A few weeks back we were contacted by a young videographer and photographer called George Nash. He asked if he could visit to shoot some footage to add to his burgeoning portfolio of photographs and moving image.

We were instantly struck by the professionalism of his approach and the initiative he’d demonstrated in doing so.

George spent a busy Saturday morning in March with us filming and photographing our customers and staff in action. He also brought along his drone to get a bird’s eye view of the Pottery and surrounding Herefordshire landscape.

George was very easy to work with, putting ourselves and more importantly our customers at ease as he moved around the studio, capturing large and small interactions. He demonstrated a really good eye for composition and worked very hard to capture the ‘right’ images.

We are so impressed not only with the results, but the speed in which he delivered the finished work. We think he’s captured the vibe and environment we strive for perfectly. Well done George!

George can be contacted on all the usual social media platforms:

George’s website.

George’s Instagram.

Georges other Instagram.

George’s YouTube.

George’s twitter.

George’s Face Book.

We received a lovely book this Christmas – ‘A poem for every day’ edited by Allie Esiri.

365 poems, ancient, traditional and contemporary prose designed to start the day on a contemplative and inspiring note. Sarah and myself are pleased to report we have managed to ‘keep up’ and the readings have become an important part of our morning tea drinking ritual.

This poem by Jan Dean is particularly poignant for those wishing to work with clay! More literally for customers who struggle with the concept of painting their freshly thrown pot:

Herefordshire Art Week (HArt) runs 8th-16th of September, with open studios and events all over the county – just keep your eye out for the pink signs!

As part of HArt activities, Jon will be showing a collection of new work at Canwood Gallery in an group exhibition called ‘Canwood – An Art Showcase.’

The Gallery will be donating all commission from sales to St Michael’s Hospice 

Contemporary Ceramics is a prestigious gallery in Central London specialising in studio ceramics. For the last 6 months Eastnor Pottery co-director Sarah Monk has been developing a new a collection for exhibition at the gallery.

The work features new colours, new clay, new techniques, new slips and new glazes. The work is on show until the end of October 2018.

Here’s an extract from the article she composed for the Gallery blog.

“Creating the collection has been a winter-evening pursuit, when our busy Studio is closed to customers. By day we offer Pottery Experiences, and have been doing so for the last 24 years. Having just a few hours at the end of a busy day really focuses the creative process for me!

I am a designer-maker specializing in functional ceramics to fit comfortably in the home, particularly the kitchen (my favorite room in our house).

Breakfast has been my starting point; berry bowls and spoons, toast racks and knife rests, egg cups with decorative storage boxes and bowls of all shapes and sizes. The whole range is mix and match.  

Growing up, my Mum collected Watcombe Pottery. Over the years she managed to collect more than 400 pieces and they over-flowed from two dining-room dressers in our kitchen. I remember showing it to my school friends and enjoyed reading all the sgraffito sayings and looking at the vibrant slip-trailed patterns. My plan this year has been to fill a dresser at Eastnor Pottery with my own slipware designs, reveling in the easy-going feel of a country potter. In fact, I have already filled this dresser…..maybe I need to get a second one too!

When making my own work, my approach is relaxed and playful, and I hope this translates through to the finished pieces. I love our studio workshop and make full-use of our facilities; from the electric potter’s wheels to the table spaces for hand-building and modeling – whatever takes my fancy! Slips are brushed on, sgraffito designs drawn into the surface and spriggs applied, making the pieces tactile, a deliberate consideration. I restrict my pallet to blue and white slip on terracotta clay; it links everything together and has a country cottage appeal. All of my making happens at the wet clay stage. After a biscuit firing I don’t add anything else to the surface except for a simple lead-free glaze.”

More work can been seen on Sarah’s Instagram.

These fabulous terracotta creepy crawlies were made by five Oxfordshire primary schools earlier in the year. Jon the Potter was commissioned by Kingham Lodge to co-create the artwork with the children to be exhibited in the Sculpture at Kingham Lodge exhibition He spent a half day in each school working on the collaborative insects.

The schools who took part:

Bledington

Leafield

Great Rollright

Ducklington

Kitebrook

The children’s work can be seen alongside sculpture made by professional artists in the beautiful gardens set in the heart of the Cotswolds. The show runs from Saturday 5th May – Sunday 15th May. Open 10am – 5pm daily.

Obviously, we’ll miss him but equally we are delighted and extremely proud he’s off to Art College to embark on the next step of his creative journey.

Ethan came to us as a Community Arts Apprentice having had no prior experience of working with clay. He quickly mastered the potter’s wheel and so inspired by his new found skill, set up his own pottery studio in his garden.

By the end of his first apprenticeship year he’d led workshops in school, showed countless adults and children how to make pots on the potter’s wheel and become a superb ‘wedger’ of clay!

We wish Ethan every success down in that there Cardiff and we look forward to hearing all about his exploits in clay when he pops back to work the odd shift at weekends and in the holidays.

Creative practitioners who work in other media are often inquisitive and keen to try new materials. So, as one might expect, we do get to encounter more than our fair share of artists and craftspeople wanting to translate their ideas into clay.

We love working with fellow creatives and are delighted when we get the opportunity to do so.

Check out this amazing collaborative pot made by illustrator Sarah Dean and her family to commemorate her 40th birthday.

Although the pot looked pretty amazing in terracotta, Sarah had other ideas about the finish! I’m sure you’ll agree the acrylic paint job looks magnificent and elevates the artwork to a new level.

Well done Sarah!

Often a project will have a professional photographer assigned to record the clay creativity. Jon the potter has had the good fortune to work with some of the best photographers in the West Midlands and as a result has been influenced by their technique and approach.

The accumulated knowledge and experience paid off recently when Jon was compelled to enter one of his images in a competition organised by Hereford & Worcester Chamber of commerce. ‘Nail Art’ (above) won 2nd prize!

The brief was a simple one – submit in an image taken in the past 12 months at a Chamber event. ‘Nail Art’ was snapped by Jon at the Business Expo 2017 on the Eastnor Pottery & The Flying Potter stand where Jon and Ethan were encouraging delegates to try the potter’s wheel.

We love his enthusiasm and creative flair and this little steam engine demonstrates oodles of both. Wouldn’t want to mess with the drivers though!

So, if you’d like to bag a ‘Jon the Potter’ original at a bargain price we recommend you visit our Christmas Shop before 24th Dec 2016. We are open 10am – 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.

See you soon!