shelve it.

I am a serious geek about shelving and display. A lovely gentleman named Leslie made these new units for me - they'll be perfect for markets and they sit beautifully in the studio window too. 

summer studio life.

We've been lucky this summer - we had sunshine and warmth! This wee island is renowned for raining all summer long. 

It's been a joy to work in the studio this season. With south-facing windows, it's always warm. The yard itself is a sun-trap. Swallows have been swooping over our little world. 

Sadly, summer is already slipping away, even before the end of August. 

[Maree's ever-wonderful styling skills in the Pinewood showroom]

[new stock for Manx National Heritage]

[time to invest in a new sable paintbrush - I used them for the double banding on my pots, so they have a hard life.] 

the good and the bad.

Good: throwing tallish things.

Bad: breaking stuff. Sigh.

august.

one week.

[a new shelf!]

[new kiln shelves, though one broke!]

[painting will always be my favourite step of the making process]

[I found a SWALLOW EGG SHELL!]

[spoons for a special festival]

[why do all the good plates crack?]

swallows.

Swallows come to nest in our yard every summer. It is such a joy to stand at the studio door to watch them swooping over the yard and into the sheds back to their babies. 

measure me.

These measuring spoons are downright fiddly to make and paint, but my goodness are they lovely to line up when they're finished!

treasure.

I've always had a fascination with precious objects in glass cabinets. When I was little, I would use empty Ferrero Rocher plastic boxes to keep my treasures safe, like stones, feathers and SHINY things.

Thankfully I have kept a lot of these childhood treasures safely at my Dad's house. It's so delightful to pick through them, some 15 years later.

I treated the studio to this glass cabinet from my day job and I'm so in love with it...

three.

In June I finished one of my part-time jobs (I'm down to just ONE now, how very normal!) and it's allowed me a whole extra day in the studio...last week was the first time that I'd had three full days in a row to knuckle down and it was GLORIOUS. 

vases!

I'm trying reeeeeeally hard to make larger pieces. These vases are 18 or 19 cm tall - big for me! 

YAY!

I like that they tell a story together - a happy accident!

gem.

I left a lot of friends in Australia. Lots of brilliant people who helped me in the really early days of my business (though it still feels early 3 years on!). One of those gems came to visit me last week and it was such a pleasure to show her round my 'new' studio. 

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!

limits.

Dear Self,
We need a word.

I tell myself that I know my limits, but I seem to be forever pushing them, then regretting it and feeling ashamed of myself.
Let's make some notes, shall we.

* I know that I need at LEAST 8 hours sleep every night. I can't function otherwise. I feel nauseous. I can't concentrate. I get emotional, irrationally so. I pick fights. The worst: I get migraines and lose whole days.
* I need to go for walks, preferably amongst some trees, to clear my head.
* I need to do yoga every week, to stop my neck seizing up.
* I need to eat a decent lunch and not snack as much (especially not in the morning).
* I need to take a day off every week.

I make excuses for being a workaholic, saying that 'it's for the business'. But that isn't true - it's for ME, some way of validating my existence as an artist. I often break all of my 'rules' because I think I can get away with it - I'm 25, supposedly young and resilient. But I exhaust myself. I take it out on the lovely people around me. It makes me horrible company.

5 months ago I met a man who could possibly be the love of my life. My work patterns were transformed within a week. Later mornings, earlier afternoons, Sundays OFF. It was so alien to me. But it's GOOD and feels right. Previous relationships have suffered from the commitment to my work and somewhat coldly, I never minded much. I shrugged it off, thinking that I'm better alone.

This time however, I don't want to neglect my loved one in favour of my career. I need to navigate a way to balance both.

june.

April.

guided.

Ooh lookie, I've got some Western Open Studio Art Trail guides! Looking good Creative Network!

The WOSAT entry fee is £2, which covers all 18 venues over the 3 day weekend and these brilliant guides (containing the essential MAPS as well as artist profiles) are also £2 each. 

I'll have them available to buy in the studio over the WOSAT weekend (3 - 5 May), should you be starting the studio tour from my place!

new.

One of the unexpected silver linings of my return home has been the time to push my forms and designs. 

Previously I've been so busy in the hamster wheel of filling orders for stockists and I wasn't able to allow time for 'research and development'. Since January I've been slowly pushing myself to use larger weights of clay (previously 500g seemed BIG to me, but now a whole KG feels natural!) and happily had some success with dinner plates and jugs/vases. 

I loved them regardless, but the icing on the cake? Quick sales! Better go make some more now...

march.

Spring officially arrived on our wee island, hurrah! Here are some snippets from March:

[working on a BIG ramekin order!]

[cute plates]

[baby birds!!]

wosat.

I'm thrilled to be included in this year's Creative Network Western Open Studio Art Trail!

My studio will be open for the 3 day weekend - it'll be packed full of new pots, cake and maybe some cider...!

feb.

It was whirlwind of a month...!