Journey's End

As more time passed since writing the last post the more I understood that there was little chance that I would write anything until after the exhibition had opened.

I had done so much travelling, visited so many potters and stayed in so many different locations that life and events were becoming a blur. I needed to record things as they happened as I knew that I would just not have enough time before the exhibition opened. Now it has, I am trying to remember different things, here are just a few of my jumbled thoughts.

I have many good memories from my travels, especially the day that started at the pottery of 

Mike Dodd, followed by my first visit to the new studio of Paul Jessop which is set in such a beautiful location. Then a few miles further on to collect the pots from John Leach.

He may now have a white beard [ hhhmmmm! So have I ] but he still seems such a young man, full of life and enthusiasm. I would have liked to have stayed to talk with him longer but Richard Batterham

had told me "I will expect you early afternoon", and that was just not going to happen.

"Give Richard my love", John called as I drove out of his yard and onto the road.

Reflecting on my visit to see Richard it has me thinking that it is a shame that I can't tell of each individual visit in detail, at every pottery there was enough happening to write a chapter or two,

but, "alas" it would take too long.

I have always admired the simple but beautiful pots made by Richard Batterham, so as a result I am a little in awe of him which tends to make me a little "tongue tied" [not many people will believe that].

I should not have worried because [as on a previous visit] his natural charm and humour had me relaxed. He told me that he had given the exhibition much thought, he had decided that he felt that it was my exhibition, as such he thought that I should choose the pots that I wanted to take not what he felt that I should take.

Have you ever felt like a child in a toyshop?

So one lovely summer evening found me leaving Richard and the county of Dorset to travel on to the coast of Devon, where I was to stay in a hotel by the sea.

This was Hartland point, a beautiful location. Just a Pub set upon a cliff above the sea.

My hazy memories of that stay were listening to the local brass band playing outside as the sun sank slowly into the sea, then the following morning awaking forgetting where I was and being surprised by

what I was seeing and hearing.

Through my open window the sight of Lundy Island and the sound of the waves.

A beautiful sight on a beautiful morning, shared by only one other person, a lone fisherman who was placing a lobster pot from his small boat.

No time to tell more.

But from my lodgings on to visit another Grandson of Bernard Leach. 

The potter, Philip Leach.

All I will mention of that visit is that he is the first potter for many years who has been able to entice me

with Tea Bowls. I couldn't resist them they were so simple and really reminded me of the old pots made by Shoji Hamada.

I also left him with a "F*****g" jug. This I will have to explain in the future when I have taken a photograph of it. It sold immediately the exhibition opened and it would have sold many times more.

I wanted to buy it myself.

Then there was a visit to Clive Bowen's pottery set in deep rural countryside.

I really enjoyed my visit there, he and Rosie were so very nice to me, and what was rewarding was that he was treating the exhibition with some seriousness.

"When I looked at the potters involved I knew that I would have to present my best work".

To make things easier for me they had put together a selection of around 25 pieces that they felt would be fitting for the exhibition. From this selection I was to choose 5 or 6.

So I left for home with eleven in the back of the van.

I will put pictures of different places and pots on at a different time, of course none will make sense as they will be out of sequence. Still better late than never.

While I was off travelling other pots were being delivered or sent to the gallery, it seemed that things were starting to pick up pace as the exhibition loomed ever nearer.

However there was still so much to do and other journeys to make,

and for the first time a little apprehension started to creep into my thoughts.

"What if we couldn't get everything ready in time".

These thoughts were interspersed with feelings of confidence as pot after pot was unpacked at the gallery, there were so many beautiful pieces to choose from, each one an exhibition item in its own rite.

 But just how was I going to display this quantity of pots yet give each piece its own special place?

More cause for worry, but sometimes I think I enjoy having something to worry about.

I mean, just how can I solve a problem if I haven't created one to start with?

Anyway, now at last the exhibition is finally open.

