Saturday 27 November 2010

12...A week in November

November view from studio with snow
 Rushed headlong into winter this week and had the first snowfall of the year, alternating with hailstones. Am keeping two woodburners going at any one time which means keeping on top of the kindling, sawing and chopping. I go to bed with 2 hot water bottles, then in the morning I force myself out of bed, run up to the studio to light the fire there, back to the kitchen to relight the Rayburn, then back to bed for a cuppa while it is all warming up. Then a big bowl of porridge to keep me warm. By the time I go back up to the studio, the smoke has cleared and it is warming up nicely.

Nearly full kiln
Managed to fill a kiln this week with some new ideas. There are a couple of galleries waiting for work and they want if before christmas, but ceramics are a slow old business and difficult to rush. The beauty of firing the kiln in the winter is being able to sit in a toasty warm studio the next day in a teashirt...its like being in a warm bath.

Divernet....Salon du Thé

Back to Brighton for the weekend to see the Open Houses in Firle. Two of the artists who are showing there will be in my Open House next may, follow this link for a peek....(http://www.kissysuzuki.com/page9.htm). Because the weather was so horrible, I took the train to Dieppe instead of cycling, and went to my favourite teashop there.

Macaroons and other wondrous cakes



The teashop part is upstairs. You choose a cake downstairs (always a Florentine for me), then go upstairs for a Lapsang and to watch the world go by. If you ever go to Dieppe this Patissiere is a must. The cakes are flights of fancy, and unlike most french cakes, are not hiding a custard middle!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

11...Being put back together



Throwing and turning clay into large sculptures is a very physical business, and the strange position that one adopts when sitting at the wheel can lead to lots of problems with posture and muscles. Carpel Tunnel is also a very common problem with potters and is something that I have been plagued with for a while. So, this weekend I went off with my partner to Fistral Bay near Newquay for a weekend of yoga, massage and general realigning of my skeleton.

View from Hotel window

To my shame I have never been down to Cornwall before, and we couldn't have asked for a better view of it than from our bedroom window.

Surfers at sunrise

This whole area seems to be surfer city. They were in the water from sun up to sun down...this pic was taken at 6.45 am and there were already three in the surf. This being mid november, I can't imagine what it is like in summer.

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This rainbow hung across the bay most of the weekend even when it was sunny and there was barely a cloud in the sky.  Anyway, after much yoga, swimming, massage and sitting around in steam rooms, I shall be back to my studio tomorrow, trying not to to twist myself up into knots again.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

10...Rosehips and Purple skies

Evening sky from studio
This week in Normandie, as in most of Britain, we have been cowering under the autumnal onslaught of rain and gales. One evening earlier in the week there was a brief respite around sundown and the sky was washed with purple and golden clouds.....lovely.  Rather than listen to the weather news I tune into the shipping forecast and see what is going to be happening in Dover/White, it is somehow easier to listen to, and retain the information...and terribly romantic.


Starting a Rosehip
At this time of year there are always lots of big, fat, juicy rosehips around. Another year I might be tempted to make some rosehip syrup (although it looks like a fiddle), but I am still up to my elbows in apples and quince. So, I decided to use them as inspiration for a new sculpture. This one is based on a sweet chestnut rose and I still haven't quite decided on how to glaze it although I'm thinking that a lime green and reddish glaze might work quite well.



Rig at Newhaven
Coming back last week I noticed this rig which has suddenly popped up in Newhaven harbour. Anyone know what its for?

Thursday 4 November 2010

9...Squirting cucumbers and some new ideas

Gravel pits at St Germain
I've just come back from a weekend in Brighton. Much as I love living over here in rural Normandie, it only works for me because I can get back to Brighton frequently for a dose of city culture and to catch up with friends (and Strictly!). This weekend we dipped into the White Night festivities and enjoyed the bloodfest of vampires and zombies that was the city centre on saturday night.
On the way to the ferry I cycled down to the Avenue Vert, a great cycle track which will eventually link Paris to London. On the way there I went past this series of beautiful lakes which when I first came here were just gravel pits. Now they are filled with fish and during the season there are fishermen dotted all around patiently waiting for the Trout to bite.

Charolais cows
This white bull and his harem are on my route too. These are the cows that you will normally see around Normandie, you can tell by the lovely whiteness of them that you just have to give them a little squeeze for the creme fraiche to come right out!

Squirting cucumbers
I'm always keeping my eyes open for inspiration, and I found these curious specimens in the lovely Mrs Moles flower emporium. On looking them up I found them to be squirting cucumbers which build up pressure on the plant until they pop themselves off their stalk. They look spiky but are soft to handle.

A few ideas
Back in the studio I have been sketching out a few ideas, now I need to play around and decide on size and colour.