Farnham Pottery has been booked for Sunday 14th July to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of West Street Potters.
After the success of the Winter Exhibition, run by WSP members, we are looking for some volunteers to organise the events for the day.
Any ideas for activities welcome….it will be a bring and share lunch.
Please get in touch if you are able to help. This is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the fantastic and creative enterprise that WSP is.
I am Thursday evening West Street Potter. It’s become an annual outing for a group of us to go to a local auction house to celebrate my January birthday. This year was no exception. I love an auction, the sense of imminent discovery, of finding a hidden treasure – and all that George III furniture going for a song! Our outing was great – I confess, I have a crockery habit! I determined to keep strictly to my budget and so I bid on only two lots – one, a Chris Carter piece (along with an interesting African piece of pottery) and the other, a lot of 5 assorted cardboard boxes full of stuff. Here’s what was in one of the boxes…..Connection #1
The next weekend, I went with a friend to the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham to look at the Michael O’Brien Exhibition, which has been curated by Simon Olding and Magdalene Odundo. There we looked at African connections, West Surrey College of Art & Design connections and, of course, Michael Cardew connections. I noticed that Magdelena had visited Michael Cardew’s Wenford Bridge Pottery in the early 1970s, whilst studying at WSCAD under the direction of Henry Hammond (whose FH7 glaze we use at West Street Potters). Connections #2, 3, 4 & 5
I was reminded of my summer holidays in 2018. My children and grandchildren live in Cornwall. I like to visit for 8 weeks or so but I don’t want to impose on them (small children are very noisy!) In the previous May, I had visited the Open Studios Cornwall and made the journey to two villages near St Breward, one of them being Wenford Bridge. Many of you will know that the Cardew pottery no longer exists but I discovered, quite by chance, another potter, living and working on part of that site. Her name was Cookie Scottorn. Cookie had trained at WSCAD in the early 70s, under the direction of Henry Hammond and it was to Cookie I turned when I needed accommodation last summer. I stayed at Wenford Bridge Pottery, in The Letterbox, a charming simple conversion of what had been Cardew’s pottery shop. It was just perfect. You can find its details here: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/21758343?guests=1&adults=1
So Connection #6 is Cookie Scottorn, who is visiting West Street Potters workshop on 27th April to talk about her work as a potter and her journey from WSCAD to Wenford. Interesting, eh?
Come along and join us on Saturday 27th April and make a connection of your own! You will be very welcome.
It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Ian Titchener.
Ian was a founder director of West Street Potters and our first chairman.
A talented potter, Ian attended classes for many years and exhibited his work in all our exhibitions.
Although we have not seen much of Ian recently, West Street Potters owe much of our current success to his hard work and dedication when we were setting up and maintaining the company through its turbulent early years.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalised. We will let you know when we hear.
All West Street Potters are warmly invited to an exhibition of the late Robert William Leach’s pots at the Farnham Pottery, Quennells Hill, Wrecclesham, GU10 4ND.
Friday 15th February, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Robert was a member of WSP from the time classes began at Wrecclesham. This is an opportunity, organised by his wife Sue, for all of us to see and enjoy a fellow potter’s fine work.
Catalogue and light refreshments available.
(RSVP please for numbers for catering, Email: leachs066@gmail.com)
WSP have organised a trip to Ceramic Art London on Sat 23rd March 2019.
There are 12 available spaces on the minibus, please add your name to the sheet on the noticeboard in the workshop if you are interested.
A payment of £20 will be required to confirm your place.
Entry tickets can be purchase at the venue or on their website: ceramicartlondon.com.
Pickup at the pottery car park 10am. Leave London 4.30pm.
An unexpected place has become available on the Texture and Print Workshop tomorrow with Sheena Bond, Saturday 26th Jan, 10am – 3.30pm at Farnham Pottery.
If you have no plans tomorrow, come along. First come, first served. Available to book here: http://www.318ceramics.co.uk/courses-and-events/m/01/
NOW FULLY BOOKED
318 Ceramics have two unexpected places available.
Taster Throwing Workshop
Sat 2nd Feb 2019, 10am – 1pm
This a golden opportunity to discover and enhance your creative abilities.
Try your hand at throwing on the wheel. This taster session which will give you a brief introduction into the techniques required to throw a successful pot.
Includes all materials, and two pots finished with a clear glaze and then fired.
Supportive, small classes in the historic surroundings of Farnham Pottery.
Cost £75
BOOK ONLINE: http://www.318ceramics.co.uk/courses-and-events/m/02/
