Interview with julie miles event organiser for Ceramics at the Mill

What are you looking forward to most about the up and coming Ceramics at the Mill?

I am looking forward to meeting up with fellow potters having a good old chinwag with customers and seeing the mill alive with creativity and fabulous work. It is an amazing space and isn't used to its full potential. 

What inspires you to create your work? 

Landscape, the beauty in nature, wanting to share my joy in it and the details that you may miss in your every day life. 

Describe your process and why you use clay? 

I use my sketchbook a lot to draw ideas, sketch out what I want to make.  Then I work in clay whether it's porcelain or stoneware or brick to create what I working on. I love clay, the feel, squidging it through your fingers, the smooth silkiness of slip, the bite of building with a grogged red version allowing bigger and more monumental pieces to be built. It's an amazing and versatile material. 

Are you launching any new products or lines at the show?

I have a number of new designs for my Parian slip cast work launching and also if I get so e time to play I have promised some new hares.....

Anything exciting or different happening this year you can share? 

Well this is the first year I haven't been accepted into Potfest in the Park so I have applied and been accepted into the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey so that's quite exciting in June. Then I was approached by the RHS Tatton Flower show to see if I would be interested in exhibiting in their craft tent. So we are giving it a go this July the same weekend as the Park so we shall see how they compare. It's a completely different type of show so we shall see. 

http://craftsatboveytracey.co.uk/ 

 http://www.rhs.org.uk/

Anything you would like to add? 

I would like to thank everyone for supporting the show. This year we have more exhibitors building on last years success, new work being launched and some amazing skills on display using such a basic material as clay. So put the date in your diaries it's surely an event not to be missed. 

2 weeks to go till Ceramics at the Mill 2014

It's all very exciting here we have our banners up and fliers distributed and hopefully you have the dates in the diary 

Ceramics at the Mill

 

May 9th 6.30-8.30pm for the preview 

and Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm. 

ceramicsatthemill 

So we thought we would feature some of lovely exhibitors and ask them a few questions about how they feel about being returning/first time exhibitors to Ceramics at the Mill.

Our first interview is with the lovely Lesley Anne Greene

www.lagreeneceramics.co.uk

What are you looking forward to most about the up and coming Ceramics at the Mill?

Apart from exhibiting, promoting and selling my work. I am looking forward to meeting up with previous and new customers as well as catching up with friends, fellow exhibitors and the other artists at Higherford Mill. Its nice to get out !

What inspires you to create your work? 

The desire to express what I have observed in the animal kingdom both domestic and from further afield and the pleasure in creating forms and characters which have evolved within my imagination nurtured by an interest in museum artifacts, myths and legends. I like to display a sense of fun in my work its great when it raises a smile.

 

Describe your process and why you use clay? 

I often use my own photographs  taken on site of my subjects but also research on the Internet for background info and mythology.

I sometimes draw in pencil / charcoal/ chalk pastels  ( I love to get my fingers dirty !)

The feel and plastic nature of the material excites and stimulates me to quickly draw/model my forms. I use traditional handbuilding methods and model each piece individually modelled so that I can spontaneously create individual expressions and posture.

After several decades of working in clay its still exciting /nerve wracking to see how things turn out from the firing.  

 

 

 

Are you launching any new products or lines at the show?

I will be bringing along my elephants decorated with my own mehndi (henna tattoo) designs which are new to Higherford Mill this year. (see first Image above)

 

 

 

 

Anything exciting or different happening this year you can share? 

We hope to sell our house this year and once moved I will  be setting up a new workshop which I am sure will provide new challenges and stimulate new work.

 

 

 

Anything you would like to add? 

I will be showing 3 new ceramic pieces at Holmfirth Art Week  

main exhibition in July 20th - 26th  10p.m. - 5p.m.

 

http://www.holmfirthartweek.org.uk/ 

and I will be exhibiting at Potfest in the Pens Penrith August 1st - 3rd 

 

http://www.potfest.co.uk/potfestpens.htm 

new exhibitors for this year Ceramics at the Mill

So we are gearing up to the next show here at Higherford Mill

We have just been sent images from two new exhibitors Dave Horsfall and Matt Wilcock who will be exhibiting with us for the first time this year. 

Dave Horsfall

Dave Horsfall

Dave Horsfall

Matt Wilcock

Matt Wilcock

Matt in action

Matt will be doing some demos through the weekend too so make sure you came and say hello :-)

new exhibitors at Ceramics at the Mill for 2014 - Helen Russell Creations

So we will share some of the lovely work you will be seeing at this years event on the run up so today lets look at Helen Russells work. 

Here is a snippet from her website to illustrate Helens weird and wonderful world of creatures.....   

"Welcome to my world, where characters like the Blob Birds, Wonder Mice and Glade Gang are waiting to meet you.

Too many welly wearing hours, spent reading books with beautiful illustrations, have created a playful, happy land that welcomes visitors old and new. Come and join me and my creatures round the campfire as we share stories and happy memories through sculpture, wall art, vessels and homeware. Your imagination is the only luggage you need!"

 Follow this link for a feature on madebyhandonline

Not forgetting her facebook page too

Ceramics at the Mill 2014

Wow sorry its been so long to update we are in the finalising stages of designing flyers and banners and we have 9 wonderful potters on board too....

Here are a few more to follow 

Kath Bonson

Kath Bonson

Kath Bonson www.bon-art.co.uk

Mandy Dodd

Mandy Dodd https://www.facebook.com/RainbowPottery?ref=tn_tnmn

Anne Haworth

Anne Haworth www.annehaworth.co.uk

Ceramics at the Mill 2014

Higherford Mill, Gisburn Road, Barrowford, Lancashire, BB9 6JH
Preview dates Friday 9th May 6.30-8.30pm all welcome
Saturday and Sunday 10th-11th 10am-5pm with refreshments and home made cakes available.

twitter @ceramicsmill
https://www.facebook.com/ceramicsatthemill
http://ceramicmap.blogspot.co.uk/

Ceramics at the Mill 2014

Wow apologies for being remiss on the updates of the blog. ~It seems to have fallen away in favour of our facebook page for events happening in the Northern Potters-West area of Lancashire. 

Northern-Potters-Association-West

So we have got events to come including an exhibition at Towneley Hall in Burnley from September but preparations are on the way for this years National Craft and Design Months Ceramics at the Mill

Exhibitors so far follow here so scroll down to have a look 

with links to their own pages or websites where possible and we have a twitter account for you to follow too @ceramicsmill

Susan Sharpe

Lesley Anne Greene

Kath Bonson

Dan Bridge

Mandy Dodd

Katy O'Neil

Helen Russell Creations

Anne Haworth

julie miles

 So 10 days to Ceramics at the Mill at Higherford Mill in Barrowford 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ceramics-at-the-Mill/483714195017076

Putting up the sign

Higherford Mill in the sunshine