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| Fossil in Selwood bowl |
Lately, I have realised how important The Pot has become in my list of favourite things. The largest sketchbook I could find (A3) is now starting to fill with sketches, photos and notes about pots. All my sketchbooks, including the smallest include images of pots. Morandi made pots the focus of his illustrious painting career. Ben Nicholson slipped them into his paintings, and his father William's painting technique produced incredibly lifelike and beautiful images of pots.
Which took me to a more philosophical level. What is so satisfying? Aesthetically, I find all pots please me, whether as art objects or domestic. I reckon it is connected with their circular or continuous form, containing, nurturing, preserving. Empty they are begging to be filled. Full, they are fulfilling a purpose.
This William Plumptre slab bottle, and the Jim Malone bowl were bought from the potters' studios. The presence of the maker is important.
Yesterday I met some exciting young potters who are dedicated and highly professional. They are graduates of De Montfort and work as a collective producing individual pieces reflecting their personalities, in a spirit of sharing and co-operation.
I loved their work, particularly that of Sonya and Rebecca. I believe we will be hearing more of them in the future. They were charming. chatty and plainly dedicated to their chosen craft.
On the other hand, these pots of mine have little value and were machine produced, but have special memories, of mother, friends and places.
So, pots rule here, for now. Until something else grabs me. Or maybe I should start making.
