WHAT WAS YOUR BEST POTTERY DAY EVER?

A few years ago I spent most of a day in Guy Sydenham's home, looking through his private collection and chatting to his lovely widow. This was my best ever pottery day but what was yours?

Probably the V & A Museum. The Islamic section was particularly interesting. to see
where William de Morgan copied everything from!

The Gladstone pottery museum (Longton Staffs) is also fascinating.

I've been fortunate to have visited a number of potters through my work and especially enjoyed visiting Ursula Mommens. Often having lunch, talking about her life, seeing the pots and paintings that she lived with every day and even the occasional visit to the cellar to see some of the things she made with her second husband, Norman Mommens. Ursula was an absolute gem.

In a similar vein my visits to see Michael OBrien, who worked out in Nigeria with Michael Cardew and continued to spend much of his time there until relatively recently, are fascinating too.

For me visiting the Gaolyard Studios in St Ives was probably some of the best times , Louise Thompson , John Bedding & Sam Hall , all very nice people , maybe not as high profile as some potters but that adds to their charm for me , visiting Paisley Museum many times and being surrounded by some of the greatest pots ever , even getting to handle a few , Hans Coper Etc ( not normally allowed ) , but hopefully my best ever day is yet to come .

The fairs are always good fun. Meeting Swindle and Midori and Lisa Hammond.....etc etc

big ed wrote:For me visiting the Gaolyard Studios in St Ives was probably some of the best times , Louise Thompson , John Bedding & Sam Hall , all very nice people , maybe not as high profile as some potters but that adds to their charm for me , visiting Paisley Museum many times and being surrounded by some of the greatest pots ever , even getting to handle a few , Hans Coper Etc ( not normally allowed ) , but hopefully my best ever day is yet to come .

I like that Ed, You're not as grumpy as everyone says

Just a question on this theme, but I've just scored some tickets to the private viewing at CAL. Is it worth going? Will everything be unpacked and can I buy? Is it just a short evening opening? Or should I just go on Friday as originally planned?

CAL ??

NaomiM wrote:Just a question on this theme, but I've just scored some tickets to the private viewing at CAL. Is it worth going? Will everything be unpacked and can I buy? Is it just a short evening opening? Or should I just go on Friday as originally planned?

I've never been to Ceramic Art London (CAL), as there have never been enough potters showing there that are of interest to me. I was toying with the idea of going this year but going through the list and seeing what they make has put me off yet again.

At all Private View of such events that I have been to everything is on show and available for purchase - it is really the most important time for sales to be made to important customers so no-one is going to pass up that opportunity given the cost of exhibiting there.

The only drawback for you is that the time available to look around is much shorter than a standard day.

Their website doesn't actually say there's a private viewing; maybe it's on the ticket? Anyway, I ran out of time last year so probably will make a full day of it on Friday.

This CAL has Patricia Shone on the exhibitor's list, who's on my wish list. And last year I had a lovely chat with Geoffrey Swindell who said he might not do another fair. Lisa Hammond should also be there so taking the cheque book!

As Lisa is just up the road from me here in S. E. London she isn't going to get me north of the river but Patricia Shone was one of the two or three potters on the list that I would be interested in seeing.

N. If you did a video blog (vlog) of your trips on youtube then you would get a lot of followers! Then we could also enjoy a virtual day out......

To walk right inside an original bottle kiln was surprising, just to see
how it actually worked. Though the best room was the mould-makers.

http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/visit/gpm/

And of course the wonderful potteries museum, not in Stoke as they have you believe, but in Hanley.

http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/visit/pmag/

Today, against my better judgement, I went to CAL (Ceramic Art London) and now regard this as my worst pottery day ever. Depressing beyond words.

What happened?

Just confirmation that I find most current studio ceramics lifeless pastiche or overpriced knick-knacks.

Times change SP

Contrary to SP's disappointment, I had a great day at CAL on Friday.
Got this little prince from Midori Takaki. She's sending a similar one out to a gallery in Tokyo.
The only stand that get me annoyed was the lady with a load of broken porcelain pots. Utter crap. The rest was great.

As Proust points out the show is the same for both, but one enjoyed and one did not. The difference was the person not the perceived. There is beauty in everything it's just how you look at it & what personal context you see it in.

Why do the polar bears have thing growing out of their heads?

22 Crawford St. wrote:Times change SP

Not sure that's the problem entirely, as there are things there that you might expect me to like. Of those there were some of Lisa Hammond's pots and Tim Andrews that were impressive. Although not my cup of tea, Ashraf Hanna's sculptural forms were fine. I do like Rowena Brown's buildings and was most impressed by the work of Rebecca Appleby.

It was the rest that left me depressed.

22 Crawford St. wrote:As Proust points out the show is the same for both, but one enjoyed and one did not. The difference was the person not the perceived. There is beauty in everything it's just how you look at it & what personal context you see it in.

Clearly Proust lacked the experience of seeing things that had life and quality with which he could compare the things he observed.

22 Crawford St. wrote:

Why do the polar bears have thing growing out of their heads?

It's what she does. Most of the wall masks have things growing out of their heads. The choice of items tells the piece's story.

If it depressed SP, I'd have probably loved it

Too many pottery animals? Lustre? Raku?

You probably would have loved it Potty. However, please note that I singled out Tim "Raku" Andrews as one of the potters I thought worth seeing there and Rowena Brown's houses are raku too.

Note to self - it must have been even worse than I originally thought if I thought raku pots were some of the best there.