Mary Johnson Ceramics

scarey crows

2010-06-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

I have made a scarecrow to try to keep the blackbirds off my current bushes. He is wearing Pauls old dress shirt which had been in the cupboard so long that it was mouldy -'nice', and bares an uncanny resemblance to the origional owner before a morning coffee has arrived. Fingers crossed he can do the job and we can have pies!!

The sun has come out again after our weekend of horrible weather,and so have the mirror sunglasses. Very cheery. I need cheering up as I have just returned from a not very successful show at 'Patchings' Art Centre in Nottingham.

It is a really nice venue and all in Marquees - so a bit vulnerable on a rainy weekend. There is a mixture of Art material trade stands and Painting tents with a mixed Craft marqee. Unfortunately for me customers had come mostly to purchase cut price painting materials ( which is what I did when I had the chance) I sold a few things but not enough to cover all the costs. Probably not the right venue for my stuff. But looking forward to Rufford next weekend.

My kiln is mended. - Thankyou 'Colin the Kiln Man'.

It seems to be working well. This is a jug I refired ( had been under fired in the disasterous kiln) So I have managed to salvage a couple of things.

unfortunately it has left me a little behind with orders and no last minute making for Rufford. I will have to work my socks off now for a while to catch up

I have a lot of these to make- this is obviously the year of the ladybird. I am really enjoying working to order at the moment. I was worried when I first set up that I would not get the practice in throwing that I needed to improve, but working to orders is really giving me a lot of throwing time and my pots are improving a lot. Unfortunately the down side is less time to develope ideas, of course. Ill have to work on that one , but in the meantime I m still a happy potter.

long time no blog

2010-05-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I last did a blog. When ever you are busy and have lots to show - you have less time to talk about it. The sun has been shiny and and the flowers have all come out. My front garden looks beautiful.I have planted andd weeded and watered my little socks off.

The lawn has grown buttercups. I dont mow this lawn until July and let all of the flowers self seed. It looks great in May but a bit tatty by the end of the summer. It is great for bugs and frogs.

My giant alliums are in flower. Thalia planted these last winter and forgot that they were there. She was really suprised by the size of them

I have also made a lot of pots but I have been struggling with a temperamental kiln. The glaze was not right and I kept getting a problem with crawling, much to my annoyance . Ive added more lead to the mix - assuming that I must have measured incorrectly.

Today the kiln did horrible things to a large order. I think an element or two has gone. The top of the kiln is underfired - horrible yellow chewy glaze and crawled / beaded all over.

On the bottom shelves the pots are toasted. black ladybirds and fried frogs. The glaze is blistered and bubbly. It probably means I have been needlesly messing about with my glaze.

My usual colours are all toasted.

At least I know that it is a 'Kiln' problem now and I can call out the repair man. Im afraid I am not technical or brave enough to tackle kiln electrics on my own.

Some were worse than others. This one was in the middle of the kiln and a bit runny, but may be ok as a second.

And this pea jug was fine - on the middle shelf again.So I retrieved a couple of things but the rest was really a right off.

So in a sulky mood I went down to the allotments and did digging - guarenteed to cheer me up a bit on the worst days. I found this chap amongst the potatoes. He is a newt hanging out in the cool mud. Newts are easy to photograph as they are too stupid to run away.

At the beginning of the week I took my girls and Baby Harley to the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham. Harley can now do fish impressions. So life 's still pretty good despite the irritation. Ill just have to get back to the grindstone for a while.

New Exibition and new pots at last

2010-04-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

Finally I managed to get back into the studio to make some more pots. I was beginning to get withdrawal tremours. I have spent a whole week playing with clay and merrily painting slip. What Bliss. I made some small frog bowls without the frog spawn and lots more things with ladybirds on as well the bee and daddylong legs things that I have made before. It is always best to do some new things.

