I’ve just made some new work for the Parade Artists sale, and I’m quite excited about it. These are thrown porcelain bowls with a black stoneware glaze. They’re the sort of size that settles comfortably into cupped hands, quite nice to hold. I’ve polished the base as well, because I love the velvety feel of polished porcelain. This is the start of my new functional body of work. Come and see them (and hold them) at the sale this weekend!

Here’s one of my bowls with a clear glaze. I’m quite impressed with how lovely the Glacier Porcelain turns out. Initially, I had a little trouble with the bases cracking if the bowls were dried too fast, but I soon remedied that by drying them slowly under plastic. We have big automatic ceiling heaters in the studio that I think were mostly responsible for me losing quite a lot of the pieces I made first time round.

Here’s the statement that goes with these:

These fine porcelain bowls are inspired by the swirling water currents of the Water of Leith, as it winds its way through the city of Edinburgh. The liquid-like spirals in this work are formed with the aid of the meditative spinning action of the potter’s wheel.

I share my life between two beautiful, ancient cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh. A walk in the green, natural and cultivated spaces, along rivers and waterways in those cities, provides a relaxing break from the pressures of everyday urban existence. In my work, the natural beauty of water serves as a metaphor for life.

Having a unique hand made ceramic object from which to enjoy a peaceful meal, gives time for contemplation and respite from everyday pressures. It is just a small object that can be cradled in the palm of the hand, yet it is warming and comforting, and makes even the simplest meal a special occasion. In an age of fast food and disposable containers, the hand made ceramic object offers individuality and a connection with the earth, from which it is created.

Next weekend, on Saturday 10th (10am – 5pm) and Sunday 11th (11am – 4pm) May, I’m involved in a group exhibition and sale with some other artists from the WASPS artists’ studios in Glasgow, where I’m a studio holder. Our group is called Parade Artists (WASPS studios are located on the corner of Alexandra Parade) and encompasses a range of media, including painting, photography, printmaking, jewelery, textiles, ceramics and glass. The sale will take place in the large front entrance gallery space of the 77 Hanson Street building, alongside the cafe, which is also open on weekends. I’ve made some lovely swirling porcelain bowls for the occasion. Linda McGill, Stuart Grant, Sue Wong and Elinor Caie from the Glasgow Ceramics Studio are also participating. So come along and have a browse if you happen to be in Glasgow. Hope to see you there!

The Students and Staff of the Ceramics Department at the Glasgow School of Art invite you to the opening night of their exhibition, presenting works of protest against the closure of Scotland’s last ceramics department.

The exhibition will be held at the Owl and Lion Gallery, 15 The Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2HS. Runs from Friday 29th February until Sunday 2nd March (one weekend only). Opening hours 10 till 6pm.

Join the artists for the opening night at 5pm on Friday 29th February.

Click on the link below for the flyer:

Exhibition at Grassmarket, Edinburgh

Helen Morken, Mobius I and Mobius V, 2007

Mobius III, Helen’s lovely and clever work, inspired by the drawings of M.C. Escher, is pictured in the Review Gallery pages of the recently released November/December issue of Ceramic Review magazine. Helen is a 3rd year student in the Distance Part Time BA Ceramic Design course at the GSA.

Catherine Bell, Graduate in Residence at the GSA with work in progress.

Thanks to everyone who came to check out our studios at Wasps Glasgow Ceramics Studio during our open studios weekend earlier this month. It was so lovely to have you! If you would like a virtual tour, here’s some photos from my albums.

We’re having a Christmas sale on the weekend of the 8th and 9th of December, so here’s a second chance to visit us! Lots of other artists at Wasps will have their best art wares out for sale that day too. Click here to get the address and phone number for The Glasgow Ceramics Studio at Wasps.

Furthermore, quite a few of the Wasps studio holders and also ceramic artists from the Glasgow School of Art, including Wendy Kershaw and Rachel Fox, will be taking part in the Collins’ Christmas Market, at the Collins Gallery, Glasgow, from 30th November to 3rd December.

The Glasgow School of Art Ceramics Department will also be holding it’s own Christmas Sale, late November or early December. Dates and venue to be announced. Some of the proceeds from this sale are donated to support student educational activities in the Ceramics Workshop.

Three of our lovely and very talented GSA Ceramics Graduates in Residence – Cara Broadley, Lindsay Saunders and Catherine Bell are all exhibiting brand new work in the annual Graduate Exhibition “Fresh” at The White Gallery in Dundee. The show opens on Saturday 3rd November 2007.

Regarding the development of this blog, I’ve done quite a bit of work on my Links page, recently adding a new Research page which provides links to books, magazines and online resources I’m finding useful for my glazing as well as theoretical research. I’ll keep adding resources to this page as I use them. Also check out my glaze results in the week 13 photos.

And, last but not least, we still have a three phase kiln at the Glasgow Ceramics Studio that is FREE to a good home – but you need to pick it up.

This week has been a very intensive week for me, so I only really managed one day in the studio. I’ve added new images mainly documenting my bisque firing, click here to see those.

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I spent all day at the Glasgow School of Art. This was the second week of the summer Residential School for some of the part-time Distance BA (Hons) students.

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The front entrance of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, Italy

The Premio Faenza is a biannual international competition of contemporary ceramic art held at The International Museum of Ceramics (Fondazione Museo Internazionalle delle Ceramiche) or MIC, in Faenza, Italy. (Faenza is about 3 hours south-west of Venice by train and about 1/2 hour south of Bologna). (more…)

In front of The International Museum of Ceramics,
Faenza, Italy on July 17th 2007

I’m a uni student yet again, this time an MPhil candidate at the School of Art, Australian National University. My first year has started with a few field trips, intended to provide additional context for my own research.

Firstly, from 4th to 6th of July, I attended the “New Craft – Future Voices” conference at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, Scotland. After that, in search of more inspiration and to get an eye-witness overview of the international contemporary art scene, my lovely friend Sharnie and I decided to embark on a whirlwind art trip to Italy and Germany. Our first stop was the 55th Premio Faenza (Faenza, Italy, of majolica fame), followed by The Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia, the 52nd International Art Exhibition, Venice, Italy) and Documenta 12 (an international art exhibition held in Kassel, Germany). We rounded it all off with a couple of days in Berlin, however by then, we had reached saturation point on the art scale, and decided cocktails might be in order.

My friend Beth Cavener Stichter is having a solo exhibition, called A Modest Proposal, at Garth Clark Gallery, in New York.