Caleb and I moved from the New Forest in Hampshire to the rugged coast of West Penwith in 2016.
Having moved here we both felt that it was important to form a relationship with our new, very different environment! Caleb has embraced his love of the sea and and has found his happy place in the waves, body boarding!
I, on the other hand, though I love swimming and snorkelling in the crystal clear, turquoise waters here, find the sea rather chilly even with my neoprene swimming costume! But you do have to do something with the sea, so I chose being on top of it and keeping fit pilot gig rowing. I have also become involved with BDMLR and am a Marine Mammal Medic, rescuing seals and dolphins. That’s another story though.
Here, I am going to tell you about how I got involved in pottery….
Cornwall is full of artists, who will tell you that it has something to do with the light and inspiring landscape. Out on the peninsula surrounded on three sides by the ocean, sunlight bounces off the sea and somehow gets in and around and under every object. I felt inspired, but I am not good working in two dimensions. Having been a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist for 20 years, I do, however, have a confidence in my hands.
So, in 2019 when we had finished the first barn and were no longer living in the caravan, I decided to go on a Summer Slipware Pottery Course with the renowned local potter, Richard Phethean. I simply fell in love with working with the clay. Unlike my clients in the physiotherapy practice, clay did not demand my attention, ask for my empathy or advice, or moan and complain and cry out in agony when I got stuck in! It lay there in a chocolate-coloured lump just waiting to be played with and I absolutely revelled in its feel!
That’s not to say I have much talent and I’m never going to spoil my hobby by trying to turn it into a business. But, I love learning new techniques, playing with the clay, throwing shapes on the wheel and making whatever I fancy.
I seem to have unconsciously taken inspiration from the landscape around me and enjoy developing new colour pallets with all the different coloured slips in the studio.
I created my own teal shade for the sea. I used the wax-resist technique to create an un-glazed, rough matt black to represent the granite and basalt rocks. Then I incorporated an opaque white glaze to add a mottled, crazed foamy white for the waves to make bespoke wall tiles for our kitchen…
Tiles are really hard though – to make exactly the same size and thickness and so they don’t warp and stretch in the kiln and to get a consistent shrinkage amount. I even had to make my own shrinkage scale ruler!
It was a labour of love! I’ve got quite a few extra tiles left if anyone fancies them!!
The ever-changing blues and greens of the seascape have lead me to play with the coloured slips to make my own shades. I add the colours by pouring and brushing and using the paper resist technique.
My latest colour palette this Christmas.
I started putting some pieces in Wheal Call and Trengothal Barn, mainly because Caleb refused to make any more shelves and there was no room in our house! I started selling them in order to pay for more clay. I have begun to exchange the bought crockery for handmade and hand-thrown pieces such as mugs, jugs, plates and bowls.
Making teapots is a good way to learn lots of different technique including throwing cylinders, throwing “off the hump” making spouts and lids and pulling handles!
I’ve also made tiles for our kitchen wall, teapots, vases, platters, egg holders, kitchen utensil holders, butter dishes and colanders. Whatever takes my fancy! As I sell them or donate them, it creates room to make more!
I have great fun with these egg holders and even made a Wallace & Gromit villain!
I’ve recently started to throw larger shapes and am having a go at making lampshades and flower pots with integrated saucers!
And I always make sure I have fun with other techniques such as slab rolling and throwing different ideas into useable shapes!
If anything takes your fancy at Trengothal Barn or Wheal Call, just let me know and I will give you a price.
Small bowls and mugs £8-£10 each
Medium bowls and plates £12-£15 each
Larger bowls and platters £20-£30 each
More intricate items, eg: teapots, are from £30-£50 each
If you are interested in Richard’s throwing and slipware courses, check out his webpage https://www.richardphethean.co.uk/pottery-courses-cornwall.html
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