I put together a box of things to take to Created Gallery in Chesterfield for the opening of Spring Sunday on 4th. May. I have an exhibition of work going up and I am very excited about showing it off here for the first time. The gallery is open for cakes and viewing on Sunday at 1pm
Created Gallery is run by Deirdre Gage who I met last year at Wirksworth Art Festival and is a fellow woodcrafter(now retired). For those who dont know -'woodcraft' is a p.c. version of Scouts/Brownies for people who want to bring there children up in a spirit of peace and co-operation - or as my son says we knit our underware from leaves and wear hats made of porridge - thanks James.

Thalia is giving Harley tuition to do his grade 1 piano - it may take some time as he cant reach the keys without a booster seat and falls off the chair half way through his pieces. But practice makes perfect.
I must have been hungover when I took these pictures or my eyesight is finally going.

New pots

2010-04-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

These are some of my more recent pots. I am trying to keep on top of the photography and recording anything a bit different to update my website later (when I am a little more rich)

It is shocking how quickly things move on.I cant keep up with myself.

Had another rather distracting day today, babysitting again.I cant complain because I spent a great day doting but now ill have to work all weekend which will annoy Talli.Cant seem to get out of the garden at the moment. all this dry weather means I must water my seeds-and while Im there I dig, weed, manur - its a compulsion.Found a fantastic toad in the compost heap. Im taking my sketchbook down tomorrow to see if hes still there.

BCTF fun and family but no pots

2010-04-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well its been a very funny few weeks. I havn't made a thing and Im beginning to get twitchy now through clay withdrawal.

I went to the BCTF in harrogate (a trade show where you set up stall and try to chat up gallery owners and shops). I stayed with some old family friends, Alison and John, which was really lovely. BCTF was a bit odd. Being trapped in a shed trying to sell work to galleries because I dont want to have to always sell my own work was a little ironic. The weather was lovely but sadly I missed it. The show was pretty good though. I was pleased with the response to my pots, got plenty of orders and some exhibitions which I am really looking forward to.This is the picture I took just after set up.

We went to Rufford just before Harrogate to check out the Northern Potters selected exhibition where I also have a few pots on show. Thalli took the chance to make a new friend. We called him little Jonny apple seed. He reminds me of my little brother - but not in dimensions.

We decided to save cash this week and the easiest way, it seems, is to sell your children off to service to the local gentry. So we have sent Talli to a large stately home in the Dales to work as a chamber maid. If nothing else it will save us a fortune in cake and free up the internet for ourselves.Some may notice the similarity between her Jesus costume and Victorian maid outfit, facilitated by the cunning use of lace. This also made a medieval princess and Mary in the nativity play. A very useful garment all round.

For the rest of the week I have been babysitting my grandson - int he sweet- while his mum does her driving lessons. Finally she passed!!!! congratulations Vic, but Ill miss the babysitting.

Today I picked up these two beauties in a hospice shop in Draycott. They are beautiful. Im so pleased with them I tried to find out where they come from with no luck - no marks- so if any one has any idea please let me know. MUST start making again tommorrow.

painting veg

2010-04-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have finished most of my stuff for BCTF this week. 'Early' which is pretty damned good.My display shelves are all sorted and I have chosen my pots - more or less. I just need to print off a few more price lists and stuff. I cant believe how much paper work and details that I still had to get sorted out- so the whole experience has probably done me a lot of good. Hopefully I will sound like a 'propper' potter now. The really good thing is that I havnt had time to get back into the clay this week so I have done some significant digging( which always cheers me up) and had another go at some painting. I painted veg - obviously.Maybe I might try to do some prints to sell.

My Anniversary

2010-03-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today was my 12th wedding anniversary. I forgot (as usual) but luckily Paul reminds me every year by helpfully buying roses in the exact number of years we have been married. Occasionally I have been given these roses and then taken all day to remember why.It took me years to work out that the number was increasing in sequence.Paul is always ready with helpful and patient prompts to my awful memory (or incredible ignorance) but every prompt reminds me most that 'Mary is from Mars and Paul is from Venus'. He helpfully reminded me of this fact after reading this book. I have not read it myself which says a lot really.

Paul has practiced this long suffering, adoring expresion just to make me feel guilty but it wont work (Martians dont experience guilt)

Finally I got away from the computer and did some gardening and decorated my pots. These small jugs were getting ladybird treatment. The world has errupted in sleepy eyed ladybirds this week so I thought I would add some to the pots and see how they look.
I have dug over a couple of beds and planted some garlic. Digging makes me happy.

