We've started to construct a new Soda Kiln at Carmarthenshire College using refractory castable cement. We plan to finish the build next week and start get some work through the following week. The project is also linked with the International Ceramics Festival -  ICF 2013. We plan to rebuild the same kiln and fire it at the festival as part of a research experiment to see how efficient the kiln will be in comparison with a similar design using different materials constructed by Jo Finch.

Last week we had an exciting open day which also doubled up as a creative mash up with an Iron poor, Raku firings, collective drawing on walls in the gallery etc. Here are is an image of clay skulls before they've been fired. I will try and post some images of the day as it was a great success. It made staff and students feel thats whats Art College is all about a collective creative exchange, fun and hard work and partying.

A number of this years graduating 2012 students joined an artists collective in Carmarthen on King street. This has also combined with an exciting move onto the high street into a great space. Its well worth a visit.

Ray Church

Sorry for the long silence. College has started over a month ago with a new intake of students. Lots of positive feed back from New designers, London in July and several students had sales followed up by group shows in August and September. In this Months Ceramics Review three students were featured in the journal Kristy, Val and Billie which is a great endorsement for the course.

leaning how to throw a pot!

http://vimeo.com/36070863

Today went to see Simon and Marcus of Freshwest design based just outside Tenby. They have a fab studio / workshop full of ideas in the making. We discussed ideas working in clay and working with the college.http://www.freshwest.co.uk/

Stan the dog and Pete Bodenham pots drying in the sun in St.Dogmaels.

http://www.artjewelryforum.org/

Makers who are interested in jewellery might want to keep looking at this site!

Chance favours the connected mind !

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from.html

Some of this years graduates have work in the Waterfront Gallery Summer Show 2012 in Milford Haven.  Opens on 21 July and continues until 1 September.

http://www.thewaterfrontgallery.co.uk/

http://www.ted.com/talks/eva_zeisel_on_the_playful_search_for_beauty.html

Cool maker who has been making for 70 years +

http://www.orielmyrddingallery.co.uk

http://www.naomatsunaga.com

Looking ahead there is an exciting show coming up at Oriel Myrthin Gallery 8 September - 3 November 2012.

Jerwood Makers Open selects five newly qualified makers from over 200 applicants within the field of Applied Arts.  Each of the winners is commissioned to realise their proposal and to feature in this, the Jerwood Makers Open exhibition, which tours the UK.

http://www.edenceramics.co.uk/

Eden is one of the leading makers who have come from the world of ceramics then moved into digital 3D printing. Something Matt and Carl at Cole Sir Gar have been teaching the Ceramic and Jewellery students and myself with some interesting results.

http://www.craigunderhill.co.uk/

check out Craig's work. its interesting to see his sketchbook page on his site.

Stumbled across this ceramic artists work and felt it was worth a link as the work features an interesting mix of colour, form and mixed media.http://www.melissamytty.com/info.html

Visited Aberystwyth Arts Centre to take part in an International Ceramic Festival meeting to plan for the next festival. I also took a look at An Indian Odyssey and Jane Perrymen work in the ceramic gallery.

Jane Perrymen

“Since the 1990s Jane Perryman has travelled extensively in India documenting, filming and collecting everyday pottery from different regions. The experience had a major impact on Perryman’s own development as a maker. The exhibition will feature Indian pottery with documentary photographs and film alongside examples of the artist’s own work.”  

John, Kirsty, Val and Dan at graduation 2012 and no clay on their clothes in site.

A cool site is Pinterest.com covers random topics that enable you to tune into stuff your interested in from buildings to pots and frocks.

http://pinterest.com

http://storiesofhouses.blogspot.co.uk/2007/02/blog-post.html

A house in West Wales designed by Future Systems. This is not a new house but I think its interesting to think about where objects go an live.