Perhaps I will tell of that in a couple of days or so, but before then I will have to show more pictures

and make mention of another trip and different events along my journey towards the opening of this show. Until then here are another two pictures of Isaac Button.

The man who inspired the exhibition and who is responsible for filling my life excitement, stress,

plus also a great deal of pleasure.

Because of him I have found new friendships, without him I would never have visited the various places I have recently seen.

.....................So leaving Skipton I headed into the Dales of Yorkshire, taking a route dictated by 'satnav', about I often have doubts but always tend to think "satnav knows best", and considering that I never know where I am, I feel it is best to do as the "Lady" tells me. Although I must admit sometimes I change over to that "Aussie" guy who sounds like fun and seems to know our countryside just as well as that "upper class" English woman.

For example she has never said "Jeez, John you have chucked a left and I told you go right".

Anyway, taking roads I have never travelled I drove off into the rain and mist of north Yorkshire.

What a drive it was.

Even in the poor light of late evening with pouring rain I have rarely encountered such beauty.

If not before, I realised that evening that so much of my heart and soul belonged here in the Dales.

The beauty and softness of the colours has to be seen to be believed.

Passing through soft gentle valleys bisected by stone walls, then onto cliff side landscapes it was truly awe inspiring and made me understand why so many have fallen in love with this landscape.

I can vividly recall making a very sharp right turn while my eyes were looking left,

the sight of a waterfall plunging from a rocky gorge set between gentle green fields was so very much like a scene from Lord of the Rings, and yet again I questioned why the English novel couldn't have been filmed in this country?

Perhaps that's why Peter Jackson is rich and I just run a gallery.

Of course, as usual I digress and have become distracted, but only because of the beauty of this

wonderful part of the UK.

My destination was of course 'The Green Dragon", at Hardraw.

My home from home.

Arriving there late in the evening I was greeted with "Hello John how are you"?

As if I had only left the evening before.

This just from the young girl who works there. I instantly felt at home, and although my key was offered immediately I opted to stay at the bar and have a drink "or two".

Within minutes I was in conversation with a local farmer [I cant understand a word he says] who

remembered me from a previous visit.

What an honour, to be accepted by the everyday people of this area.

I hasten to say that it is not because I buy them a drink, because I don't and it is not expected,

it is just about talking and being friendly, something that used to be common.

An hour later I wandered of to my rooms [yes rooms] and after contemplation of my day was soon asleep, only to awaken hours later by the television that I had left on.

It was a good programme, but I can't remember what it was.

I had been told that breakfast was "whenever you feel like it", which is my sort of timing.

So when I was eventually awake and refreshed I wandered over to the main building to enjoy my

"full English breakfast".

Something I only eat when I am here at the "Dragon".

As I entered the bar/ breakfast/lunch/dinning room [a room so very Withnail and I]

I heard Mark the owner talking in the next room.

I stopped to observe him, just for the pleasure of it.

He turned to look at me.

" John, nice to see you, or should I say good to see you"?

I corrected him and said "No, it should be John its very good to see you".

"You are right it is, come and give me a hug".

So we put our arms out and cuddled for a while, and it was very good. Good to feel part of a different family, and good to feel welcomed at this unusual Inn.

Plus good to have a man who wasn't embarrassed to hold you in his arms.

It was a good homecoming.

"So what are you having, all of that fattening stuff"?

"Yes Please".

While eating my high cholesterol and I am sure very unhealthy breakfast we talked and caught up on past and recent events.

"Oh! Collecting pots are you? Well know this man who is pottery mad, he would sell his house for a pot. You must go and talk with him, his name is Peter".

Two hours later I left the inn to visit to collect pots from the American potter Ron Geering, who was staying at his Yorkshire "holiday" cottage about an hours drive away.

He had brought some pots with him for our Legacy exhibition, and although I had an idea what they might look like I couldn't wait to see them and meet him.

I called him just before I left the Dragon.

"I will be with you in an hour".

