November kiln and shows

Well that's the CPA Oxford show done. It was excellent as usually and great to catch up with folk. It's been pretty, no, very busy recently at work with lots of inductions into ceramics going on, throwing and glazing workshops with a bit of Raku firing thrown in for good measure. I'm just starting to get a bit of time to really push on with the kiln dismantling in preparation for the new build. It's starting to feel as though I'm making progress. I'm hoping to have the floor and arch former in place before Christmas, anything further than that will be a bonus :-)

I've started making work for the next firing, having postponed the Wysing firing due to a bit of repair work which needs doing. A couple of bricks have fallen out of the arch just in from the firebox so we need to come in from the outside of the kiln arch and replace them. I was down there a week ago with Steve (Parry)and Ed. Penn one of our students, dropping off hard wood for the firing and cutting and stacking some of the pine in preparation. We didn't have time to fix it then, so will head back down in due course, carry out the repairs and do one or two other jobs around the kiln ready to fire in the spring. We've been firing the kiln for almost 20 years and like the pair of us, it feels its age occasionally. :-)

While down at Wysing I picked up work which had been in the "Influence of furniture in love" exhibition. I think it was well received. Here is a link to the exhibition page at Wysing arts centre.

         
                                           Photo credit Paul Allitt

Last weekend I dropped off work at "The ceramic studio" at Ettington Park in Warwickshire, run by Bruno and Leyla Dauvin, for their Christmas exhibition. It looks to be a great exhibition and opens next weekend 29th and 30th November and runs until January. If you're around the area why not pop in, they will make you very welcome.

And that's about it for now. I'll keep posting updates on the kiln building over the coming weeks. Time for tea :-)