Having been to the Corvi Mora exhibition of Gordon Baldwin I came home inspired to try and re-create the pots he make but in my style. You look at a piece and things are not easy to explain or understand; the rough edges, the uneven surfaces, the application of colour, the mediums he uses for colour, the emotional impact, the sheer beauty, the inspiration, the building process etc. You just marvel at each piece and wonder. So I am making a piece that uses some of his ideas, not to copy but in tribute of his genius. The images go from basic shape to adding pieces of clay, then to the application of black slip and finally white slip. How to add colour and designs from the bisque phase we will soon see. Let’s get through bisque first though.     

An exhibition of about 40 pieces by Gordon Baldwin made between 1970s and early 2000s. The gallery was new to us and was a beautiful space for the exhibition.. The pieces were fantastic and they really draw you in and demand your attention. I could have stayed for several more hours just taking in the emotional impact his works bring. The range of pieces, the change of style and technique and the setting all helped make this my exhibition highlight of the year. I came back with my head buzzing with inspiration and ideas. Now to put them into practice.

Held at Eton College Drawing Rooms, the exhibition linked to a new book, ‘Beneath the Surface’ by Ashley Thorpe. The exhibition showed work by artists featured in the book. Main interest for me came from new artists to me and established artists whose work I did not know well. Of particular note were Aphra O’Connor, Patricia Volk, Nathan Mullis, Ken Eastman, Aneta Regel, Mella Shaw, Sara Radstone and Tessa Eastman. A very interesting but slightly too small exhibition of contemporary works.

16 July. Went to Celebrating Ceramics at Waterperry back in July. Delayed because of Covid but a welcome addition to our summer. A good selection of potters as usual including some new and local ones. Peter Hayes an absolute stand-out. Interesting how so many potters have used their spare time to reflect of methods and objectives. New work that did not necessarily reflect their previous styles. From the limits imposed by the pandemic there has been a rush of creativity.

5 August: Went to a stunning exhibition at the Goldmark Gallery at Uppingham featuring Ken Matsuzaki. Containing over 100 new pieces of work including his new method called, Tokaiseki. Lumps of clay that are carved, pulled, twisted and finally hollowed out. Fired in wood and gas kilns using a variety of glazes including ash. The results are both controlled and random. A beautiful set of work that can be looked at for a long time and still lave things unseen. A second visit may be needed before the exhibition closes.

After a fascinating but busy process the revised website went live on 20 January 2021. It is much better than before and as I have more control, there is no excuse for it to go out of date. I hope all who view the site enjoy the experience and please leave any useful comments.

News that the 2021 version of The Great Pottery Throwdown is being shown on Channel 4 from Sunday 10 January. Something to give us some inspiration hopefully. I am itching to get back in the Potting Shed and to start making.

One of my potting problems is making in poor and uneven light. As a hopeful solution I have been given the present of a head torch. I should be able to see my pieces clearly when I am trying to refine them. And they can also be used for walking, cycling and DIY. Perfect present.