But, before setting off I decided to visit a small local antique shop that sometimes has old pots on show.

This visit they did not have very much, so after a quick browse I left.

Walking past the window back to my car I did a quick "double take" at the window display.

There in the centre of an old 'Dresser' sat a small

'puzzle jug'.

Without knowing why I knew who it was made by, so I walked back inside.

"Can I help you sir".

"I just want to look at the puzzle jug in the window please".

"You will want to purchase that" he told me.

"I doubt it I'm a tight git", I replied.

He climbed into the window and came back with the small Jug. "It is made by a potter called

Isaac Button", he announced.

Which was exactly what I thought.

It is now mine and will feature in the exhibition, in fact it might be for sale.

The owner of the shop told me that he went searching for pots with a good friend of his named Peter.

The very same Peter that Mark had told me about.

"Oh, he has a wonderful collection of Isaac Button pots, you should go and see him,

I will give him a call and arrange it for you".

Ten minutes later I rushed out of the antique shop with my destination Cumbria,

to vist "Peter".

Peter Strong, had told me that he could see me but only if it was "now".

So despite my promise to be with Ron Geering in an hour I set off heading further north and west towards Cumbria, the home of the Lake District.

This felt so exciting, I genuinely felt like I was on a treasure quest, after all who knew what ceramic treasure this visit might behold.

I must admit it the drive wasn't without a certain amount of guilt. After all I was supposed to be somewhere else, visiting a man who had travelled across the Atlantic to bring me some pots.

But, I couldn't help myself, the fever was upon me.

Pottery Gold.

However, the feeling of guilt did have me stop on occasions to explain to Ron where I was going, but of course with the terrain my calls were going nowhere.

"What the Heck", this was an adventure.

So an hour later I drove down the track towards a beautiful, traditional Lakeland cottage.

In fact one I have passed a long time ago on a previous visit to Cumbria.

My thoughts then had been "what a beautiful home I wished I live there, I wonder how they live.

Now I know.

The cottage is owned by Peter and and his wife,.

It is a remarkable home, unrestored and untouched by time, the main room dominated by the old traditional [and working] "range". It was like stepping into the past, but with a difference.

Every, and I mean EVERY surface and floor area was covered with pots.

Old pots. old English slip ware pots.

In fact they must own the largest collection of slipware pots in the UK, that includes museums.

It was an incredible experience.

Considering that we had never met and that he had to be elsewhere within an hour Peter was incredible generous, with his time, knowledge and ceramics.

He is the man who worked for a short time with Isaac Button and took over his pottery for four years after Isaac's retirement.

There is much I could tell of what he told me but they are not my stories to tell.

He is working on a book. In fact he is working on many projects.

For me the most important being, that he owns all of the "out takes" from the original film.

The film maker John Anderson gave them to him.

They are in a poor condition but Peter is slowly restoring the film, on completion he will have a 'Master Copy' made, and in time we will all get to see the result. In fact in length it will be as long as the original.

This is treasure and history.

Peters own memories of Isaac are a book in themself.

Who knows maybe one day I might write them, but more likely it will be his wife and partner who is equally obsessed with old pottery.

Before he left to go to another commitment Peter chose [and asked me to choose] several

Isaac Button pots for display in our exhibition.

I understand from our conversations since that meeting that he would have let me have many more if we had known each other a little longer

 this I understand.

He was a very generous man and the pots and pictures he has loaned me can be seen at the exhibition.

Of the pictures that I left with, he only allowed me pictures taken by John Anderson

that have been published, but he showed me "real" pictures from history that only a few have seen.

So with regret and a promise of future friendship we parted to travel in different directions.

Him, I don't know where.

For me a very overdue visit to the cottage of Ron Geering, famous American potter.

Famous, well they are my words, I know Ron would prefer "just a potter".

The evening eventually found me outside his cottage.

