haggis, neeps and tatties

i am a huge fan of the poetry and songs of Robert Burns, the Scottish national poet, bard and hero of the people around the world.  today is the anniversary of his birth – he would have been 253 years old!

even with their great age his work is still relevant and stirring today.  i was six when I learn’t my first Burns’ poem which is a wonderful description of how it feels to get out of bed in the winters’ dark mornings!  I’m sure everyone can identify with that feeling.

i have turned to his poetry during major points in my life including my wedding, at funerals as well as a starting point for ceramic inspiration.   i think it’s their extraordinaryness and celebration of ordinary things that i’m attracted to.

for this year’s Burns’ night I thought i’d combine my love of Japan with Burns and held a sushi night with the very talented John Jones of Yatai leading the sushi making lessons.  I challenged John to make Haggis Neeps and Tatties Sushi and although the guests and John were a little sceptical whether it would work, everyone agreed that the combination was a success!  Hope everyone enjoys their Burns’ Night whatever they are doing and wherever they are.

past present and future

well! it’s already a third of the way through january! i hope you have all had a great break and are ready for whatever this new year has in store.

the past 12 months have been extremely busy and i for one want 2012 to have a different pace.  last week I caught up with a good pottery friend and kindred spirit to hear about her exciting plans for the year ahead.  our conversation lead me to reflect on my work.

up until last year i essentially worked on my own, with very little day-to-day interaction with other potters or makers, in 2011 i found myself seeking out a new way of working and as a result I worked on and developed a number of collaborations.  my first collaboration developed with Caroline Dear (Fibre artist) and concluded in an exhibition at The Collins Gallery, Glasgow in November/December 2011.  the second project was with Goukstane Arts, a brilliant mixture of drawing, photography, making, walking, talking, lovely scones and company in the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside.  these collaborations continue to open my mind to new ways of working, painting, developing motifs, pattern as well as looking at materials and inspiration in a new way.

as a result of these collaborations I have started two further collaborative journeys, one with the Poet Catriona McLeod and the other with Painter Tracey Johnson.  these collaborations, started last year and will culminate in two exhibitions of new work in 2012 and/or 2013.  i’m in the last stages of confirming details and dates for both and when I have more information i’ll let you know, i’m so excited!!

one of the things I want to focus on this year is getting more colour and pattern into my work.  as a way of making me stick to this i’ve signed up for a couple of short courses.  at the end of the month i’m starting the second module of the Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, delivered by the very talented Rachael Taylor and Beth Nicholls of Do What You Love and in March a beginners screen-printing workshop at Peacocks Visual Arts. The Surface Pattern e-course is extremely well organised, has great technical and challenging exercises, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator exercises and has been an amazing experience involving people from all 5 continents who are very inspirational, enthusiastic and supportive.  look out for some of my inspiration feeding through into colours and marks on clay and perhaps other things in 2012!

this time of reflect has been invigorating especially the various random conversations I’ve had about the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, ‘folk’ art, storytelling and Japanese philosophy! i am looking forward to getting back into the workshop and my next day out!

finally, i’d like to thank everyone who exhibited my work last year and especially to Creative Scotland, Cultivating Creativity (RGU Creative Futures Residency), Craft Scotland and Aberdeen City and Shire (Craft Makers’ Award), for their support and funding in making my first full year out of college such a success!  further thanks go to those who exhibited and bought my work at various events, exhibitions and venus.

what a great year! here’s to 2012!!!  what are you planning?

Merry Christmas

Fire and Fibre – part two

Hello everyone, and welcome to all my new and existing followers.  As a new blogger, having followers is very encouraging as it’s great to get some interaction and comment from you all.  Thank you for popping in past, it’s lovely to meet you here and I’m glad I’m not speaking to myself anymore.

For todays post I wanted to show you some further images from the fire and fibre exhibition now exhibited at Collins Gallery, Glasgow.  I understand a couple of you have tried to go along but sadly they were not open.  Please check the opening days and times before you travel as they are not open everyday.  However, if you do get a chance to go along it will be worth it, the extent and diversity of work on show is very impressive.

First time exhibitors Johan and Ailsa produced a striking statement, which can be seen as you enter the venue.  They have worked incredibly hard to capture the movement and atmosphere of a flock of birds taking flight.   Their combination of pottery and basket weaving brings this idea to life.  It was lovely to be able to see this in person, a photographic image just doesn’t do it justice.

Johan Carslaw (SPA) & Ailsa Morrant (SBC)

Kerstin Gren and Tim Palmer presented a couple of bodies of work.  Tim, as a scientist and basket maker worked with Kerstin, ceramicist, to bring the microscopic images he sees, as part of his work, transformed to a sculptural scale.  The two hanging panels brought to our attention the beautiful patterns and rhythms that are within the structures of cholesterol and synovial fluid from the human body.

Kerstin Gren (SPA) & Tim Palmer (SBC)

Kerstin is originally from Sweden and after her move to the North East of Scotland she was attracted to the fishing boats of the fishing community within which she lives.  Kerstin worked with Tim to see if he could produce baskets that echoed these voluptuous vessels’, forms and scales.  From what I gathered it was a challenge, to say the least, however, the final pieces have a beautiful form and flow that fits seamlessly into Kerstin’s flotilla of vessels.

Kerstin Gren (SPA) & Tim Palmer (SBC)

One of my favourite exhibits in the exhibition were works by Anna King, Kirsty O’Conner and  Pip Weaser.  Reminding me of Anthony Gormley‘s ‘Field for the British Isles‘, it appeared that their characterful vessels had more than a functional purpose, perhaps they intended to remind us of the fragility and strength of the human body.  Having just looked at Kirsty’s website she says that the work is a ‘meditation on ‘protest’ in response to the Arab Spring and commemorating the many who have died for the right to speak out’.  Indeed a purposeful march across the gallery floor.

Kirsty O’Connor (SPA) & Anna King (SBC)

My strongest feeling throughout the exhibition was the desire to handle and interact with the exhibits, which many people did; their voluptuous forms, the tactile materials and human references combined to make a very accessible exhibition which highlighted the fragility, strength and creativity within the Scottish craft sector.

Kirsty O’ Connor (SPA) & Pip Weaser (SBC)

If you do manage to get along, it would be lovely to hear what you think and to feedback your comments to Collins Gallery, and here on this blog.

This gallery contains 7 photos.

further images and updates can be found over at my blog http://annemurrayceramics.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/fire-and-fibre-exhibition-opening-2/