the good and the bad.

Good: throwing tallish things.

Bad: breaking stuff. Sigh.

strawberries.

Ooh strawberries! Inspired by the golden days at the Rushen Abbey gardens.

(Originally a home for monks of the Sauvignac Order, Rushen Abbey came under Cistercian control and was developed as the Isle of Man’s seat of religious power housing the main body of knowledge and literacy for the Island. During the mid-20th century, the gardens became popular for tea dances, with strawberries and cream!

forty five.

I've just finished an order for the Manx Food and Wine Circle - 45 ramekins and spoons for the guests of their 200th dinner! 

This is my biggest order to date and I'm so pleased with the results - thank you to the committee for approaching me to work on this project.

big.

I always feel like I'm stuck making small things. I am NOT a natural thrower - it took buckets of determination to stick with the wheel for my first year, til I could finally make pots without crying!!

I ordered a half palette of clay in Autumn and thankfully it's very SOFT, which makes larger pots less scary. It's quite exciting - though I tend to pull them off the wheel and realise that *actually* they aren't that much bigger than the one before...! But it's progress at least!

[good morning!]

plate up.

Dear kiln gods,

Please take care of these dinner plates. I'm quite proud of myself for making them and I so loved painting them - there is so much SPACE for me to paint on! I feel like a child with a whole piece of paper to draw on.

Thank you muchly.

spesh.

I've only been making and selling pots for 3 years. Sales have always been nicely steady, but I've rarely been approached for custom orders. Since returning to the island however, I've lost count of how many bespoke pieces I've made - it's lovely to see people truly thinking about how to make their gifts extra special. 

This bowl and cup set were commissioned by a friend that set me on this creative path many many years ago. They were a Christmas/wedding gift to her gorgeous partner. Her request was simply: trees and flowers. It didn't take long to develop this design and as I painted I felt SO excited, I was buzzing by the time I'd finished. 

He loved them. YAY!

pour.

A clever lady called Ciara asked me if I made little jugs. I said 'I can try!' and I made these and I LOVE THEM. 

They're only little, about 7cm high. Super cute, I think.

Ciara co-owns a magic haberdashery shop on the island called Sweet Ginger Emporium, GO!

stoo-dee-oh

This was December...somehow I managed to squeeze some experiments into my Christmas production line - grown up sized dinner plates!

[snuggling next to the fire in the PineWood Studio showroom!]

[walks to shake off a bad mood]

shine.

The online store is OPEN again!

Hurrah!

breakfast.

I'm so in love with my studio space. I quite happily amble there earlier than necessary to sit and contemplate and eat my muesli. Ah.

[oh hello mugs!]

mie.

Moghrey mie (pronounced 'morra my') is Manx Gaelic for good morning. I learn a little Manx in primary and secondary school, then promptly fell in love with French instead. I suspect that was mainly because I wanted to go to Paris!

There's a steady resurgence of support for this once-native language and I'm rather enjoying adding a little Manx cheer to my pots.

jug.

Tea tastes better out of handmade cups. Fact.

Another fun fact: pourers are super cute.

wednesday.

Ah full days in the studio, glorious! On wednesday morning I threw a heap of ramekins to distract me from the cooling kiln...!

That's 22 ramekins plus 3 little test pourers in under 4 hours. That amount of throwing used to take a whole day for me to complete and that would be pushing it. I have no idea how I've improved my speed without practicing for 9 months...?!

I'm slightly obsessed with this view ^

festive.

Christmastime never felt quite right in Australia. 30C heat with traditional carols? Weird. 

November already feels festive. The nights are cold and crisp and clear, the leaves have nearly all fallen from the trees and fairy lights are slowly beginning to appear. I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas season. I've even made a few cups and ramekins to share some seasonal cheer: Nollick Ghennal.

[merry christmas.]

sunday.

Well, 2 sundays ago. 

[a hand painted gift from a special lady]

[MUGS!]

Repeat.

Ooh repetition can be so satisfying. 

p b

I've made 40 pots this week. That isn't much at all to proper grown up potters, but it's a HEAP to me, especially as I'm 9 months out of practice (with the exception of the teeny test pots I made at Faye's studio, the last pots I made were for Ebb Tide!). 

I made these 10 cups in 2 hours last night and 10 bowls in the same time tonight - this is a new personal best. (Typing that, I remember listening to a Ben Carter podcast this week that referred to throwing as a sport, quite rightly so.) Before, it was 4 an hour or 8 in two hours. I don't know why I've sped up without practice?! But I appreciate it. Maybe it's my instinct to 'catch up' with this lost time. Maybe because I know I have a Christmas order to fill and I want a good selection of work to sell at my studio warming party next month. Whatever the reason, I love that I have lots of potential to streamline my practice.

But ouch, does my body ache. Must find yoga mat.

okay.

The test pots are fired!

You may remember, on Sunday I posted an anxious post full of 'what ifs'. Thankfully these test pots have calmed my mind regarding 'What if the test glazes don't fit the clays?'.

It's okay Mitchell. The glazes fired nicely, as pre-mixed recipes should. 

(I should note here: in Australia I mixed my own glaze, but now without a local supplier and using different materials, it seems like the safest bet to use a pre-mix in the short term. I won't like it, but it's practical for the time being.)

Now I have the slightly annoying task of choosing between 2 almost identical stoneware clays! 

The porcelain mix is beautiful, but cracked easily and of course, is pricey. 

Wait here, I'll get back to you.

farm throwing.

Early last Tuesday I snuck into Faye's studio to trim the previous week's pots and throw my last clay sample. Her studio is nestled inside a huge barn on her parent's farm. As I drove up the lane I was dodging baby chicks, then greeted by cockerels crows and horses stomping in their stable. It's a whole new experience to throw with so much noise around me - I became so used to filling silence with music on the Gold Coast!

My last sample was PF 700 (Porcelain White S/ware) from Valentine Clays was easy to throw with, however it dried very quickly and warped considerably. I could easily take it into consideration and work with that, but I'd be happier to use a reliable stoneware in the short term.

[Faye's barn!]

time.

There's a common saying on this island, that epitomises the pace of life. It's both endearing and frustrating (especially when you've become accustomed to city life elsewhere).
'Traa dy Liooar' (Manx gaelic) translates as 'Time enough'.

This reflects most islanders' mind sets - that there is plenty of time and all will be well. I respect that and I'm trying my best to embrace it. However, the proverb can also be used to excuse laziness or lack of progress.
Sigh.