Posted on

Foot stomping day at Sandy Hill Arts…

The first time I visited the Boilerhouse Gallery was around 20 years ago. It had a beautifully creative vibe with just the gallery and 4 studio spaces nestled at the foot of Corfe Castle next to the Victorian railway station… what a location! I was lucky enough to be part of the Boilerhouse cooperative for several years meeting many wonderful people along the way. Moving on to the present, the Boilerhouse Gallery is now the heart of a wider community of creatives called Sandy Hill Arts. This newly founded charity will be putting on exciting events throughout the year and yesterday I experienced my first music event… it was AMAZING! The psychedelic ballads and experimental music of The Good Beast was so good and totally original, especially their final song about a mole (really!) which got the crowd up, dancing and interacting with the musicians. I loved catching up with old friends and meeting new, enjoyed delicious locally sourced food from the Salt Pig, felt especially special that I have this wonderful venue on my doorstep and that hidden away in these nooks of Purbeck people exist who are dedicated to creativity, music, connecting with nature and their wider community.

Posted on

Ceramic Travel Cups

People have been asking what I’ve been up to since my last post, which was some time ago!

After the craziness of Purbeck arts weeks and catching up with commissions, in July I began a new venture… making ceramic travel cups. Those of you who know me are well aware of my eco stance and so when approached with the idea of making a product that would potentially keep takeaway cups out of landfill my first thought was surprisingly ‘no way’… I am not a production potter! However, once the idea settled and I thought about how massive the takeaway cup problem is my second thought was a massive ‘yes’… I’ll do pretty much anything to help stop unnecessary waste!

My aim was to design a cup that didn’t look like a takeaway cup, a cup that was nice to drink out of and comfortable to hold. It had the technical restraints of having to hold 12oz of liquid (which is the typical amount served at cafes), had to fit a silicone lid exactly as well as the silicone heat grip and it needed to be of a size that fitted in car, pushchair, etc cup holders – getting this right was not as easy as it might sound especially when you bear in mind that clay shrinks at each stage of the making and firing process!

With minimal time to work on the cups I called in the help of master potter Alan White who has decades of experience working at Poole Pottery. Together, after several attempts, we got the cup right, but how was the cup going to be glazed?

I wanted the cups to be inspired by the Purbeck countryside and coast, so my first cup is based on the beautiful blue green tones of the sea at Studland. It took several attempts and numerous glaze tests to get the colours right but I’m very happy with the end result… and so are my customers!

I’ve sold lots of cups already and have taken on some big orders which is incredibly positive. I haven’t set up an online selling point yet, but this will come soon. I hope that people realise how important re-usable products are and see the value in buying something handmade. The cups make a perfect Christmas pressie!!

Posted on

Give it a go!

Trees are amazing and inspiring. This Holly tree must be very old, it has incredible patterns on its bark, I actually love it! I wonder what a Holly ash glaze would look like. I’ll give it a go!