Ceramic Map of Lancashire and beyond.....: April 2014

Monday 28 April 2014

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.

Sunday 27 April 2014

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.