Ramblings
I love pottery. I think that's pretty bleeding obvious. I'm just not a fan of rules, you know the ones that say you can't. Or not that way. Or do it like everyone else or fit this mould. I always wanted to try ceramics it felt like a natural progression for me, I started making wedding cakes at 16 and the best bit was modelling delicate flowers into huge arrangements, tumbling down the side of a cake. The thing I wasn't a fan of was weddings! I remember making a huge white chocolate wedding cake on a sweltering July (as a gift for a lifelong friend) 72 hours of work with little sleep and not getting a thank you. I mean that was a one off for sure but making art that gets chopped up is pretty heartbreaking (there was also the huge mixer full of lavender icing that attracted loads of suicidal wasps, terrifying!) The pleasure was always clamped under the grip of anxiety. Fast forward to my middle age and (several craft based businesses later) a video came up on a home page somewhere of a man firing pots in a garden bin. Holy moly I was so excited! You see I'm a bit of a Mcfixit, if I was trapped in a barn like the A team I could definitely knit a machine gun mounted on a pallet go cart with fairylights to stun the mercenaries invading the farm. As a single mum of 4 I've never had a big budget to work from so I've always had to find a corner to cut, and a bin kiln seemed to fit my pig bank. If only I'd have known it was a gateway kiln to many more, a woodfired brick kiln in the garden, several gas powered raku kilns, microwave kilns, prometheus desktop kilns, muffle kilns etc etc! Each one paid for itself in either the knowledge it provided or (eventually) selling the ceramics it produced. I did at first try alternative clays, such as airdrying and polymer clay (did you know it's pvc plastic? They keep that quiet!) Because you just think ceramics is just toooo much. But I'm 4 years in and although I'm still learning it's taught me more about myself, my art and also how I view the world. I’d like to help more people get a chance to try it, you can literally make stuff on you kitchen table with a rolling pin and take it off to a rent-a- kiln near you. Probably make a whole dinner set for less than £50. If I walk you through it would you like to give it a try?
