Last Session at Ladywood

Workshop number six of six at Sure Start Ladywood, in Birmingham. Most of the masterpieces created by participants were available to be painted on by my final visit. I hope to be back there very soon.

Wave Bye-Bye to the Snow!

Somebody from our children's half term workshops had stuck their hands into the melting white stuff to produce these lovely, well defined prints. The smattering of terracotta clay dust on their palms added to the definition. Snow's lovely and all that but hopefully Spring is just around the corner?

Chelmsley Wood Teens!

Chelmsley Wood in Solihull has a new library, and to celebrate the opening of its dedicated teenager section, I was invited to run a clay session on Tuesday evening. (I've worked with the library service in Solihull for years, bringing clay mayhem to all of the library venues in the borough. It was a privilege to spread a little clay-love in such a shiny new space!)

Yummy Mummy Children's Half Term Workshops

Here are just a few of well over sixty budding potters who joined us this week. The children made terracotta plates on the potter's wheel, then crammed them with clay sweets, cakes and biscuits. Their masterpieces will be dried and fired in time for Mother's Day on the 14th of March - the perfect pressie!
If you haven't already experienced our fabulous holiday sessions for children, the next workshops take place in the Easter holidays, on the 14th and 15th of April, and are entitled 'Smashing'. Please e-mail admin@eastnorpottery.co.uk or telephone 01531 633886, to reserve a place.

Theo's Psychedelic Daleks

After school on the last day of term, fourteen six year old, highly excited boys came to the Pottery, to work with clay and eat party food...what were we thinking!

It was all in aid of Theo's 6th Birthday party, and as both of his sisters had enjoyed their special days at the studio in the past, it was now his turn. The lads had a wonderful time making Doctor Who inspired clay models before splashing the colour onto their masterpieces.

Gorse Hill Tile Panel

Nearly there! Way back in the summer term 2009, I worked with KS2 children at Gorse Hill Primary School in Worcester, to produce a tiled version of their logo. Eventually after much 'tooing & froing' with the boxed tiles, we were requested to cut, prepare, and paint the boards, then stick down all the tiles.

Here's Sarah the Potter at work with the jigsaw and some of the finished pieces. We aim to deliver the tile panels after half term.

Vale of Evesham School

I was pleased to welcome back my old friends from the Vale of Evesham Special School to the Pottery. Once a year the staff bring around ten students for a clay session and picnic (back in the 90's I used to visit the school every Thursday to work with the Upper school in their purpose-built pottery room).

We started by passing around examples of my work for the students to experience. After chatting about clay, inspiration and techniques, I gave a demo on the potter's wheel. The thrown pot quickly evolved into a beautiful collaborative owl with everybody making feathers and features to stick on.

I regularly pose the question "where does clay come from?"..."Redditch!" came the spontaneous answer from a very knowledgeable lad who then explained the derivative -"Red-Ditch" - presumably clay pits where the material would have been excavated? You learn something new every day!