Emerging Potters magazine number 14 April to June 2019

EMERGING Issue 14 April - June 2019

Potters

Emerging Potters - 14

April-June 2019

Introduction The online pottery magazine Welcome to this edition of the magazine. The year has started with the COLLECT show, the flagship event from the Crafts Council housed at the Saatchi Gallery. This was shortly followed by Ceramic Art London from the Craft Potters Association.

In the next edition of the magazine will look at the New Designers show, the final year show at the Royal College and the Royal Academy Summer Show.

The lead feature looks at the latest studio to be established, called ‘Method at Culford Studio’. It comprises recent students from the Royal College of Art. Good luck to them and we will watch with interest how it develops over time.

Uclay is a show of ceramic work by emerging makers who are recent graduates from the University of Central Lancashire which represents some 20 makers.

The front cover shows Emily Stapleton Jefferis and Alice Walton from ‘Method at Culford Studio’ in east London.

It is not always possible to cover the other shows which happen around the country and are a very valuable resource. If anyone would like to report on other shows then do contact me and I will endeavor to include reports. One of the obvious missing sectors of ceramics reporting are those making craft studio pottery. Again if you would like to be included them do contact me.

Paul Bailey Editor

The magazine is an independent journal. The publishers do not accept any liability for errors or omissions.

The views expressed in the features are not necessarily those of the editor. Reproduction in part or whole must be with the consent of the editor. All rights reserved.

Contributions to the gallery of work from makers and students are welcome and will be included wherever possible on a first come basis. Send to the email address – paulbailey123@googlemail.com. The editor’s decision is final. © Paul Bailey 2019 Emerging Potters is produced in association with Aylesford Pottery UK.

Emerging Potters - 14

April-June 2019

Advisory Panel Alan Parris and Billy Byles are master potters and joint partners of the Aylesford Pottery in Kent..

John Leach, eldest grandson of renowned potter Bernard Leach and son of David Leach, continues the family tradition at Muchelney Pottery in the heart of the Somerset Levels.

Contents

Helen Walsh, Curator of Ceramics CoCA, York Museums Trust.

Method Studio

Wendy Kershaw, international ceramic maker based in Scotland.

Emily Wiles, ceramic maker based in Leicester.

Sandi Cowles, A student attending pottery classes at Penzance School of Art. Ella Watkins is now a contributing features writer for the magazine.

London Art Fair

3-7 8

Collect Show

9-12

CAL 2019

13-16

Georgia Buck

17-19

Memories

20-21

UCLAY

22-25

Selling Steps

26-27

Kiln Cambridge

28-31

Flourish

32

Barnstable

33-34

Wendy Kershaw

39

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

Method Studio The members of Method at Culford Studio are: Alice Walton Emily Stapleton Jefferis Clare Flatley Eugene Cheung Sun-A Kim Pam Su Tana West Irina Razumovskaya

Possibly one of the biggest challenges facing ceramic makers leaving university has to be in finding suitable and affordable premises to start their careers. Next, must be making sure they are not isolated from other makers who they need to share experiences and knowledge with.

A group of eight graduates from the Royal College of Art (RCA) have been lucky enough to break this barrier in London. But added to the pressure is knowing they are taking over the recently vacated studio of one of the most influential and respected makers working today – that being Kate Malone.

The group moved in to the studio in October 2018 after a lot of searching for premises. They have the ground floor of the building with a photography studio and events space occupying the upper level. Alice Walton commented, “The Haines Family were looking for ceramic makers to take over the studio as they are great supporters of the arts. With the help of Kate Malone we were there at the right time. Originally all we thought we needed to start our studio was a sink, so what we have now is just fantastic. It was not practical for Kate to move the original kiln as it’s the biggest studio kiln in London, so we inherited that also as part of the building – a huge bonus. Kate has a studio near by and welcomes us asking for help”.

The studio is situated in a quiet mews, just off a main road in east London. It includes a meeting area at the front, kitchen area, working area, kiln area (now supplemented by two smaller kilns) glaze area, clay store and even a small back garden for summer evenings.