These are the hellibores in my gaden, just comming to life. They are so quick once they get started. They are beautiful -especially the purple one.

The Press

2010-03-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to be writting a press release right now. I dont actually know what a press release should look like or why I might really want to write one and I cant manage to write things about myself without turning it into a corny spoof advert for a new range of garden tools.It is very hard to write in the third person and take it seriously. Prehapse thats the answer. I could write in in the first person and persuade Paul to alter all the 'I's' to 'She's'. -And what is a press pack? Thalia says that it is one of the plastic bases you get underneath a Pizza. I am building up to do the BCTF at Harrogate in April and suddenly find I need to create a lot of paper (or digital) things that I have never done before. Order forms and Invoicing and Press packs. I suppose this is called being in business - but I dont like it and as you can see I am avoiding doing it by blogging. I enjoyed taking photos though.This is my do-it-yourself photo studio with tracing paper stuck to chairs and white card.

and these are the sort of photos I can do with this system. Not very imaginative but they will do the job for now.

Spring has sprung in our house. The tomato seeds have germinated and I have planted the sweetcorn and broad beans etc - ready to go. I am paying the rent on the allotments this weekend. At £22. per year for a 100 x 30 foot plot you cant argue. My mother gets this half price as a pensioner.

I finally made a new house number. So there is no excuse now for the postman to not find me and maybe even my son maybe able to locate his home once in a while.

Ready for Spring

2010-03-10T00:37:00.000-08:00

Well Im ready. I have the seeds , Strawberries are waiting to go in to a new bed. All we need now is a bit of warmth and Im away.
Oh yes ansd about 10 days of spare time to dig over 2 allotments. Feels a bit daunting but also very exciting to start the whole cycle off again. I love spring.
I have been working all winter for a public interest company called Apple Core which runs educational groups and after school clubs about gardening and vegetables. The idea is to teach people how to grow ,and cook, their own veg. We plan to open a walled kitchen garden in the local park and open it up for groups and the public to see and try it out for themselves.
This last month the plans are becomming much more concrete and the lease is all but signed. Hopefully work is starting on the building and grounds this summer. All very exciting and a lot of work.
luckily I also love digging.

World Book Day

2010-03-04T23:23:00.000-08:00

yesterday was world book day and Talli decided to go to school as a character from the 'Bible'- guess which one! I wonder if her teachers will detect the less than holy side to her intentions?

My cabbage came out of the Kiln!! I was pleased with it but my mother winced when she saw it - this is probably not a good sign.

I now need to find a really good recipie for a lead free glaze as I cant use all that copper under a lead bisilicate glaze. Any good suggestions please send my way.

I also started to draw more bikes and tools on jugs and jars. I really love to have a chance to just play with it and put on what I like from the shed. Im never sure what they will turn out like but its only clay after all. If I cant sell them my family will be eating out of them for the next few years.The kilns on again this morning for another bisc fire. The last glaze that I made has crawled on some pots so I have been busy hoovering the kiln ( which is a second hand silver toploaded kiln I bought from a glass slumper.) The kiln is on its last legs. The lid is cracked and I worry every time I put it on that it will fall in. I wish I knew more about kiln maintenance - or was rich enough to buy a new one. So my first solution is to reduce the dust on the pots before glazing, then water down the bucket of glaze which I believe is too thick. Ill try that and see.

greenroofs

2010-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking over the idea of making a green roof over my studio. The roof is flat and already green in colour as it is covered in moss, but I really fancy the idea of growing a whole garden on top. According to the websites I have been looked at it should increase the life of my roof by 3x. http://livingroofs.org/ as well as being great for the overall area of green space and looking good. The only snag is that I need to get a structural survey done to check the roof will support the weight and I need to persuade Paul to agree to the cost (and the time it will take me to do it). Both of these things could be pretty hard to achieve as we are skint and I am already doing far too much. But never say never - if there is one thing I am known for it is dogged perseverence and bloody mindedness!!!