A very interesting West Wales potter who is extending the boundaries of ceramics is Adam Buick. Take a look at his site and blog to see the work that he is currently doing.

http://adambuick.com/blog/

Coleg Sir Gar year 2 Ceramics & Jewellery students are currently exhibiting their work at Carmarthen Leisure Centre until this Saturday. The group have chosen this public place to show their work for very good entrepreneurial reasons. The footfall is amazing that included a great cross section of the public. Its really exciting to see the students are connect with new markets and get exposer for their work at this stage of the course.

It was great to see Amy Maggs at New Designers a graduate from Coleg Sir Gar Ceramics dep who graduated 4 years ago. Amy has been working for Boatswain lighting as a production manager creating impressive porcelain lighting.

http://www.boatswainlighting.co.uk/

A gold medal winner at New Designers. One of many very talented makers I spoke to during the week. Joseph is a very articulate and interesting potter well worth a look.

http://josephjameshartley.wordpress.com/

Coleg Sir Gar New Designers Success. The BA Ceramics and Textiles students have just come back from London after receiving lots of positive response about the work, sales and offers of exhibitions. It was a great week meeting new contacts and old friends. It was fantastic to be part of such a vast creative event. If you have not been to New Designers, try and make it next year as it is an inspiring showcase of British talent.

The students from Carmarthen are getting ready to show at new designers next week, part 1. Come and see us at stand CG12.

Lets big it up for creativity and makers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Kirsty Prior a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing her work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.


I create figurative ceramic sculptures representing and evoking native wild animals. Many of the pieces are a cathartic expression of the sadness felt about witnessing road-kill. This literal collision between the natural world and modernity has become strangely inspiring. Broader themes that underpin the work are the materiality, decay, destruction and rejuvenation of the natural world. The work also aims to capture some of the movement, energy and spirit of the selected creatures. In essence the work can be seen as a strange tribute and acknowledgement of both the sadness and beauty of their life and death.

The materials and processes I employ are essential to the integrity of my work. This is evident in the surface quality and methods of display in both the vitrines and Hare sculptures. I use and fire found animal bones together with handbuilt figurative clay elements, enjoying the interaction and contrast of both materials. A key element to the work is using primitive firing methods within the landscape. This process is integral to my creative practice, further embedding a sustainable and free-spirited way of working. The use of bones themselves within the actual firing and making of the sculptures have an older symbolism that references the Hare sacrificed by fire in agricultural crop stubble burning. 

Billey Tilley a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing her work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.

'I make ceramic functional tableware and sculptures based on the vessel and natural forms.Through these I explore the nature of intimacy, those intuitive decisions we make to cross boundaries and make connections between our inner self and the outer world. Such experiences leave an imprint upon us all, changing who we are and the world. My recent work explores the profound emotional archaeology of the family, and the tender sparkling space of friendships. Vessels are such evocative forms, suggesting, among other things, the idea of an offering and the invisible hands that might make such a gesture. Within this is the notion of life experienced on a uniquely personal, human scale. Porcelain is ideal for expressing fragility when newly thrown. Once fired in a kiln, however, its plasticity is transformed into a material of uncommon strength and beauty. Similarly, human vulnerability experienced during a deep connection with another lover, child or friend is transformed into memories that endure and become precious. The history of studio pottery forms part of a rich combination of source material, particularly the contemplative and beautiful ceramics of Lucie Rie and Rupert Spira. My forms and glazes reflect the natural world, the intensified imagery of Black & White and Technicolor films, natural forms gathered from the landscape, and ancient cave art. A range of my work can be seen at www.billeyceramics.co.uk  

Dan Hutton a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing his work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.

Using the qualities of porcelain combined with light I produce handbuilt ceramic sculptures, vessels and lighting that represent the human soul. I aim to make evocative sculptural forms and vessels that possess an ethereal quality and other-worldly beauty.

Inspiration is drawn from both the physical and metaphysical worlds. Many faiths believe the human soul is an embodiment of a person’s spiritual identity in this world and beyond. I combine cross-cultural ideas about the soul, with physiological references to the human heart. I fuse these ideas with references to natural objects such as seashells and crustaceans.