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The members of Method at Culford Studio are: Alice Walton Emily Stapleton Jefferis Clare Flatley Eugene Cheung Sun-A Kim Pam Su Tana West Irina Razumovskaya

Emily Stapleton Jefferis (Above) Touchscape, MA Ceramics and Glass Degree Show, The Royal College of Art, London, 2018 Photo: Ester Segarra

Alice Walton Title: Mirasi Lock Size: length 42cm x width 18cm x height 57cm Material: Coloured Porcelain

Pam Su (left) Title: Working Class Hero Material: Stoneware, glaze (2018) Dimensions: 42 cm x 35 cm x 55 cm pamsuceramics.com instagram.com/pamsuceramics/

Tana West (Above) ‘Hard Border’ woven metallic glazed stoneware panels, steel frame ‘Pavers’ stoneware bricks containing clayey soil donated from around Europe British Ceramics Biennial 2017 – Photograph: © Nicholas Middleton

Cheuk Chung Name: Factory Carnival- Off the Chain Size: 32cm L x 23cm W x 23cm H (Left hand side) 37cm L x 23cm W x 34cm H ( Right Hans side) Material: Earthenware, decorating slip, underglaze pencil, lustre Photo credit: Ester Segarrang

Clare Flatley (Above) ‘Weird matter’ is a project that brings together my experimentation with the materials of the ceramic and glass making processes.

Sun-A Kim Title: Inconspicuous beauty 11.

Size : 25x25x6.5cm Medium : Parian casting slip 4

Emerging Potters – 14

Method Studio

April-June 2019

So, how does this collective of makers work? Well, each of the eight makers runs their own business making things for commissions, research and for galleries. Each has other commitments which forms part of their income, such as teaching or residences. An example is the Crafts Council ‘Make Your Future’ programme which enables makers to go into schools and work with secondary school children. Equipment and materials are paid for by the Crafts Council and the Sir John Lyons Charity. The school teachers are invited to attend Central Saint Martins ceramic department to learn some of the skills needed to continue the programme. This culminates with an exhibition later in the year.

The eight makers pay a share of the rent for the studio, plus an extra to allow for emergency items. Decisions on how the studio is managed is done electronically and by majority. There are few times that all are there at any one time in the studio. The responsibilities of managing and organising the space are shared between all members.

When asked about what they missed about the RCA, Emily Stapleton Jefferis commented, “Access to the expertise of the staff, then access to the wonderful range of equipment. No longer can we just pop around to another department to have something made. Then there is the intellectual challenge of lectures and group discussions, even though we try to continue them here at ‘Method’.

Below: Final Year Show at The Royal College of Art

So what does the studio stand for and what are its objectives? Both Alice and Emily are very clear in that it is a professional ceramic sculpture studio and not a craft one. The surrounding area they are in has a lot of artists working locally and they want to reach out to them, so they become a more inclusive self-help community. Later when they are more established they hope to run a series of teaching courses for the local community and hold exhibitions of work.

Today getting started is even harder than ever, but this group has shown that it is still possible and that they are the future of an international thriving arts market. And should they need an example of success then Kate Malone’s other studio is just a few doors away.

Contact details for the studio Instagram: @collective_method

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

London Art Fair The rivalry between ceramics and painting has been a point of contention for as long as I can remember, but this year there is evidence of a positive move to accommodate both at this year’s London Arts Fair at the Design Centre, Islington, London.

Helped by some new smaller galleries to the show, they have embraced the resurgence in ceramics. A general impression is that the show is aimed at the art buying general public, and the makers being represented by small and medium galleries.

The organisers have dedicated an area called ‘Platform’ purely for ceramics, and it is here the new generation of galleries are. One such gallery is ‘Thrown’ run by the very enterprising Claire Pearce, which has been creating a lot of interest both here in London and abroad partly due to her mix of professional and very good makers working in the open-access studios such as Turning Earth and Kiln Rooms (bottom photo).

Another interesting gallery is Square Art Projects. Often using the ‘pop-up’ format for their mobile gallery they have worked in Europe, plus south and north America. At the show they had the work of Elena Gileva a recent graduate from the Royal College. A more established gallery is the James Freeman, who has a spectacular show by the Belgium ceramic maker Carolein Smit (centre photo).

Making the long trip from Edinburgh was the ‘& Gallery’ also their first time to the show. The maker they were showing was Rebecca Appleby (top photo) a Leeds based maker. Her work is industrial in influence and large in scale. She is due to have a show at the Contemporary Ceramics Centre, London later this year (2019).

I think it fair to say that all the ceramic work should be classed as ‘fine art’ with the absence of any domestic craft ceramics, so it will be interesting to hear from some of the galleries as to what sold well and what the general public were after.

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

COLLECT SHOW

Above left Gravity in Pray by Wanying Liang. Above Kristina Riska.

Below The Saatchi Gallery

The show represents the peak of quality and diversity with cutting edge work among makers from around the world. Presented by the UK’s Craft Council it is now in its 15th year.

Bringing together some 40 international galleries it occupies three floors of the Saatchi Gallery in central London. This year 11 new galleries were represented, giving a total of 400 makers from 30 countries on display.

Within the craft sector ceramics was predominate.