Still really longing for spring. I just cant get motivated when the garden looks so bleak. all I can do is burn things and tidy. I feel really affected by the season and want to hibernate still. My head is stuck in a post christmas coma. come on snowdrops- where are you ?!!!

Rhubarb

2010-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last couple of weeks making some Rhubarb forcers and outside pots. I was really pleased that I found a way to put my beetles onto the outside pots. I thought of using a bit of Lustre but have experimented with some gold leaf as a trial. I dont know how durable this will be. Unfortunately I need to return the wheel I borrowed to do the job so this is the last of my outdoor pots for now - till I can afford a Shimpo.

Just as well as I need to make some work for the Northern Potters exhibition at Rufford Craft Centre - 30th March to 9th May. They have asked for glazed slip and scraffito stuff so I need to stop getting distracted with other things now. Also beginning to panic about setting up for the BCTF in April as I dont have enough work and I have to do it 'all on my own'.

Will be staying with some old family friends which should be really good.

back to the grindstone then.

january snow

2010-01-15T13:39:00.001-08:00

What beautiful snow !!!! I have had so many fantastic snowy walks. Unfortunately I cant quite walk off my christmas fog.

I feel stuck in an endless life of disorganised and unmotivated days. I have achieved so little this last few weeks it is embarrassing .

I made a lemon squeezer, a customer asked for one but I didnt know how to make them. Luckily I found easy instructions in Josie Walters 'Pots in the Kitchen' book and had a go. I think it will work but I will fire it and try it before I commit myself.

I finished my frog bowl - still some room for improvements but I like the frogspawn. I fancy making little bowls with just frog spawn in. Puts me in mind of spring.I am longing for a bit of warm weather and a few snowdrops.

I made some cabbage and earwig plates over christmas - one way to get your 5 a day.
I was trying out taking photos of work on different surfaces as white backgrounds are a bit dull and have no context to them. I quite like tis one - its my garden bench that fell to pieces - remade into a square.

This weekend is the opening of our 'Earthworks' Exhibition in the Sam Scorer Gallery Lincoln
It is a joint exhibition between friends who have taught on or been students on the ceramics course at Derby Uni. We have got together as a group to exhibit and put this together. The open day is the first time I will see it all together as I had to leave before it was completed on Monday.

Time for a bit of walking before I get stuck in. I thinkl I am putting off all of those jobs I avoid - Applications, quote s, finance etc.. that I know I should do before I start making more work. Will have to start soon though as I have to supply a few galleries and get stuff made for B.C.T.F. and the Northern Potters Ass. exhibition at Rufford.
Should be a good year ahead though- once it gets going . I am into Rufford Earth and Fire and Potfest in the Pens.Just need to motivate myself out of my post christmas Fog.

Back to blogging

2009-12-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

I made a frog tile this week. I might try this on a bowl and give him some frogspawn.

Today I did a very unusual thing. I have sat and read a novel for a few hours. I didnt have to shop or work or clean or anything else. It's probably the first time in 3 years that I have done such a thing. In many ways I should be really pleased that life has been full and busy. It has certainly been busy!!! But I have to admit that Im ready for a break ( until I get bored - probably tomorrow)
I spent the morning with Tali in the allotments, cutting back the Autum Bliss raspberries and picking Brussel Sprouts. Unusally for a 10 year old , these are her favorite vegetables.
This week I took the last of my Christmas orders out of the kiln and I am making nothing else until after Christmas - so mince pies and port, walking and reading are my plan for the week - also playing board games with Tali and pat-a-cake with Harley ( my grandson)
My new year resolution should be to be a better, more regular, blogger but last years resolution was not to make any resolutions - so I cant.
Merry Christmas

Lustre

2009-11-13T10:44:00.001-08:00

Helen, Ryan and I set up our stalls for the lustre weekend with butterflies in our stomaches. It was great! Helen brown had this smile stuck to her face all weekend so Im guessing she did well. Ryan said he sold out of egg cups. How many did you bring though Ryan?

