Happy New Year to anyone who's reading this!
I'm shattered, yesterday (Sunday) I worked in my workshop downstairs from 9.30am to 10.30pm with a couple of meal breaks and little dog walks. Today I went to the studio and worked hard again for another 5 hours. It is all Ruth's fault! She talked me into joining the Northern Potters Association and then encouraged me to have a go at a couple of applications to join group shows. Well, to be fair I didn't need much encouragement being a competative soul. I sent in photos. The surprise was both the Joe Cornish Gallery in Northallerton and the Rufford Gallery in Nottinghamshire both wanted 6 pieces! They wanted wall pieces in the spirit of the 'Every morning in Africa...' theme so that set me off making elephants and zebras both wall reliefs and ordinary sculptures.
Zebras are strange beasties - when I actually started looking they arn't the horse shape I expected, they are stocky and rounded and they have much shorter thin legs and tiny hooves, not helpful in clay but I want to try using painted wax resist and oxide to give an idea of the patterns. It is beautiful the way the stripes wrap themselves around the bodies.
I also took three pieces to the selection weekend for the Waterside Open in Trafford. It was two years ago when I badgered Sharon into entering with me and got my first two pieces accepted in an exhibition. That started it all off, I would never have predicted how far I would have come in two years. The lady who booked my pieces remembered me and my work and I found myself childishly delighted. Sue drove me down there so I didn't have to carry the crate further than necessary. My friends have been marvellous to me and helped and encouraged me every inch of the way. I love my chums!
Will's drying/kiln room at Start looks like a menagerie at the moment and I have left him a note explaining why. I look forward very much to getting my own kiln and to that end I did a very 'bad thing' this weekend - I viewed a house with a double garage with permission for change of use( to a studio?!) I loved it and the 'bad thing' bit was I am not suposed to view any houses till we have a buyer for ours as it will only lead to disappointment. Too late.
If there is anyone out there who would like a lovely old four storey Victorian house in Didsbury please come and buy mine - our lives are on hold until someone with sufficiant funds comes along - white charger not obligatory!