Although the show is about makers and the galleries who are pioneering the craft movement, there’s no denying the part that collectors play in the broader possibilities of the fair. When Collect first started by the Crafts Council, this was largely a UK group that have supported the initiative since the beginning. But in the last decade it has been joined by an international contingent of private buyers, plus buyers for public institutions from around the world, and investors. Now like their British counterparts, they are collecting art and are well informed.

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Amongst the weight of the commercial galleries there is still room for a section in the show called ‘Collect Open’ which showcases installations by individual makers, who are simply representing themselves. Two makers which stand out this year are Mary O’Malley (top photo) and Charlotte Pack (bottom photo).

Mary has recently returned from working in China at JingDeZhen where she was struck by the confusion between two cultures, being China and the USA. This situation can be traced back to early exports of Chinese ceramics to the West during the 16th to 18th Centuries. In her work she has taken what is traditional Chinese decoration and transposed it onto the very USA cultural icon – the barbecue (left). In this she creates a comment on globalization and cultural appropriation to distort an understanding of contemporary society.

Mary trained in Philadelphia and at the Royal College of Art, and is a founder member of the ‘Collective Matter’ group of ceramic makers in London.

In contrast, Charlotte Pack is concerned with the threat to wildlife by an ever encroaching human environment.

For this show she has made 100 elephants during ‘Wildlife Conservation Day’ (above) when she stayed awake for 24 hours hand-sculpting the elephants in porcelain. This is the same number which are killed each day, driven by the insatiable global demand for ivory.

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Emerging Potters – 14 COLLECT SHOW

Right: Claire Partington at the James Freeman Gallery. Alpha – earthenware, glaze, enamel, lustre and mixed media with two interchangeable heads.

Below: Alice Walton at the Mint Gallery.

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April- June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

COLLECT SHOW

April-June 2019

Left: Park Seo-hee Park experiments with traditional celadon glaze, achieving a bold contemporary tonal elegance. He describes the series as ‘Polygonal bottles’ that maintains their fundamental use as vessels to hold Korean and Japanese sake.

Centre: Lucille Lewin at the Cynthia Corbett Gallery.

Below: Claire Lindner at the Collection Ateliers D’Art De France

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

CAL 2019 The number of craft shows which showcase the work of ceramic makers continues to grow, with 2019 being no exception.

If the Crafts Council show – COLLECT represents what the commercial galleries are selling then Ceramic Art London (CAL) from the Craft Potters Association is the showcase for individual makers and members of the public looking to be inspired and buy work at affordable prices.

CAL is also blessed with a superb venue at the main concourse area at Central Saint Martins in the centre of London. The enthusiasm of the public is still growing and some 5,500 attended over the three days in March.

This year makers from the Isle of Skye, Germany, Spain, Ireland, France, Austria, or the Netherlands join those from England, and further afield Japan and Korea are represented. In total there are 91 individual stands and makers.

Top: Miju Kurihara Centre: Sally MacDonell Bottom:

Jessica Thorn

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14 Ceramic Art London

In Ho Song

Grainne Watts

Derek Wilson Kirsty Macrae

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14 Ceramic Art London

Verity Howard

Nichola Theakston

Monika Debus Miju Kurihara

Emerging Potters – 14 Ceramic Art London

Daniel Boyle

April-June 2019

There is a short video on Ceramic Art London 2019 on Youtube.

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

Georgia Buck This is her story When I left Plymouth University in 2017 with a first class degree in 3D Design/Designer Maker, I was worn out and a little exhausted with clay! As any potter knows clay can be very time consuming with little forgiveness sometime.

However I flew straight to the USA. Literally two days after my degree show and did a summer camp where I was an activity councillor teaching ceramics at Camp Echo, Burlingham, New York. It is a traditional sleepaway camp with many activities to do throughout the day. The children were from the ages of 6 -17 and would come to the ceramics studio everyday for an hour lesson in either hand building throwing on the potter’s wheel or glazing.

I chose to do this because I wanted to test the water and see if maybe teaching was the route I would take after graduating. Here I started to enjoy clay again – the pressures and deadlines were taken away and a sense of freedom was put back into it. In my spare time while at camp I threw on the potter’s wheel which I didn’t do much of at university due to generally slip casting work. I LOVED it.

When I returned to the UK after spending many weeks running a ceramics studio at Camp Echo, cleaning, stocking, running the kilns, preparing clay and glazes, I knew I didn’t want to teach. But I did definitely want to work with clay and get back on the potter’s wheel.

I then assisted a ceramicist, Emma Alington who is based in Berkshire in the run up to Christmas, so I was mainly making decorations. She really opened my eyes to the world of going solo, and it looked great but I just didn’t feel ready. I wanted to be independent and not have to live at home relying on my parents while I tried to land on my feet.