I had driven through torrential rain, hail, then sunshine before I knocked on the door of

'Dingle Cottage', set on the cobbled street in a very old village.

Conveniently only yards form the village pub, but one I was too late to visit.

I don't know why but as expected I was welcomed inside like a very old friend.

In truth we are friends, but friends who have never met, and I found that my eyes kept returning to his face with my mind thinking

"is this really you"?

It was a really lovely visit and I do truly hope I can return before Ron and his wife Barbara

"go back home".

It is such a strange feeling to have these friendships from afar.

In their cottage

displayed upon a table for me was a selection of Ron's work for me to choose from for our exhibition.

So in true John fashion I announced

"I will take the lot".

From the stunning giant "chargers" down to the simple country 'Whale' whistles,

they are now all mine.

Well actually they aren't but they are here at the gallery, if you know what I mean.

After too much of my talking and much of Ron and Barbara's time we eventually parted company so that I could head back home, it was only about five hours later than I had anticipated.

Again I set off following the directions from 'satnav'.

I intended to call at the "Dragon" to say good bye and from there I knew the route home.

But for once 'Satnav' was wrong,

It took me off the road and high up into the dales, I'm sure it was the route taken by Crows but never my humans.

It was a journey I will never take again but one I will never forget.

The views were breathtaking, and so was the temperature.

Very high up I had to stop to take in the panorama.

To my left were the black skies towards south Yorkshire, then brilliant sunlight pouring though the hills towards the Lake district, in front of me a white mist, or so I thought but it turned out to be snow.

To my extreme right were the gentle lower dale, bathed in evening sunlight. 

I couldn't take a picture that captured the scene but it is locked in my mind.

Half an hour later I pushed through the door of the 'Green Dragon' to say "goodbye".

I was greeted by Yvonne with her arms out for a hug.

"John you have come back to us".

"Only to say bye, I'm off home now".

As I turned to go Mark the owner called out "John".

"Yeah".

" I love you. You know that don't you"?

I do.

I love the area, the landscape, the honest people and the openness of emotions, is it any wonder I long to return?

Driving along the motorway and through the night I had a lot to reflect upon.

If it had not been for Isaac Button the potter and John Anderson the filmmaker I would not have experienced these small adventures.

Small events but in my life very significant.

So much later in the early hours of the morning I pulled into our drive at home.

Of course there to great me were my wife, children and three beautiful dogs who smothered me with doggy kisses.

I often feel sad and think too deeply upon events, and sometimes I am in a dark place with my thoughts,

but on this occasion I could only think upon the words of the old potter Harry Juniper.

"Isn't life wonderful, isn't life grand".

It made me think what a very lucky person I am, to have a loving family that lets me wander off at times and have these little adventures and lets this old man once again become

a young boy.

Of course all of the pots above are Ron's with exception of the little Puzzle Jug

which was made by Isaac.

There are times when I feel that I am standing still, getting nothing done and not moving forward,

although there is always lots to be done in the gallery, at the moment I am rarly getting home before 10.00pm each night, which must be wrong, but the days seem to slip through my fingers

with nothing being achieved except answering correspondence

and talking to people who have an interest in the different art that we exhibit.

Of course things are achieved but they "creep up on you" and never seem exciting at the time.

Then, I have a couple of days like last week, when the two days felt like two weeks.

So much seemed to be accomplished in such a short space of time and the memories built up to make that short time seem so very long, plus they are good memories, exciting and fun.

Well, some of them.

So, a week ago I left the gallery in the late evening heading north for Yorkshire.

It was time to start collecting ceramics for our next exhibition.

LEGACY

The exhibition of potters influenced by

Isaac Button - Country Potter

I have a sneaky feeling that this exhibition will creep up on me slowly and the suddenly overtake me, with everything running very late.

For once I am determined that this will not happen, although it is still very likely considering that I am dealing with potters.

Potters. They are never on time because nothing is ever good enough and they think that there is always time to make just one more pot or to have perhaps one more firing of the kiln.

