Imagine Gallery

Where have the last few days gone?

I "dunno".

The week has been a bit of a blur, I do know that it has been dominated by ALICE events

but I'm not sure what happened on what day, or when I did what.

Blimey! I'm even starting to write in an Alice confused way.

Well at least I'm confused

I'm trying to remember what things have been delivered and what things I have been to collect

from around the country, I think that it is tiredness that has me trying to concentrate.

"Right", I do remember that I had some incredibly beautiful Alice tiles arrive from

Iris Milward.

I love everything that she produces, but this time it was exceptional.

I will not say more as I haven't yet taken any photographs of what arrived,

just wait and see.

The last day and night have been taken up with a "whistle" stop tour of Somerset, Devon, and?

Well, I'm not sure what counties I visited to be honest,  thanks to the magic of Satnav,

but I do know that I met some lovely artists, photographed some incredible workshops

[I mean Studios]

drove through some beautiful countryside, and all on one of the nicest this year has offered.

After four hours driving and a night sleeping in the car in a motorway car park

I was delivered breakfast by the lovely Claire Baker.

Claire who is still in the early stages of he new career makes the most exciting ceramics.

In spite of the fact she has only been producing this work for a year or so

she has already made a large impact on the "art scene", and has been taken up by many galleries and stores including Liberty of London.

I just know that she is going on to great things, and they couldn't happen to a nicer individual.

Claire was the instigator and inspiration behind the whole Alice exhibition.

After next weekend I will have to kiss her [poor girl] or hit her as never has an event

occupied my imagination as much as this.

But it has all been fun, so thank you for that Claire.

Her work has to be seen to be appreciated, it looks so old

yet very contemporary at the same time.

It attracts children of all ages, it is the stuff that dreams are made from.

Having collected Claire's ceramics as well as her lovely breakfast I waved goodbye and continued on my adventures into beautiful Devon.

Well it certainly was beautiful on this chosen day, it reminded me of what it was like to have a holiday. 

Days long in the past unfortunately, but at least having my "little trips"

gives the batteries a charge up now and again.

Next stop was at the cottage of Ross Emerson.

Ceramic clock maker.

Arriving at his home and finding him and his wife enjoying coffee on a terrace overlooking

woodland had me thinking what I have always thought in the past

" an artists life is ideal".

I now understand and appreciate that this isn't the case, but for just a minute or so I did think

"sod it I'm going to be an artist".

Ross is one of the nicest, gentle [if I'm allowed to say that about a male] makers of ceramics

that I have come across.

He is thoughtful and considerate, certainly the piece that he had made for the exhibition had

been given a lot of thought, and time and effort.

It was lovely that he had gone to such trouble to produce a "one off" for our exhibition.

I enjoyed my short stop.

I wasn't able to stay too long as Ross was going Salmon fishing for the afternoon.

"Hey ho", an artists life for me.

Apart from his work and lovely cottage the most memorable thing was his beautiful studio,

set in a valley looking out into the trees.

He told me that building in that situation was a great idea  when he was younger but now he regrets it every time he has to carry work up the long track to the house.

"Great", I thought, at least not everything is perfect.

Ross lives with a very talented wife who makes string instruments [violins etc], and with their

combined abilities they have created an artists haven.

I will return, photograph them and their home and tell you more about there lives.

One day.

After leaving I ate my breakfast [very late] on a hillside overlooking the fields and valleys,

with buzzards drifting, spring lambs calling and a light mist rising.

It was the few minutes spent doing this that will give me images in my mind for years to come.

Next was a long promised call at the home of Amanda Popham.

Amanda the potter.

It is strange that if I where to mention her to many of the "big names" in the ceramic world

few will know of her existence.

But what is a delight to me is that she "outsells" them all.

Her work sells to the "ordinary public" who aren't aware of what they should like or dislike.

Well, that's not totally true as her work is collected worldwide and often appears in auction rooms in London.

Her work is delightful and very childlike, I keep telling myself that I must buy a piece

for myself, before it is too late [expensive].

I love it, it moves me very much, and I am really proud that in September she is having a

'One Woman Show' of her ceramics with us.

Amanda has given us a "very" unusual Alice jug for the exhibition.

If it is here long I will be very surprised as we have more collectors than we have ceramics.

That was the last of the days good points,

what remained was hours of driving, including being in a "traffic jam" for an hour while passing

Stonehenge.

I couldn't help but feel very sad looking out of the car window at this monument,

surrounded by wire and tourists, and with a three mile line of cars a 150 metres away.

Something has gone wrong.

Still for me something was right

 after twenty six hours and six hundred miles I had the treat of three

Old English Sheepdogs

excited to see me when I arrived home.

Some things in life are very good.

Above are the clock by Ross, his studio. Pieces by Claire and Amanda's jug.