I've been busy and I've missed August. Sharon bought the last rolling pony as it was based on her 'Jim', I have got two sculptures and a pastel drawing preselected for the Society of Wildlife Artists and I won the Peoples' Choice prize at the Water Street Gallery. The prize was a voucher for Valentines Clay and Joy and I had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Stoke to spend it. I bought Scarva paper clay with flax and it's fabulous - wicked expensive but fabulous. Joy splashed out on fancy porcelains and I'm anticipating stunning results, her work is delicate and jewel-like - she has the patience of a saint.
Ruth and I went to Stoke again a few weeks later and managed to go over, under and round Stoke in a merry-go-round of merriment trying to find three different suppliers and still make the pub while they were doing food! We also collected some clay for Joe who is now looking after the ceramic studio at START. He is a charming chap, a recent graduate and award winning ceramicist/designer - and an expert on the wheel. The Pottery Ladies are making the most of him while he is still using the studios and enjoying his enthusiasm and encouragement. He's going to be a great success we're sure, but as recorded for posterity in this blog - 'we knew him before he was famous!'
Here's a link - www.josephjameshartley.wordpress.com. I turned down his offer of petrol money in favour of one of his bowls. Ruth said I will certainly get the better of the deal - I agree but I reckon it's the only chance I'm going to get of owning an original Joe Hartley!
The above mentioned young man has also cleared the back log of firing, badly timed to coincide with a creative block of my own making. I've nothing on the shelve for firing except a small rolling dog. My time has been taken up with finishing bits and pieces and getting stuff ready to take to The Rufford Craft Centre tomorrow. Sue is coming to ride shotgun, argue with the sat nav and generally reconoiter for coffee/tea shops in between here and Mansfield. Our last little trip was back to Todmorden to take some hares to the Water Street Gallery so fingers crossed they sell and offset the cost of sending the two big pieces to London for the SWLA.
Finally, here is a picture of Poppy. Poppy was my friend Yvonne's much loved pet and she asked me to do a sculpture of her from photos. I was not at all keen as pet portraiture is a minefield, but - yes it looks like her and I was pleased with it as was - more importantly, my friend Yvonne.