I suppose this is why I like them, it seems that with many of them it is a case of

"it's too not bad, but I bet the next one will be perfect",

which of course never happens.

My first stop was at a 'Travelodge' on the M1 motorway, not a very inspiring location but one just a few miles from where I was heading the following morning,

to see the famous potter John Hudson.

Of course John would never conceive the notion that he is famous, but famous he is.

He supplies museums, archaeology groups, historical re-enactors and historians throughout the UK.

His understanding of ceramics, especially historical pieces is second to none.

I can't think of a single museum in the country that doesn't refer to him or stock his ceramics.

Not only does he make copies of old ceramics [from all periods] but he actually re-creates the kilns that they would have been fired in.

A very intelligent, very talented but very modest potter.

I had met him several times before and he had told me

"I don't supply galleries".

But of course sometimes something comes along that even he can't resist, and luckily for me this was to be one of those occasions.

John is a ceramic historian, as such he understood the importance of 'Isaac Button' and the impact he has made on the potters of today.

So, mid morning I arrived at John's pottery.

A pottery unlike any I have ever visited. I have long become accustomed to referring to potters "sheds" as "studios" but with the best will in the world I could never call John's pottery a studio,

nor would he want me to.

It is just an old fashioned potters workshop, perhaps one we will never see the like of again.

For instance he showed me his "stock of clay", and pointed towards a heap of weeds and grass.

I know that some potters occasionally fill a carrier bag with raw clay the boast they are working from the earth, but this was totally different, there was just a mound of dirt and weeds.

But I was to learn that this clay was dug from the very same hillside that was used by Isaac Button.

Soil Hill.

In fact John's pottery is about as close as you can come to owning a "Button" pot.

Although the pottery is very primitive in looks, it is very well conceived in the layout for production,

it is as close as you will ever come to visiting a pottery from another time.

John himself was an absolute gentleman, despite the fact that he had little time to spare as he is trying

to produce an exhibitions worth of pots before visiting hospital for a major operation.

He devoted the best part of a day with me. Teaching, and helping in my understanding of country pottery and the life of Isaac Button.

I told him that I intended to visit the famous old pottery after leaving him.

"It's a great site, I still visit to dig my clay there", he told me.

"In fact I even have a "Button" brick.

"Button" brick? 

I came to learn that the Button family had actually made their own bricks which were used for the creation of the pottery buildings.

Wow! I couldn't wait to go there, who knows I might find a Button brick, that became my new ambition.

Just imagine, having a brick made by the "man" that was created to build his pottery.

Of course before I set off I had to make a selection of pottery made by John that would be included in the exhibition.

What a task, sometimes it is easier just to be given some boxes with the words

"off you go that's it".

But John made it harder by letting me "rummage" amongst his collection.

Everything I selected he let me take, with one exception, that is the jug above.

"No, you can't have that, its got a fault.

Well you can have it, but you can't sell it as it isn't good enough. It can be used to pour drinks at the opening of the exhibition."

So, now it is mine and I will pour cider from it at the opening, after that it is coming home with me.

John told me.

"People say that us Yorkshire folk don't give anything away, perhaps you can now tell them different.

So I have.

Late in the afternoon I left John and his wonderful pottery and drove north, filled with excitement,

heading off to the land of 'Isaac Button'.

I had many expectations but no idea what to expect, but I knew this would be a real experience.

One I now regret and one I hadn't never expected.

It doesn't really matter if you like the old fashioned pots that Isaac made,

It is a fact that he has become something of a legend, he was just a simple country potter.

One of many, but one of the last.

It is the film of his last firing that has made him something of a cult figure, deservedly so.

He represents the changing of an era, a time lost forever in English culture,

a time when pots were made for daily use for ordinary folk.

Pots to be used, cooked in, poured from, drunk from, and often broken,but that didn't matter,

the potters job was to make them, again and again, because they were needed.

