Successes and an update and all things Ceramic based!

I've had a very eventful few months with Awards, Exhibitions and Stockists and have had some great news this past few months. I have won the Scholarship for Art, Design and Technology in the National Urdd Eisteddfod and had exhibited in the Art, Design and Technology tent. Here are some photos from Caerphilly:

It was an amazing opportunity to publicize my work, and it was so lovely that my family came down to support me. Exhibiting at the National Eisteddfod was incredible, as I'd been competing in the Arts and Crafts as a child, and it was nice to feel that the collection so far was worthy of a National Prize. 

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I exhibited at the Contemporary Craft Fair in Bovey Tracey from the 5th - 7th of June with my Minimus Maximus Collection. My pieces were really popular, and so many people wanted to understand how they were made, and why they were shaped in the way they were. It was a successful show, and the quality of work there was amazing. There were so many makers that had innovative, creative ideas and I felt as if I was in very good company there! I had been working on some new pieces, which was a Toby Milk Jug and a small espresso cup. The espresso cups all sold, which was amazing! I've been making loads ever since! 

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I was short-listed for the International Ceramics Festival Emerging Maker Award for 2015. I exhibited at the Festival and presented my work in front of the Festival audience on the last day. It was great to be a part of the Festival again, as I was a student helper in the last two Festivals (2013 and 2011,) it's such a great event and I love to listen to the artists and how they create their individual work. The kiln firings were incredible this year, and I especially loved Rita Gudino's firing. It was so spectacular to watch!

Rita Gudino's LUAL kiln

A piece from one of West Wales School of the Art Students

My work displayed with other makers in the Emerging Maker Space by the Ceramic Collection in the Arts Centre. 

One of Phillip Eglin's pieces in his exhibition in the Ceramics Collection

Sergi Pahissa - Müll collective Found objects kiln.

Jonathan Keep's 3D Printed Objects. These were so inspiring, as I would love to work with a 3D printer. The technology would help my work develop as at the moment I collect pieces from charity shops, but by using a 3D printer I would hopefully be able to make copies of the Ceramic Collections in museums, and then re-work these pieces. 

'With an emphasis on form rather than surface and on the premise that the technique used to create form influences the form itself I have made extensive use of computer 3D modelling programs to evolve ideas'

Tip Toland after a Master Class finishing off one of her incredible works. 

The Ceramics Festival weekend is always so inspiring, and I was so happy to be a part of the event. Although I didn't win, it was an incredible opportunity and I would like to thank the Festival for allowing me to take part. It was great to feel accepted in the Festival, as I felt that my work was perhaps less traditional than other methods there. I wondered whether my work was good enough to be a part of such a prestigious event, but after speaking to lots of makers, buyers and artists I felt that the Festival has boosted my confidence, and I can't wait to get back into the studio to make bigger pieces yet! 

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I've been working on more textured pieces for a while now, and feel that these portray the various inspirations better, by emphasising the contrast between the different facets. For example, below, the new milk jug that I've been working on recently that has a Toby Jug face, with some Victorian elements and a 1920's style handle. I like the idea that all the various components come together to make a piece, and how the relationship between these various facets create intrigue.

Here is the piece before plaster moulding and casting:

And here is the piece once cast, ready to biscuit fire. 

All my new pieces all have a stamp instead of the decal  transfer. I felt as if I needed a more streamline, design led logo, and created this logo myself. It portrays my influences too which I think is important. There is a hint of Modernism here, and of a design led inspiration. 

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I've gained some new Stockists in the past six months, which is great news. They are Erwood Station Gallery, in Wales, Watch this Space Boutique in Leicester and Bermondsey Fair in London. I was able to pop into Erwood Station one afternoon and it is such a wonderful little gallery. It's an old locomotive station, and the gallery is actually on the platform, through and into the carriages of the train. Take a look at some of the photos below. They have a cafe, and lots of art works, definitely worth a look! 

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After taking part in the UK Young Artist Festival in Leicester last year I so happy to announce that my work has been chosen to represent the UK in the BJCEM Young Artist Biennale in Milan! I will be exhibiting over the course of a month, and will be travelling there for the opening in October.

It will be such an amazing showcase for my work, and I'm so happy to be showing outside of the UK too. I feel that my work could fit in well with design led taste of Europe and am looking forward to visiting Italy. I'm hoping in the next few months to make some new work that can really stand out. I'd like to push my concept further than before, by making bigger pieces. My problem so far has been that my pieces were too big to carry, due to the weight of the moulds, but I think I might have found a way around this issue. 

Some other exciting news for the next 6 months:

• I will be exhibiting at Made by Hand, City Hall in Cardiff again this year at the end of October. It was such a great Fair last year, and I'm so glad to be exhibiting on my home turf again!

• In January I will be exhibiting at MADE: Redefining Handmade, with a group of Design Factory makers. This will be my third Fair in London, and am looking forward to taking part in this particular event as I haven't as of yet. Design Factory is a great opportunity to meet new people, and afford the bigger stands in major Craft and Trade Fairs.

• My father and I will be sharing a joint exhibition at MOMA Wales, Machynlleth this November for a month. My father has always had an interest in Art and was teaching for around 30 years. He's now retired, and has allowed me to take a look through his incredible portfolio of portraits and life drawings, that will be shown alongside my ceramic pieces. My aim is to find an interesting contrast between both our works and I'd like to think that I can work towards a Collection of finished pieces that could possibly conclude this body of work.

NEW STOCKISTS, EXHIBITIONS AND EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES

So I haven't wrote for a while, and I've been busy preparing work for a very busy last 6 months of this current year, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

I've been working on new pieces for various shows, including new cards with my own original designs that have been selling very well. Here are some of the designs, they are £2.20 each and are blank on the inside for your own message. The cards are made on high quality paper that makes for a long lasting beautiful finish.

