!  aqua glaze on coil pot

That'll Do!  aqua glaze on coil pot

matt blue glaze on coil bowl

slab pot with incisions, matt white glaze

matt black glaze wash with black/gold glaze wash on rim

lime green glaze on coil fruit bowl

Ceramics Number 1 Batch

Would have blogged about cakes last month, as I made five cakes for my daughter's birthday party and didn't think to photograph them.  I was so upset with myself, that I haven't stopped kicking myself!

Took up Ceramics in September.  The first course at Camden Arts Centre: excellent teaching, very creative, limited materials.  Second Course at Morley College: good teaching, professional ceramic students and a fantastic array of materials and endless glazes (not for the indecisive)!

The above piece is based on a Diarmuid Gavin's tropical Shark Fin garden in NW2.  It is full of verdant Dicksonia Antartica tree ferns, black grasses, Cannas and several hardy varieties of palms.



The bowl above is based on the absolutely splendiferous Mr Gum books by Andy Stanton.  Fabulous to read to the emerging reader or for independent readers.  LOL



For the person that has everything that you are hoping to inherit!

New Ceramicist on the Block

Jolie Fortuna, an exceptionally talented ceramicist had her first show at the Camden Arts Centre this Saturday, 27th November 2010.

The pieces for this exhibition were based on the Dutch artist René Daniëls, who is currently showing Painting on Unknown Languages upstairs at the centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG.

Jolie has been working to complete this sensational body of work since September.  Unfortunately, the show has ended, but keep your eyes open for this VYBA (Very Young British Artist).