John Ritchie a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing his work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.


'I create abstract ceramic sculptures inspired by architecture and the phenomenon of entropy. The making process begins by producing casts from architectural salvage, then constructing sculptures from handmade ceramic elements. I aim to draw the viewer into an aesthetic and social conversation about the material world we construct and deconstruct. Through complex layering of ceramic objects, surfaces and images the sculptures point towards the social and cultural irony at play within our built and rural landscapes.'

Valerie Price West a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing her work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.

Valerie makes ceramic sculptures that feature combined figurative and abstract elements expressing personal poetic narratives. The work displays complex and seductive surfaces inspired by both seascapes and landscape.

‘Whether I'm out there rowing, long distance walking or riding my horse, I observe my surroundings and feel part of it. Wales has extreme, compelling terrains that are both beautiful and challenging. I try to capture this in my sculptures which themselves have been technically challenging to make’

Gale Lewis a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing her work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.
 

Gale creates both ceramic vessels and photographic images that respond and capture the West Wales coast. The work is often fired on the beach using flotsam and jetsam as both inspiration and material to fuel the primitive firing method.

‘My current work is inspired by a series of meditative walks, during which I observe and contemplate my natural surroundings and how we as people interact with them. Considering not only the physical but also the philosophical nature of life. The vessels draw these concepts, thoughts and discoveries together. Natural, recycled and man-made materials are used in combination to demonstrate the potential for harmony and beauty in our relationship with our surroundings. The work is about mindfulness and taking the time to think deeply, each vessel is designed as container or sanctuary for one’s thoughts.’

Paulina Stafska a Coleg Sir Gar ceramic graduate is showcasing her work at New Designers at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street N1, London between 27^th & 30^th June.

Paulina is a Polish born UK based ceramic designer-maker who creates tactile functional tableware and interior crafted products displaying simple shapes and interesting textures.

The simplicity of Paulina’s style is a reflection of the influences from her Polish upbringing – the cultural connections from her past are reflected in her ceramic designs, particularly in her tableware.  Paulina’s high-fired translucent porcelain lighting range combines texture and colour in a pure and understated way celebrating the materiality of porcelain. 

Great news, Katie Owen BA2 Ceramics & Jewellery student at Coleg Sir Gar wins Pewter Live 2012 competition in London. Congratulations Katie it is well deserved and a really prestigious National competition to win.

Coleg Sir Gar Foundation Art & design show is now up and well worth a visit to Carmarthen. There is some great 3D work including ceramics, jewellery furniture design etc. Lowry Davies has put on a mature and engaging body of enamelled jewellery based on a real medical case study about a young man hit by a van. Lowry made a series of dog tags, which plot his recovery forming a fascinating body of work. 

Kirsty Prior     

Walking through the local countryside of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains, and along the shoreline of Gower, Kirsty often finds the bones of dead, decaying animals. Through her tender, perceptive experiments with these bones, she explores the contrast of life and death, and the fascinating process of decay. As a dead sheep returns to its elements, Kirsty looks beyond its superficial goriness to note the beauty in looking at things closely and in detail. Her hare sculptures reflect her sadness at seeing road-kill, and suggest the idea of nature fighting back against humanity’s destruction of it. 

Dan Hutton

Dan’s beautiful, haunting porcelain vessels are inspired by the idea of the human soul. Emanating a diffuse, ethereal light as only porcelain can, these dignified sculptural forms are intended to be sited in places within Wales where people have died. One such place is Llansteffan castle. 

John Richie

John uses elements from disused buildings such as Carmarthen Infirmary and his local chapel, to create architectural sculptures that are beautiful and deeply moving. He combines casts of an intricately-carved ceiling rose with images of derelict or neglected buildings. In doing so, John powerfully questions the supposed housing shortage and how this contradicts with the vast amount of unused housing stock that is allowed to deteriorate until it is too dilapidated to be used. His work also laments the loss of traditional building skills.