I have also been working on some new ceramic pieces that have a gold lustred addition. I have struggled previously as lustre is so difficult to get right, as there are so many things that can go wrong. I used to paint it on too thick then too thin, but I think I have managed to get the application just right as the gold is beautiful!

While working on new cards, and a new collection of gold lustred ceramics I have also been changing my display of jewellery, so they are now in neat little boxes, which are easy to post, and are a bit safer with regards to the ceramic cracking or breaking in transit.

 

From my previous post, I have finally managed to cast the wall piece that I've been working on. I've really struggled with the making of the mould, as the piece is a flat two part mould, the air bubbles would get stuck in between the two parts. I spoke to a friend, and he suggested press molding the piece, as the piece would be against the wall, the rough part would not show anyway. I tried this, and so far they seem to be working! Yay! Here's a picture of the work.

The only thing is, I have made them too big to fit in my kiln in the studio, so I will have to try and get them fired elsewhere. Let's hope that I will manage to fire them, as I feel it's a different avenue to venture into.

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 In August I took part in the Cornwall Design Fair in Penzance. It was a great fair with many incredible makers and I had the opportunity to get to know makers from the South West that worked in Glass and Precious Metals. 

I have just returned from the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester over the weekend, and what a great fair it was! I loved meeting new makers and talking about my work. I had a bit of a struggle getting up to Manchester due to an accident and didn't arrive until 5.55pm and the opening was at 6! I managed to set up quickly and the rest of the Fair went well with no problems. Here's an image of my stand at the Great Northern.

I also took part in a Fair in London called Ceramics in the City in the Geffrye Museum in Hoxton. It was great to exhibit along side many artists that I researched at university.

There was a lot of interest in my work from various galleries, and I have just started stocking with a boutique in London called Bermondsey Fayre that is close to the Textile and Fashion museum and the White Cube gallery. Here they are at the Boutique:

I am also taking work up to Caernarfon in North Wales for an exhibition over the Christmas period in Y Galeri.

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I'm currently running a challenge on Instagram to sketch every day for 100 days. I'm really enjoying the challenge and feel as if it benefits my practice and the interest in my work is increasing. Here are a few examples of the 3-5 minute sketches.

I've been selling my work at the Parliment House in Machynlleth, and their new coffee and gift shop 'Siop Alys' with new personalized Sterling Silver and Porcelain jewellery. These are also some new jewellery pieces that I have been working on, they are made from a silicon mold then high fired to 1280 degrees celcius.

During the next few weeks I will be exhibiting work at Made by Hand, City Hall, Cardiff from the 31st of October - 2nd of November, then I will be travelling to Leicester to exhibit at the UK Young Artist Award for the next weekend, the Friday the 7th of November - 9th of November. Then exhibiting at the Hereford Contemporary Craft Fair from the 14th- 16th of November, so it's going to be a busy few weeks before taking part in the Cardiff Arts Collective Christmas Fairs in December. 

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My work has gone through a selection process to be selected by The Makers Guild in Wales, and I'm chuffed to say that my work will feature in Craft in the Bay from the 28th of November!! I can't wait to be featured at the Members Showcase for two months from December to January!

Pictures to come! 

New stockists and beautiful images of my jewellery!

Hello Blog Readers!

I understand it's been a while since I last updated my blog about my work. I've been in the shed almost continuously making new pieces and producing more from previous molds. I have been arranging stockists around the UK which now includes:

• Cloud 8 Gallery, Bacup, Lancashire.
• Siop Alys, Machynlleth.

This next week I will be preparing for a festival in Cardiff that I'm taking part in. I have a stand at Tafwyl, the annual Welsh Festival of Cardiff that is a free event to encourage the speaking of Welsh that will be held in Cardiff Castle on Saturday, the 12th of July. There are events on all day, music, games for children and my stall will be there too! 

www.tafwyl.org/en/

I have been in touch with Cloud 9 Gallery in Bacup, Lancashire and they have started to stock both my ceramics and jewellery. If you are in the area then go and visit, it's a lovely new gallery with hand-made and crafted produce!

Here are some images of my work that is showing in Machynlleth Parliment House over the summer. I hope that my work will then move to Siop Alys, which is the shop just next door to the Parliment House long-term with other makers and designers based in Wales.

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I visited Collect 2014 about a month ago, here are some images from the Fair. There were some amazing pieces from various galleries, such as Bodil Manz, Elizabeth Fritz and Michael Eden pieces, it was great inspiration for me to continue my work in Cardiff.

These two examples of work both had similar concepts to my practise, that of breaking up and re-building ceramics creating new pieces from traditional inspirational methods and processes.

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I also visited the last year of Degree Show work at Howard Gardens, Cardiff. It was a brilliant show with some amazing pieces. The sculpture area had some amazing installations and the ceramics was also incredible.

This was an installation using acetate and film like materials to make floating shapes that were then reflected onto the walls using a projector. The way they moved in the space was incredible.

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I thought I'd give you a small insight into how my pieces look just out of the mold, and how much fettling is needed for all my pieces due to the complicated form of the work. I have also included a video of my making for you bloggers to see!

 

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I also wanted to show you my lucky streak in finding these beautiful two items in a skip near my home in Machynlleth. This mahogany veneered antique cabinet is a beautiful way to display my work, and compliments the pieces very well. I am to use it for my various craft fairs this year as a part of my stall to show my work. I also came across this lovely mirror in the skip that I will use for displaying jewellery for the fairs.

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Lastly, here is one of my exciting new wall pieces that I have been working on for a possible solo exhibition next year. I hope to cast these in plaster and including images of my work as transfers on the flat middle part. I love how the small handles and additions from previous ceramics flow into a frame-like shape around the centre part.