Well I had a really great weekend. I was shocked at how many pots I have sold . It feels like all of that hard work was worth it.
Does this mean Im a propper potter now.?I had a lot of fun parked next to a couple of furniture designers from Notts who had obviously drank too much coffee and would not stop singing bad 1980 s pop songs. My jaw aches from excesive smiling and talking. I usually spend the week hiding out in my cave(studio) and speaking only to answere back to the radio. Its a shock to the system to do small talk so many times.

On Monday I have a give a talk to first year students about what Ive done since leaving Uni - That ll be a short talk then. He s booked me in for 2 hours !!! I dont think so.It gives me jaw ache just reading my notes. I m not looking forward to this one.

birthday boy

2009-11-04T14:11:00.001-08:00

It was my eldest sons birthday on 1 st November. He was 25. I cant believe that he has become so old and yet I have obviously been suspended in time. I have learned many things about being a mother but I still have not managed to:

1. not bite when he provokes

2. not automatically clear things up before anyone else has a chance to move

3.not assume that he is in hospital if he doesn't phone

4. not even attempt to find a present that he would actually want.

still working on it though.I am still an hugely proud Mum - especially of break dancing antics

xxx Happy Birthday James xxxxx

toad in the hole

2009-10-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Nic for the picture . This is my casserole dish in action - with toad -in- the- hole. Its years since Ive made toad -in -the -hole.

it brings to mind many freaky ideas for decorations on pots which I shouldn't allow myself to dream up.---- too late. ive already done it. will post a picture when its made !

new pots

2009-10-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

These are my new pots out of the kiln today. I love to take out new pots . Its like Christmas!!

They go in so flat and dry and come out like huge boiled sweets. I have a bowl with bees for my lovely friend Rona who has ordered it as a birthday present - Happy Birthday Diana, and a casserole with spots for Nic. I hope your spoons fit in the handles.

Also I made a frog. Trying out a new design. I quite like it but may try some blue water colour in there too.

Also this week I found this chair in a skip. I hope to find the time to restore it ( in time for sitting on at Christmas)

Still working hard for Lustre this week. This will be my last round of making before the show.

Apple Picking

2009-10-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

It is apple season and I have made a start at picking the apples from the trees. There are 2 apple trees in the allotments and one in the garden. There are so many apples that the branches are almost touching the ground.Its all that rain we ve had and some late summer sunshine, wasnt it gorgeous. I spent all last night making apple pies for the 'apple core group'. to sell. This is a community interest company that promotes local, organic, home grown food. We are planning o set up a community walled kitchen garden.

So a bakathon was needed to pay for an information stand at the Derby Uni Freshers Fair.The pies went down well!!

2009-10-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Bisc fired my first kiln full of pots this week. I am trying to complete commissions and make work for 'Lustre' - the show I am doing in Nottingham at the beginning of November. I hadn't realised just how much time it was going to take to set up, and of course nothing quite works as you expect it to in a new studio. I have a lot of creases to iron out.

this week I am working around the builders who are laying a new floor ( after knocking down several walls and moving the kitchen out to make space for my kiln) It means moving all my furniture betwee 3 rooms in a week. Its day 1 and Im already exhausted. Lee and Dean had very helpful advice on plaster mixers - must get one of those!!

I tried out a new signature for my pots? not sure but it looks quite cute.

The builders are back!

2009-10-05T11:49:00.001-07:00

My house is chaos, the floor is up and all the furniture is cramped into a small spare room.
I dont know if I will survive this week without chocolate.

Exhibition at Nottingham

2009-09-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

I am exhibiting at Lustre in nottingham Lakeside Gallery on 7th and 8th of November.
Lustre is a makers exhibition and draws in a real range fantastic craftspeople from the area so its a fantastic opportunity for me to be involved. Im really looking forward to it but a bit scared. Franticly making pots to restock after a pretty successful summer at Rufford and Wirksworth.

My first blog

2009-09-24T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog. I havnt a clue what Im doing and im very glad I have a friend who does on the end of the phone - thank you Dawn x. I was planning to add pictures and posts about what I am doing and making as I go along but I suppose I wont know until I get started. So here goes.