Test pieces (Lee, Kim, Sasha )

Trials and test pieces although we will be moving back over to Central St Martins in the next few weeks we will be displaying some of our research material in the ceramics gallery during the summer and hoping to be back for Design Week in September.

Michelle's work in progress

Ken Eastman and Gordon Baldwin

Contemporary room

I felt as our time in the ceramics studio is drawing to a close it would be interesting to include some of the outstanding pieces on show within the space we have become fond of over the past 3 months or so.
The contemporary room is my personal favourite shown here are Martin Smith's work but the two pieces I'm drawn to are Gordon Baldwin and Ken Eastman's work. They sit together in perfect harmony and resonate a quietness. In fact this entire room as a quality of stillness to it.

Next week

Michelle and myself will be in the studio next week from Tuesday through to Thursday. Another kiln load should be ready to unpack by that time.
Some of those pieces will be Michelle's final pieces.

new models

The carved models came out of the kiln last week giving an indication of have these new forms are beginning to behave. Considering these are scaled down versions of what I'm hoping to be at least 3m high there is still along way to go. I'm currently in conversation with a materials scientist in Oxford to start to understand where the technical problems are likely to occur considering the scale. At this stage I believe this needs to be addressed before I plough on with further design work.

A little inspiration can go a long way!

The advantage of working in this space is the opportunity to be inspired by the collection around me and the visitors. Today I met ‘Rick’, a ceramics teacher and art history educator from the other side of the globe. His infectious energy led to us swapping names of key influential players who are currently challenging and inspiring us to ‘look again’. It was great to chat about illusion, perception of materials and craft. Thank you, Richard…here are a couple of images that should give us all food for thought. Please venture from behind your computers to see them for yourselves if you get the chance, the images in the virtual are nothing like the experience of these artworks for real! MD

Richard Wilson's oil mirage '20:50'

Sue Webster & Tim Noble's 'Real Life is Rubbish'

Comments always welcome...

This morning I was visited by a school group and I introduced them to the ‘magic’ of glazing…which I thoroughly enjoyed and I think they did too! Unfortunately, I did not find out which school they were from, but they were all very polite and asked some very good questions indeed! (Some, even better than those adults have posed. Over the course of this residency we will have heard them all...!) All jokes aside though, I really do love to discuss the V&A collection, my research and your interests and observations, so I hope I will be visited by more people. I am waiting for a notice by the door to inform people that they can enter the workshop and discover more about my research and practice.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be collecting feedback on the perception of the materials that I use and I have set up a comments book too. I encourage you to leave your comments and suggestions here and I will post the comments from the book here as well for you to ponder on...

V&A RESIDENCY EXTENDED

With big thanks to the V&A (especially Leanne) I have returned to the Ceramics Workshop and set up residence back in the ‘live’ display cabinet of the Ceramic’s Collection…

Today was my second day. Yesterday was spent moving my creative tool box and materials across from university, fabric cutting, glazing and sewing and today was much the same.

With only two days in the workshop this week, I was determined today that I would get a kiln full of glazed fabric with a range of my glazes and shapes in order to have a variety of pieces to work into jewellery over the next 4 weeks. Yes folks, final assessment is looming...so it's all go...everyone keep those fingers crossed for Friday's kiln results!

Can jewellery objects really have a place in the ceramics department at the V&A...?? I hear you cry! That should sort the ladies what do from the ladies what lunch!!! Watch this space, Michelle

working process

Naomi rolling porcelain slabs

Lee dipping fabric in porcelain slip:

Our guests

A big thank you to Fi, Bert, Molly and Bessie for coming in to visit us.
It was fantastic to spend some time making pinch pots and a turtle.

Darren our amazing technician helping to centre clay for one of our visitors:

Fire-Emotion-Distruction

Hello!
This week was so exciting because I finally made a small fire!
This was the first chance to see how different shapes I was making during this time react with the fire!
Experiments you can see here was made to help me understand how fire can naturally "draw" on clay. How the carbon and soot changes the colour of clay and how can I use it for fireplaces. One more question is how different shapes of clay can form the fire and change its behaviour.
Here are some of my experiments:


just me working :)
and this is absolutely gorgeous "fire" drawings in my opinion:

Waiting for your response!

 This day was fabulous! Mainly because some of the stuff come out from kiln and this is such an amazing feeling! The projects are moving...

Naomi working with paperclay:

Michelle and her incredably organised pieces that are going to become gorgeous jewellery quite soon:

Plaster modeling with the piece of lean: 

Working process:

Kim and black clay:

Brainstorm:

Thank you to all our visitors so far and a special thanks...

Just wanted to say a big thank you to Nicole for visiting us at the V&A last week. As a graduate from the course (2009) she sure knows how great it is to have encouragement, inspiration and feedback on your research!
Please visit her website and see her beautiful collection online: http://www.maisonsauvage.de/

Our second day at the V&A

Just some photos of how it was!

Mixed clay.

Lee at this very moment is working with the plaster.

Kim is talking to one of our visitors.

The first day

HURAH!
Our first day at the Victoria and Albert Museum this was like setting out on a new adventure although a little chilly inside the beautiful new and very clean ceramic studio. This space is open airy and light. We began our explorations in the ceramics gallery spaces with informal introductions and familarising ourselves with the V&A collections search available in each room for anyone to use.

Whilst we were searching for the ceramics department we stumbled across this outstanding ceramic tiled staircase. A particular point of interest to Lee.

Lunch very quickly approached and work finally began once we were happily fed.

We opened the studio for the public the come and visit us between 2-4pm by which time work was fully underway. We even have small test pieces going in to the kiln Monday morning. Not bad for an afternoons work.

See you next Wednesday.....