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14 Georgia Buck

So I moved back down to Plymouth, I eventually landed the Job of an art technician at a local secondary school. This was where it all started for me. The school needed someone that knew their way around a kiln and could heavily assist with all clay activities – perfect. I was earning a consistent income and got to work with clay every day. The school agreed to let me use the clay room and facilities in my spare time and this is where my gb Ceramics started. I found confidence in myself again as a designer and a potter.

It’s really hard to be creative and make money from it. It’s something most people struggle to realise and I’ve always felt a pressure to find a well-paid 9am-5pm job. But I wouldn’t be happy doing that and I can’t seem to keep away from clay no matter how hard I try! So I think I’ve found a happy medium for the time being.

Below: Green and blue mug, Stoneware, 7.5cm height x 9.5cm base,

After spending about a year at the school experimenting with different clays, glazes, sizes, finishes and shapes I have finally found my style. I design and make functional tableware with the intention for the user to treat my products as their go to - I like the idea of people becoming ergonomically attached to the items I make, something they invest in and really love and enjoy using in day to day life.

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Emerging Potters – 14

Georgia Buck

April-June 2019

Green and blue jug, stoneware, 9.5cm Height x 10cm base

I have a modern take on the old Japanese technique of Nerikomi pigments are mixed into wet clay, integrating the colour throughout rather than painting it onto the surface. Different coloured clays are layered and compressed to construct a solid block with a pattern running through the inside, the design is revealed when the block is sliced in a cross section. I attach the patterned clay as handles or spouts onto thrown bodies such as mugs, jugs etc. Good quality craftsmanship, tactility and great design is at the heart of my making.

I design to last, I strongly believe in sustainable living and hope my products will be cherished and used by many generations.

I did my first craft fair in December 2018 - Native Makers. It was a real nail biting experience and I had no idea what reaction I was going to get – the only reactions I have had so far has been through Instagram. It went better than I ever thought it could and it gave me the confidence to think, ‘I can really do this!’. In 2019 I will be exhibiting at more shows such as Clay: A festival of Ceramics 30th June in Barnstaple Pannier Market, and hope to stock a select handful of independent shops. I have also been selected as a finalist for Rising Stars 2019 at The New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham where I will be exhibiting 2nd March- 13th April. Alongside events I will also be releasing shop updates on my website throughout the year. @gb_ceramics www.gb-ceramics.co.uk georgia@gb-ceramics.co.uk

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Emerging Potters – 14 Elaine Wilkinson

Memories

April-June 2019

Now that the festive season is over many people will be turning their thoughts towards summer holidays, and adventures in different countries.

Traditionally the memories of holidays are captured as photographs, video, postcards, drawings and so on. But it can also be a rich source of research for potters looking for their next big project. One such person is Elaine Wilkinson from Kent.

For her a visit to Taormina in Sicily was an inspiration and she soon became immersed in it’s culture and history. She commented, “Taormina is bustling tourist resort. In August the beaches are packed, while queues are forming for the cable car taking the crowds of day trippers down the steep cliff side to the inviting azure waters of Isolla Bella. Despite the queues and the oppressive heat Taormina is a beautiful and charming town, quintessentially Sicilian. The Gucci shops, market stalls of lemons and capers, art galleries as well as a plethora of restaurants, gift shops, ice cream vendors all set amongst one another in the uneven labyrinth of narrow medieval streets. Lizards scuttle in the cracks between ancient stone walls and so many rustic balconies are festooned with tumbling cactuses and orange trees”.

While walking these vibrant streets and taking in the sights, sounds and smells she noticed that adorning the inset archways with many containing potted cactuses, was some ceramic work unlike any she had seen. The cactus and other plants made up the hair of a male and female head, each wearing a crown.

Once the thrown head and neck were trimmed and stuck together with slip she added the features.

Next the hair was added

Besides the beard, the faces were the same, somewhat reminiscent of the king and queen from a pack of playing cards. As soon as she noticed these ceramic characters they began to appear everywhere. There were colourful contemporary versions, some where the male character was black but the lady white, and as she explored deeper into the streets of Taormina, contemporary art shops as well as antique shops sold their respective varieties. Grand hotels, private residences and also restaurants and bars all seemed to be featuring this clay couple.

For the crown she used an extruder to create the coils, hand shaped and stuck the top of the pot with slip.

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Emerging Potters – 14

Elaine Wilkinson

April-June 2019

She commented, “I was immediately drawn to the idea of creating my own version”.

But before she could consider this project she needed to find out who they were. What was their story?

