2...Cornflowers

This morning I woke to find a beautiful moon shining through my window surrounded by dark rain clouds. Outside my window is a huge Beech tree on the left and an Ash on the right, its like my room is a tree house. I have my cuppa in the morning watching the birds and red squirrels run along the branches of the Ash.

Today I have been working on Cornflowers. They were a tricky little flower to design, but I've been wanting to make a sculpture for a while based on the blue, white and red flowers of France, the Poppy, Margueritte and the Cornflower. They are so iconic here. Not only do you see them growing at the edge of fields, but they are built into illustration everywhere where they want to depict a Frenchness....on the paper wrapping of baguettes, on beer bottle labels etc.

I already have Poppies and Marguerittes from previous sculptures but this one took a bit more thinking out. I've got there now, and just have to try to make up a blue that will do it justice. I'm trying to get these finished in time for the Palace Art fair, which means that I will have to get them dried super quick then glazed and in for a single firing by next wednesday....

view out towards the south west from my studio

The weather has been dramatic today. Heavy showers chasing warm sun. The garden is lush and green, but everything is just on the cusp of falling into autumn.

Looking out to my vegetable garden, I can see the sweetcorn that now needs to be pulled out and the ripening grapes with my scarecrow lurking behind.

1...A First Blog

Well, moving on into the blogging age, and after  encouragement from some clients who were interested in my double life, I've decided to set up an account of how, where and why I work. Never having been a very reliable journal keeper, it will be interesting to see if this fares better, but it is a good way of collecting my thoughts and recording my work processes.
My studio is in Normandie, I moved there a few years ago when rents were rising on the studios that I ran in Hove, and my work was getting larger. I have a house and large garden there that was being under used, and we were never able to keep on top of the gardening, so it made sense to be there on a permanent basis as I had lived there on and off for over 30 years.
We had chosen a house that could be easily reached from Brighton, and to atone for the fact that I have a kiln (being a bit of a greenie) I now cycle to and fro on a regular basis.
It sounds idylic, and sometimes it is, but it also requires me to be physically strong. Our heating, water and cooking is run by a woodfired Rayburn....the wood coming from our garden. Life has to be extremely organised to keep both the studio and the house warm enough to work in as our winters in Normandie can get very cold. So, I'm up in the studio first thing in the morning to light the stove, and then I have breakfast while it warms up and the smoke clears (its an old Godin). Then with my trusty companion Radio 4 LW, I work through until 3 or 4 oclock and then its off to prepare wood for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Chip Chop!....I couldn't be without an axe these days. A bad day is one where the rain has set in and there is cricket on the radio...I pray for rain at Lords. A good one has a bit of sunshine, some new ideas on the go and a successful glaze firing.

The garden is a constant source of inspiration to me, and as I learn more about planting and growing, I find more and more to excite me. From one of my studio windows I can watch my vegetable garden grow, and from the other, looking towards the south west I watch the seasons change.........
This weekend I have been at the Brighton Art Fair, which was as much fun as usual, lovely people showing and a very well organised affair. I sold well and am nipping back to france tomorrow to finish off a sculpture or two for the next Art fair which is being run by the same people and promises to be a good show. It's being held at Fulham Palace by Putney bridge. http://www.palaceartfair.co.uk/