Meet the Maker - Katie Almond, ceramicist.

Another workshop to whet your creative appetite.  This time from ceramicist Katie Almond in Rutland.

Since graduating five years ago, Katie has set up her own workshop in Rutland making ceramics using a variety of slip casting and hand-building techniques.  Each piece is essentially a canvas for decoration and collage as she combines drawings with found ephemera.  "I am inspired by nostalgia, old paper ephemera, vintage textiles and a love of drawing."  

She transfers old envelopes, bus tickets, seed packets and magazine adverts unearthed in charity shops and car boots sales on to her hand-painted porcelain jugs, cups, cakes stands and brooches.  

The mass of handwritten receipts, savings books and postcards she acquired from her grandmother has been a constant source of inspiration.  “Reading through them is fascinating.  One receipt from 1951 just have been when she was out buying presents for my mum, aunt and uncle.  I love being able to add a personal touch to my work.”

"The pieces I create are unique, one-offs that explore a variety of nostalgic themes that I am always adding to. Currently my themes are; the notions of afternoon tea, ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’, gardening and flowers, and traditional blue and white pottery."

Katie is another artist exhibiting at Unit Twelve alongside Kirsty Elson in the 'madebyhandonline' exhibition and she also supplies galleries and shops both in the UK and internationally as well as regularly attending craft fairs.

And of course, you'll be keen to know more about the workshops she runs at Debbie Bryan's studio in Nottingham which include courses in the art of  brooch, tile, card and bead making.  These are all on offer in the coming weeks, with the added incentive of homemade cake and tea thrown in! Ideal for hen parties, birthdays or just to vent your creative bent, you can find out more from her website. 

And don't forget if you can't get to Nottingham, do try to search for something similar in your area and let us know how you get on.  We'd love to see the fruits of your labour.

And my tenuous link for the day - I guess it would have to be my pottery, as featured on our vintage inspired aprons!  Take a look on the website if you fancy something to keep you tidy as you bake (or even wear one for your ceramic sessions!)

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Meet the Maker - Chloe Harford of Glazed and Amazed

I fell in love with these sculptures the moment I saw them and thought you might like them too.

They are made by Chloe Harford who originally studied  Design Crafts at college.  I’m not sure when love blossomed between her and partner Chris Hawkins, but they met at college where he was a potter.  After completing her course he invited her to learn more about ceramics in his workshop deep in the heart of the Tamar Valley.

Chloe explains how it all began for her.  ‘I started with making a few small ceramic brooches & necklaces soon after and slowly the animals developed to where I am now with the very popular puffins and seals.’ 

She has been making animal sculpture ever since and, inspired the local wildlife found on the land surrounding the workshop set in acres of woodland on the banks of the Tamar, they are perfect raku replicas.

‘The Tamar Valley has a long mining history and the workshop itself stands close to one of these mines. Tin, copper and tungsten were once mined here and  the  whole  valley  is  rich  in  minerals, some of which are used for glazes and colour.’

Chloe starts by sculpting a new piece from which she makes a mould for reproduction, She casts each mould by hand and pieces the sculptures together sometimes altering the sculptures as she goes to give differing poses.

Each piece is hand finished, bisc fired and glazed before being raku fired.  During the raku process the work is rapidly fired to 1,000° C.  It is then removed from the kiln whilst still glowing and placed in a container of sawdust which instantly combusts.  The shock of the air causes the glaze to craze at which point it is covered and left to cool.  The smoke from the burning sawdust penetrates the crazing giving the distinctive black lines. 

‘By altering the sculptures I can create different poses making many of the sculptures truly unique.  Some, like the puffins and penguin, are decorated with coloured slips and the fishing puffin has individual fish made by hand and not from a mould so every puffin has a totally unique group of sand eels for his dinner.’ 

Visit her website to find out where you can buy her work in galleries around the country.

And don't forget we have our own range of wildlife hats for your little 'uns to look just as cute in.  You can find them here.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Meet the Maker - Jane James, Ceramicist, Jersey

It's easy to see that the Jersey's coast and its atmospheric colour and light have inspired Jane James in her work.

She creates colourful ceramic fish, sailing boats, sea birds and beach huts. 

Many of the pieces are mounted on local driftwood and fishing rope reclaimed from the beaches around Jersey. 

A dog walk on the beach is never just that for Jane and her family, they are constantly on the look out for driftwood and other flotsam and jetsam that might be used in her pieces.

As well as a gallery on the Island Jane has a studio where, as well as seeing her and her colleagues at work, it is possible for children and adults of all ages to create their own unique ceramic works of art.

As well as drawing on her pieces for inspiration, there is a great stock of vibrant paint colour glazes, stamps, stencils, sponges and, books from which ideas can develop and Jane and her team supply all the tools and advice you need to create beautiful ceramics for yourself. 

All images (c) Jane James

Meet the Maker - Jo Lucksted, Ceramic Artist

Jo Lucksted confesses to having a bit of a magpie personality. She covets things of beauty, whether it’s because of it's form, texture or material but mainly because of the skill that has gone into creating handmade.  She hopes that her work reflects some of these qualities. 

Jo's work is influenced by the stonework of churches she knew as a child, in particular Wells cathedral and it's not difficult to see where her inspiration has come from for her Angels and Mythological sculptures.

 

But she believes that ceramics are accessible to everyone and runs workshops in and around Somerset.  She has her own shop in Shepton Mallet from where she runs workshops, but there are also courses in Wells, Yeovil and Frome.  They are half day courses and are an inexpensive way of getting some excellent tutoring and making something for yourself.

Her interests are summed up simply.  Her, family, music, creating, spending time on her allotment, and avoiding exercise or housework