January 2021

There was a clear initial plan with key areas of focus but it was good to jump in & really get going during the first month! My ideas & approach was given further consideration during the first week & informed by useful conversations with Richard & Steve (The Firing Line). Several (busy) weeks of activity have resulted in quite a lot of tests; somewhat random, playful & a bit tangential in places! The last couple of weeks have involved collecting everything together & quietly reflecting in a little more depth on the variety of ideas & experiments. This will help to create a little more focus & structure for the next phase of work. The samples produced to date already form a really useful basis for residency explorations & the related activities have offered so many different learning opportunities along the way. The actions & tests represent a range of quite specific ideas & techniques including alternative ways to press, ‘engrave’ & decorate (greenware, bisque & glazed tiles/surfaces). My previous illustration & art work has often involved the use of hand & CNC cut shapes & stencils - especially décollage/collage works (street art & studio) - so I’m particularly interested in how this might connect with the ceramic work. This has been particularly exciting & has informed current experiments (to be shared in future posts).

This small selection represents colour & firing tests. DIY hand press, relief mould & inlaid (‘encaustic’) processes. It’s perhaps worth saying that the shapes, lines & patterns are deliberately basic & designed for simplicity &/or to (relatively quickly) test particular trials ie easy to cut, press or ‘engrave’. They are both fine & detailed enough but not too intricate or time consuming at this stage of development. This initial activity is also helping to inform the need to develop new techniques using different equipment & materials.

What an intense & fun first month! I have already gained so much from basic knowledge & initial experiences with clay/slip/glazes to first step kiln management. There are already some really interesting & potentially quite different approaches & techniques beginning to emerge.