How often can we say that now?

So, driving up a hill along pot-holed lane, full of excitement,

I wasn't prepared for the sight of the location that I eventually arrived at.

The actual lane [Coal Lane] or track stopped about a hundred metres from the old pottery.

Although I was tempted to get out and walk from my hired van the pouring rain made me drive to the very limit of the track, from there it was just mud which lead up to an ominous looking house on the hillside. A house surrounded by cars.

I believe that once it was Isaac's cottage although I doubt he would recognise it now.

It gave off an aura, that aura spelt "trouble".

Still as I have been told I have a very active imagination, plus nothing was going to stop me looking at the pottery.

Apart from the fact it didn't exist anymore.

Very little of the original pottery remained, in fact the only portion untouched was the old kiln room

and the kiln.

What a sorry sight.

Surrounded by old car engines, scrap and rubbish, stood the remnants of this famous structure.

A piece of history reduced to rubble.

Why?

Why, so someone can build houses on the site.

Although I had intended to I won't tell much of my visit.

It wasn't pleasant, I was intimated, but I was offered a "Button" brick for a £100 pounds.

Guess what? I declined.

I was also questioned.

"These pictures you are taking, they aren't going to appear on the Internet are they"?

For the sake of my own well being I lied "of course not".

So here they are.

I have many others and I just wonder why they must not be seen.

This is an important piece of English history that is being demolished so what is wrong with showing people?

One thing for sure is that I don't have the courage or desire to return.

What is such a shame is there are so many shards of pottery protruding from the mud,

one such piece was a portion of a "bread crock" complete with the handle.

I would have loved to have taken it to present to the potter John Leach as he had told me that it was from watching the old film of Isaac that taught him how to make his handles.

I regret I didn't have the courage to pick it from the mud, 

that is a shame as even today John told me that whenever he makes those handles he thinks of

Isaac Button.

A piece of history buried in the mud, or maybe that is where it should remain.

Encased in the earth it was formed from.

With the evening becoming later, darker and much wetter I drove back down the track to the main road and headed north to the Dales, which is where my real "Button"adventures started.

To be continued.........................

Writing this all I can hear is the sound of "ticking".

I have a sneaky feeling this is because I am surrounded by about a dozen of the incredible clocks by the sculptor 'Ross Emerson'.

This weekend we are holding our first solo exhibition of his work, it had been planned for September

but unfortunately the sculptor whose work we had planned to show is very ill, in fact he is in hospital.

The good news is that he is recovering and we now hope to exhibit his work maybe at the end of this or early next year. However, this did leave us with an empty space on our calendar and I really was at a loss to think how we could fill it.

I really couldn't think of anyone who could create enough work in a short time, until my thoughts

turned to Ross.

His work is very time consuming and as a result he is constantly working without a break just to keep ahead of the demand from the various galleries that are always asking for his unusual ceramics.

I wondered if there might be a chance that I could "jump the queue" and get him to bring his exhibition forward so that it would give me time to reorganise the rest of the year.

It was a tall order to ask but as they say "don't ask don't get".

So I did ask.

Ross being the kind and generous artist that he is, understood my problem but explained that it would create many for himself, but he said that he would give it thought and come back to me.

Two days later he did, "Yes" it was on.

He explained that he would "just have to start work earlier and finish later".

It is easy to understand why I like him so much, he is just one of those very rare artists who just can't bring himself to let people down, even when it is no fault of his own.

So it was that last weekend I found myself travelling south again to visit his studio in Devon.

Although I am a frequent visitor to the home and studio of Ross I still find the the view of his workplace amazing, nestled in its own small valley and surrounded by trees.

In fact one side is built on stilts because of the valley slope and outside there is a balcony which has a view of the woodland. How he manages to get anything created with the many natural distractions I just don't know, but work he does.