According to legend a Moorish merchant fell in love with a Sicilian girl in the 11th Century. She discovered he had a wife and family back in his homeland so in a fit of jealously and to ensure he would remain hers forever she killed him as he slept and put his severed head on her balcony. The head was used as a vase, from which to grow a basil plant. Passers by, jealous off her flourishing plant created ‘head vases’ of their own.

Elaine went on to say, “Knowing the story now, I was committed to creating my own version, not just as something to remind me of my Italian adventure but also as a chance to create a contribution to this genre, the theme, and the lineage of these two crowned characters”.

And her advice to others - aways be on the lookout for inspiration.

Be open to your surroundings, try to find inspiration in the character of the place and if you have a good idea, stick to it. Take plenty of reference material and discuss with others the best way to approach the project.

Elaine is a student at the Aylesford School of Ceramics.

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

UCLAY PR1 Gallery Victoria Building University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 7HD

New Northern Voices in Clay

by Micaela Schoop UClay is an exhibition of ceramic work by a group of emerging artists who are recent graduates from the University of Central Lancashire MA Ceramics course.

Private Viewing Tues 2nd April 2019 (5:30 - 8:30pm) Open: 3rd - 24th April 2019 (9am –-5pm Weekdays only)

Some 2018 graduates decided to organise this exhibition in order to give people involved in the MA Ceramics course a platform to share their work and to highlight the importance this course has had on their artistic development. The resulting exhibition involves over 20 makers spanning four generation of graduates. Current students are given the chance to show ‘work in progress’ and former students, a number of whom have gone on to win professional awards following graduation, the opportunity to show their new work and its progression since leaving.

Micaela Schoop Cheryl Vollor David Finnegan Natasha Ball Katie Timson Adele Davison Rob Parr Janet Nuttall Mike McGowan David Horsfall Maureen Thomas Pam Hunter Rebecca Barwell Roberta Cialfi Katie Plumb Jane Duckett Cath Criscenti Patricia Ramsden Alice Bohannon Johanna Storm Rusu Jane D’Souza Steph Matthews David Foster David Binns Geoff Wilcock

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Emerging Potters – 14

UCLAY

April-June 2019

Micaela Schoop

Cheryl Vollor

Janet Nuttall

Emerging Potters – 14

Natasha Ball

UCLAY

April-June 2019

Rob Parr

Katie Timson

Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

UCLAY

Adele Davison David Finnegan

UClay in that sense is about the MA Ceramic ‘journey’ at UCLAN and beyond allowing each artist’s work to develop and express their unique and deeply personal approach to working with clay. The range of work on show is diverse covering numerous types of ceramics: craft, design, function, decorative, one-off, industrial, sculptural, conceptual or architectural, with a strong emphasis on making.

Mike McGowan

The graduates felt it important to raise awareness of this MA Ceramics programme, which is one of the few dedicated ceramics course in the country, with an excellent track record of placing graduates in professional practice – Halima Cassell and Anna Lambert are two examples of very successful and highly regarded makers, that graduated from the course. Both have been back to UCLAN to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with students on the course.

Sharing this formative artistic and educational experience with other likeminded students has been challenging, rewarding and always enriching and is a good start for any emerging artist – its outcome in clay is something we would like to show at UClay.

The exhibition also includes work by teaching staff and, alongside the ceramic work, there will be an display of macro photographic images of the ceramic work.

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

Selling steps

Selling for the first time - Ella Watkins If you are anything like me, you just love to keep making more and more pottery.

At first I was way too embarrassed to let anyone other than very close family even see my lumpy, heavy, quite frankly, ugly, initial attempts.

As I progressed, encouraged by family requests, I began to give my creations as gifts.

Mugs, dishes, door numbers, oven dishes, have all been given away.

I created little tealights as wedding favours at my own wedding, and then lots of positive comments boosted my confidence. I couldn’t quite believe anyone but me would even want something I had made.

I then began to wonder if I could sell any of it.

Afraid to go it alone, I managed to talk my very creative sister into joining me in holding an artists open house event to try and sell our creations. She makes beautiful, colourful textiles. A friend joined us too as she paints lovely bright paintings, our work complemented each other.

We held it in the summer and used my garden and conservatory to display our work, we also offered tea and cake in the garden.

Above: A recent far simpler display Below: The first display attempt which was far too crowded.

It did take a fair bit of planning, making sure the garden was looking tidy. Organising tables and thinking of where and how to display our work and hang pictures. Signs to direct people from the road, business cards, pricing stickers, cloths for tables were some of things we had to buy.

