Summer shows

October 24, 2015

Well I have to say I’ve been a little bit rubbish at keeping up to date with my blog! I’ve just realised that I’ve not written anything since just after the British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) way back in April! So much has happened since then that I think I might have to do a quick round up before another post about what’s coming up in the future.

I was busily making away, fulfilling the orders from shops and galleries straight after BCTF with work being sent throughout the UK, from The Tayberry Gallery in Perth, Scotland down to The Dutch House Gallery in Crayke, Yorkshire and over to The Doghouse Gallery in Comber, Northern Ireland to name a few. I have also had a steady number of orders throughout the year and my stockist list is growing nicely. Have a peek to see if there’s one near you and if you have any suggestions of lovely galleries or shops that you think would suit my work, let me know.

The summer was full of making and exhibiting at selling shows including Potfest at the Palace, Earth and Fire, and Potfest in the Pens. Potfest in the Palace was at the beautiful Scone Palace in Perth; it was quite a trek to get there but the setting more than made up for the journey. It was my first experience of a three day selling event and I’m pleased to say it was a great first experience. It’s always good to talk to customers about my work, have discussions about techniques or inspiration and I loved receiving some pictures of my pots in their new homes. A few weeks later it was off to Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire for Earth and Fire, another beautiful location and very successful show. At Earth and Fire all the stalls are in the open air throughout the ruins, mine was on the Abbey Top and I had an open window behind me with a view of the most magnificent tree, and luckily the weather was kind to us. The middle of summer took me to Penrith and to Potfest in the Pens, a ceramic show I have visited many times. It always amazes me how the cattle pens are transformed by each potter to display their work. This year it was my turn to take part and I was very pleased with how my pen looked after much tweaking of my display. It was a great show, more wonderful customers and my fellow potters made the three days fly by.

So three very different shows, all with different ways of exhibiting: in a marquee with two 6ft tables, on an open air market stall style table in the ruins of an abbey and in a pen of a cattle market. My box of ‘things I may just need when I’m at a show’ definitely got bigger this summer and I learnt above all to be adaptable to the space and the environment of my allocated spot.