I also find it hard to come to terms with the fact that he makes such very contemporary work in such a rural setting. I am sure that any first time visitor to this pottery would expect to find simple utilitarian ceramics, the sort of objects that Ross himself  uses daily in the family cottage.

But no, this is a very modern workshop.

On each visit I am surprised by the quantity and quality of work that I find, all in various stages of construction, and it is the manner of the construction that I really find truly fascinating.

There is a great deal going on in the mind of Ross Emerson, and all of it very inventive.

I once spoke with the potter Peter Starkey, [a famous potter well published and collected] about Ross as at one time in the past he ran a studio where Ross trained.

"Whatever anyone thinks about Ross's work they will never find a better craftsmen, his techniques and

ability are truly amazing, his understanding of clay and glazes are first class". He told me.

What he said is true, I have often asked Ross how he creates some of his pieces and although he explains in detail I am often lost, as they are just so clever in their construction.

He truly understands the material with which he works.

I do really enjoy "nosing" around his studio, discovering things.

Some are discarded pieces [that I would love to own] of ceramics, others are old pieces of paper with idea's and designs sketched upon them.

Sometimes, with the absence of available paper he will sketch on the table or the walls, just so that he can capture the idea that is in his mind before it has gone.

So it was that I found and photographed the drawing above.

"This looks interesting, what's it about"? I asked him

"Oh I wish you hadn't seen that, it is an idea I have had for years and at last I have actually made it for my exhibition with Imagine. It was meant to be a surprise when you unpacked it".

The next morning back at the gallery I did unpack it.

Even though I now had a hint of what I might find I was still mesmerised when I took the sculpture from the box, it is fantastic.

Although you can not see it from the angle of my photograph the face of the

"Westminster Organ Player" [grinder] is a perfect charecture of our beloved Prime Minister.

It is so well made with great attention to detail, plus it tells the time.

Ross has told me that it took him two weeks to make, "I will never do it again".

It is a piece of sculpture that I would love to own.

I am not sure what to name it in the price list catalogue.

I have been thinking maybe

"Same Old Song"

or perhaps

"Different Tune, Same Old Words."

Suggestions very welcome.

 I truly have to say that these pictures of different pots I am showing are "in no particular order",

 the simple reason being that this wasn't the order I was trying to display them.

It really must be an age thing, that or the buggers [at blogger] are "mending" what isn't broken yet again.

I hope so because at least it is keeping someone in a job.

This is a selection of ceramics by various potters that are to be involved in our 'LEGACY' exhibition.

What pieces we will actually have on show I don't know as yet but these are from the selection of various images that have been sent to me for inclusion in our promotion, plus with luck [and enough time] we will also be producing our own publication for the opening, in which case these are a small 

sample of what will be included.

Some of the 'actual' exhibition pieces will start arriving next week.

This will be very early as the exhibition doesn't open until at least eight weeks time but I will be glad

to have pieces here as I have a very strong feeling that this particular exhibition is going to become very stressful as the opening date draws closer.

We have so many plans for what we intend to do that there is plenty of scope for much to go wrong, so actually have exhibition pieces here will remove a lot of the major stress,

also it will give me the opportunity to photograph and show you the actual pieces that arrive. 

So, above are pots by John Leach, Tony Clennell and Ruthanne Tudball.

I am positive that we will have the bottle by John, or at least a similar version.

This I am really happy about because it was a picture of one of these bottles that made me want to start a pottery many, many years ago. What is nice is that he still produces pieces the same [but better]

as he has been producing throughout his career. There is something very comforting about this,

 it feels that perhaps time isn't moving too fast.

The jug by Tony? Well I know that we won't have that one and in fact I think we are racing against the clock with him as he is building a new kiln, it is from this kiln that we are hoping to have a few pots.

So, fingers crossed.

Ruthanne! What can I say?

One of the most consistent and reliable potters that I know [plus a very nice person], so I am sure that that jug will be on display, if not its twin.

I think one of the things that I am most excited  about is the diversity of the ceramics that we will be showing.