I had quite a variety of pottery by this stage. Stoneware, earthenware and porcelain, from oven dishes, to necklaces. I decided to put out a wide selection of it all. By far the most difficult decisions were about how much to charge. Too high and I wouldn’t sell anything, too low and I wouldn’t cover my costs.

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It went well, mainly friends, neighbours and family visited and we made money, people bought our work or ordered items. They gave us feedback which was invaluable.

Spurred on, we took a table at a craft fair later in the year. This took a lot of planning as we needed a trial run to work out the display and how to fit everything on a table. I made lots of Christmas decorations so we needed trees to hang them on. Transporting my breakables and the displays was difficult too. Sadly the event wasn’t well attended, the horrendous weather probably had something to do with it. Thankfully hiring the table had only cost £20, even so, we only just about managed to cover the cost of it.

Yet, we met loads of lovely, like minded crafty people who provided ideas of how to sell stuff. Add height to table displays so items are nearer eye level, try out school fairs as they can be cheap to attend and can be quite profitable. Try to avoid fairs that charge high fees for stall holders as you are unlikely to make it back. Have a go at selling online, Etsy, not on the high street and Amazon are all worth a go, instagram can also be very effective.

Undeterred I will have another go. Refine my products, improve my website, do more online, try out another fair. But mostly I will just enjoy making more pottery.

Below: Open House event display

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

Kiln Cambridge The demand for open access studios continues, and the latest being Kiln Cambridge which opened it’s doors in January 2019.

As an open-access members’ ceramics studio providing an opportunity for development of its members have access to a range of classes for all levels.

Kiln Cambridge has been set up by a group of artists to help make the arts more accessible to more people in an affordable way.

Their vision is to create a place where ideas and friendships flourish in a supportive artists' community.

By sharing resources and space, they make it possible for members to enjoy all the benefits of their own studio, whilst in a superbly equipped and collaborative environment. The studio occupies a large single-floor, high-ceilinged studio space with lots of natural light, and contains high quality, hand-made, easy-to-clean work benches, twelve top of the range throwing wheels, a slab roller, and an extruder.

The studio also boasts three kilns with high quality extraction systems. There are twelve top quality Shimpo Whisper wheels amongst the best available for potters. being extremely quiet they can maintain a smooth speed even when under a heavy load.

Added to this are three of the highest quality electric kilns, two very large L&L 28T top loaders (290l) and a Rohde toploading kiln.

30 litres of stoneware (oxidation) kiln space per month is included in the monthly membership. Any additional work is fired at a small extra cost for members. There’s a range of membership options with reduced fees for longer-term contracts.

Membership includes anytime access during our opening hours, up to 15 hours a week.

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“Bilgin Soylu, is an ex-­‐Cambridge academic and currently works as an investment banker in London”

Kiln Cambridge was started by a passionate potter, Bilgin Soylu, who is an ex-Cambridge academic and currently works as an investment banker in London. As an academic, he specialised in electronic ceramics, brought many scientific ideas to his ceramics, especially in his glazes. Bilgin found this level of experimentation very difficult when using the studios of other potters, so he started to look for a small studio for himself.

Bilgin had been thinking about creating a shared space for fellow artists and enthusiasts for some time. It was when he came upon the unit in Cambridge, all his earlier thoughts and ideas for a shared space crystallised and he made a very quick decision to abandon the idea of going solo and to lease the unit. He decided to fund the enterprise himself, so that he could keep his vision unaffected by the need to please or repay others.

He was aware of and inspired by other Open Access studios, such as Turning Earth, but wanted to develop the model into a more intimate space and a place where ideas and friendships could flourish in a supportive artists' community.

Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

Kiln Cambridge

Kiln Cambridge is now a flourishing open-access Members’ ceramics studio. It provides a space for experimentation, creativity and development for members and a range of classes for all. Currently they have 22 members who access the studio at times to suit them and who avail themselves of all the facilities, mentoring from our resident potter, Tarragon Smith, and stimulation and support from other Members.

The mix of members is diverse coming from all sorts of backgrounds. Most of them are working in other fields; science, publishing, design, finance and academia amongst others. One or two are professional painters exploring another art form. All of them are of a good or high standard.

They currently run four pottery classes with ten students of mixed abilities in each. Later they are planning to run more as they are oversubscribed and have had to set up a waiting list.

They do not believe they have had an effect on Adult Education classes as they, too, are oversubscribed and have waiting lists. One or two of the members moved from Saturday classes to have more access and a chance to develop further, but they will have made space for genuine beginners to join the class that they left.

They plan to hold at least two exhibitions/ sales of work during the year. The first of these will be Membership of Cambridge Open Studios in July.

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14 Kiln Cambridge

Two of the founding members and tutors are Tarragon Smith and Harriet James.

Born in Canada, Tarragon now lives and works in the UK. He holds an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, London, and a BFA with a minor in art history from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Canada.

Harriet first fell in love with making ceramics as a teenager at Putney School of Art. She has been making off and on ever since in parallel with a career in marketing and management consultancy and having a family. Harriet’s own work is diverse: pared back functional thrown stoneware sits alongside highly textured and decorated hand built pieces, and colourful earthenware, all reflecting her constant desire to experiment and learn. team@kilncambridge

kilncambridge.com

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

F lourish The UK’s Crafts Council conference Flourish is a two day conference on 18-19 June 2019 to ignite your creative business ambitions held at Goldsmith’s Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN. Flourish is the Crafts Council's biennial two-day professional development conference for makers and designers; primarily for those who have been in practice for five or more years.

It is a great opportunity to share, debate, network and go home with a set of action points and links to help cultivate and shape their creative practice.

The first Flourish took place in 2017 and was a huge success. The next Flourish will be taking place on 18-19 June 2019.

Our speakers are a carefully selected group of experienced makers, designers and industry professionals, see our 2017 speakers below.

More information and tickets for Flourish 2019 coming soon – copy and paste https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-wedo/flourish/

Topics for 2019 Include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Marketing and Social Media: How to make your work stand out Working with Galleries Working with Manufacturers Ways to increase sales Intellectual Property and Copyright Packaging and Shipping: How to make your work safe in transit Commissioning Understanding the best pricing for your work Best ways to present applications How to pitch your work How to grow your workforce Making for the commercial sector Working internationally Residencies Employment Law Maintaining credibility on large scale production Protecting your business - Creating a proactive IP Strategy for growth post Brexit

“It has been a ‘EUREKA’ moment of inspiration to peruse my own craft as a business. It’s given me confidence to ask.”

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April-June 2019

Emerging Potters – 14

B arnstaple…

CLAY: A FESTIVAL OF CERAMICS Studio potters and ceramic artists from across the South West and beyond will be gathering in Barnstaple to sell their work and demonstrate their skills when Clay: A Festival of Ceramics returns to North Devon for its third year on Sunday 30th June 2019 at the Barnstaple Pannier Market, Butchers Row, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 1SY. 10am until 4pm A community of over 70 talented ceramicists chosen through competitive selection will be showcasing their work at this one-day event. From emerging makers to established potters from the British studio pottery community with many years of creative experience behind them this exciting festival aims to showcase the diversity of ceramic techniques and disciplines being practiced today.

This year, makers from Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset & Bristol are joined by their contemporaries from further afield including London, Surrey, Hereford, Wales and the West Midlands drawn by the festival’s growing reputation as an exciting quality event in the UK show calendar.

Alongside over 70 exhibitors at Clay: A Festival of Ceramics there will be a series of demonstrations of ceramics techniques and processes from the West Country Potters Association as well as workshops and a potter’s wheel experience.

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Emerging Potters – 14

April-June 2019

Barnstaple

BBC’s Great Pottery Throwdown contestant Tom Knowles Jackson first found his love of clay as a schoolboy under the tuition of Steve Sheridan. It took another 20 years to return to the craft after a career in the Army and business overseas. He now makes a range of functional cook and serve ware for the table and home using a small range of homemade glazes made from iron, copper and wood ash. He has also opened The Clay Loft, an open access ceramic studio for members.

For Tiverton artist, Sarah Holder moving to the other side of the world ignited a love of pottery and inspired a later life career. Sarah met her kiwi husband at university and moved with him to New Zealand. There she worked as a wig maker but completed a BFA majoring in Ceramics before returning to the UK aged 48 and channeling all her energies into her decorative trees, bowls and vases inspired by the rural landscape around her new home.

Jeannett Stevenson of Pippi & Me Ceramics trained as a Neuro Intensive Care Nurse but decided to leave when pregnant with her third son. She started a pottery course one evening a week so escape putting the children to bed and got hooked. Fast forward to today and Jeanett has a thriving ceramics business and even employs staff to keep on top of orders.

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Emerging Potters – 14

January – March 2019

The Kiln Rooms London Craft Week Friday 10th May 2019 at 6.30pm

Kate Malone Talk For this event you will need to book in advance. Tickets are £12

Location The Kiln R ooms, R ailway Arch 1 98, Bellenden R oad ( rear of 8 5 Bellenden Rd) London SE15 4 QJ http://www.thekilnrooms. com The K iln R ooms a re proud t o host internationally r enowned ceramic a rtist K ate Malone. From egg c ups to a rchitectural f acades, K ate's work spans t he spectrum of hand b uilt ceramics, her passion f or t he e xploration o f g laze a nd s urface has driven h er work t o b e r ecognised a nd admired in b oth t he f ine a rts a nd c eramics worlds, straddling t he b alance o f c raftsmanship a nd artistic e ndeavour to p roduce i conic c lay v essels a nd sculpture. J oin us f or t he e vening a s K ate gives a n i nsight into h er inspiration, research, practice a nd c areer development.