The only common link being, they are all potters who acknowledge the importance of Isaac Button,

or they are country potters working much like he did.

Although the styles are very different and are being produced by potters on different continents all of the pots on display will be made by "country potters", their work and studios may vary

but at heart they are country potters sharing a common bond. 

For instance the jug above by Mark Tichiner is so very different from the bottle below by Jeremy Steward, but to me they both look and have the spirit of country pottery.

I find them all exciting in their very different ways, I can imagine the delight that it would bring to

pour a cup of tea from Ruthanne's teapot in the same way that it would give pleasure to see the jug by Harry Juniper full of flowers, 

Even though it is a 'Harvest Jug'.

Of course as such it should be be filled with ale of some description. In fact Harry's jugs are about the only example's that nowadays could actually be used for their original purpose, as most contemporary examples are now so expensive that you are frightened to touch one, let alone dare to use it.

Simple pottery has now been elevated to "art," well at least in the minds of some of the makers.

    

In a small way this is what the exhibition is intended to reverse, just for a little while.

For instance the potter Mark Griffiths [whose pots aren't shown] told me recently that he and some fellow potters had been talking about "the good old days," back when people would return to the pottery on frequent occasions just to replace pieces that had become broken, simple things like bowls and mugs. "this doesn't happen anymore" because our prices have risen too much".

He explained.

Of course a some of the reasons for this are because the cost of materials have become so high.

So for this exhibition Mark has told me that he is going to make some mugs that sell 

"for a fiver, just like we used to do". 

At least with doing this some people will have the pleasure of using a hand made piece,

if it gets broken [like pottery tends to] there will be no tears about the financial loss, just the sadness for losing something that gave a lot of pleasure.

I have become surprised to learn that there are more than a few of the potters who are going to use the occasion to create something that is "a little bit different" from their normal work.

This is lovely as it means that not only will we have special pieces, but also because it means that the exhibition has a different significance for the potter, in a way they are paying homage to a great maker.

Of course there will be the potters whose work doesn't change it just improves.

Potters like Clive Bowan, someone who has set the standard for English country pottery for many years. Having a potter like him involved gives me a great personal pleasure, for so many years I have wanted to own a piece of his work, and to think that now I will be exhibiting some of it!

Both he and his wife 'Rosie' have been a great support while the show was being planned.

Another potter who was "on board" in the early stages was Richard Dewar.

An English country potter?

He lives in France but the spirit is English.

He has taken simple pottery to a different level, yes you can use his teapots and jugs but he has elevated them to have more significance.

It doesn't mean he charges more than any "domestic ware" potter, he has just made them that little bit more special.

In fact this morning [as everyday] I had my "wake up" coffee from one of his 'tea bowl cups'.

A tea bowl with a handle, and priced as a cup not a tea bowl.

"Heaven forbid", I can't imagine what the pseudo English/Japanese potters think of such a man.

I think the best thing he could do is say they were influenced by the Korean potters

Who were just making beautiful things for everyday use.

One of the potters that I am especially excited about is the potter Kenyon Hansen.

He may be American but he is very familiar with the work and film of Isaac Button the rural potter.

For me his ceramic are very much about country pottery, even if it wasn't intended as such.

It is country pottery from, well, actually from another country.

Simple, yet very elegant. Well conceived, beautifully crafted and meant for everyday use.

I really can't wait to hold a piece.

Still like many, many pieces these pots have yet to arrive, or perhaps are yet to be made.

But, little by little I know the exhibition will slowly come together, until the last few weeks, then I know that here in the gallery it will become a frenzy of activity and worry, 

plus also a lot of excitement.

Also there are another one or two potters that I would like to add to the list [[23 to date] of people whose work I really feel we should show.

I am sure that I will get around to mentioning everyone and everything at some point in the near future,

but for now my thoughts had better return to the present as I have something of equal importance to exhibit, and that I will definitely be showing to you very soon.