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Thrown Gallery 26 Highgate High Street, London N6 5JG

From This Land 18th May - 23rd June 2019 A group exhibition exploring connections to the natural landscape.

‘From This Land’ brings together ceramics, mixed media artwork and paintings that have drawn inspiration from and for nature, whether in responding to the landscape around them, collecting natural materials to use within their work or creating vessels to bring nature into our homes. The show will launch as part of the Chelsea Fringe and the first week will be in collaboration with OmVed Gardens whose converted greenhouse exhibition space, just around the corner from the gallery, will display a special botanical section of the show for the first week.

The show will feature

Tom Crew, Isabel Dodd, Adam Frew, Lise Herud Braten, Simon Kidd, Joseph Ludkin, Zuleika Melluish, Lisa Ommanney, Andrea Roman, Samantha Silverton, Alistair Blair and Alison West.

Image: S amantha S ilverton

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Wendy Kershaw lists some of the best shows in the north of the country this summer.

Potfest in the Park 26-28 July 2019 Over 100 exhibitors invited from all over Europe and beyond. All with very distinctive individual styles, all passionate about working with clay.

The venue, Hutton-in-the-Forest, is a cultural destination in itself with it’s historic house, walled garden, topiary terraces and woodland walks. The ceramics festival takes place in and around marquees in front of the castle, with the potters special competition pieces on the lawn, juxtaposing ancient architecture and modern ceramics. This year’s competition theme will be announced shortly.

Hutton-in-the-Forest lies 5 miles northwest of Penrith, Cumbria (M6 junction 41) – on the edge of the stunningly beautiful Lake District National Park.

Potfest in the Park - Fri, Sat & Sun 10am – 5pm daily

Potfest Scotland 7-9 June 2019 Potfest returns to the Perth area for its 23rd year in Scotland. This year’s show is once again Potfest at the Palace, in the wonderful grounds of Scone Palace, Perth, the home of the Stone of Destiny, the crowning site of former Scottish kings.

Potfest Scotland 2019 June 7th – 9th Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm daily.

Earth & Fire 21-23 June 2019 The Harley Gallery, Welbeck Nottinghamshire S80 3LW. Earth and Fire International Ceramic Fair is one of the country's premier ceramic events taking place every year at the end of June in North Nottinghamshire. The fair takes place on the Welbeck Estate, which houses The Harley Gallery, The Portland Collection and an array of artist studios.

Earth & Fire showcases over 135 potters from across the UK and mainland Europe who come to sell direct to the public from outdoor market stalls.

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Persistance Works Gallery 21 Brown S treet, S heffield, S 1 2BS www.artspac e.org.uk

E xquisite Bodies

Bec c a Brown M eghan D owns Bethany S tafford H annah S taniforth

The exhibition foc uses on a c ollaborative projec t throughout the four weeks in the gallery. Based on the drawing game “Exquisite C orpse”, they will c ollaborate in making c eramic piec es, c ombining individual strengths and styles. E ac h artist will start to c reate a piec e of work in their c hosen method of building before passing it on to the next artist to c ontinue. W orking in a c hosen c lay ‘body’ throughout, they aim to ac hieve an interesting development of work that strengths, proc esses and styles in a playful manner, c reating sc ulptural/dec orative piec es that c hallenge our personal way of working.

E ac h artist will also be showc asing a new c ollec tion of c eramic work alongside the live c ollaboration.

O p ening T imes 4th A pril - 28th A pril Thursday 11am - 7pm Friday, S aturday, S unday 11 - 4pm (E xc luding E aster S unday)

Pre vie w e ve nt 4th A pril 5pm - 8pm Tic kets available via E ventbrite 40

The Kiln Rooms Friday 2pm – 8pm Saturday 11am – 6pm Sunday 11am -­‐6pm

Summer Show 14-­‐16 June Bellenden Road and Copeland Park Studios in Peckham Rye, London.

Featuring over 100 ceramic makers

http://www.thekilnrooms. com/pdp E:info@thekilnrooms.com

H A N D M A D E in Britain

If you would like to join the free mailing list for Emerging Potters contact: paulbailey123@googlemail.com Back copies of the magazine can be found on the ISSUU platform.