Blog

I am really enjoying painting on paper for the first time for about fifteen years. One of the reasons I started painting on plates was that I felt there were so many good artists about I could not do any better & a blank plate is not as scary as a blank piece of paper at least not to me. But as we have started printing onto mugs I needed some paintings to fit them so I started painting on paper over the Christmas Holidays. It was a bit strange at first but I am still piping the design onto the paper using a cake decorating bag as I do with the ceramics so it is not too different. The main thing I have to watch is that I do not get my piping bags mixed up as the kiln would burn all traces of the non ceramic piping paste away.

I love being able to put more detail into the paintings & be able to do all the paintings I have been planing in my head for the last 10 years but have never had time to do. I normally have to stop myself from painting too much detail on the ceramics so it is lovely to have the freedom to paint as much as I like for a change & maybe I might even get a little more freedom from working 24/7.

Original photo & Painting                                                    Finished Mug

Seems like forever since I have had a moment to write a blog, with such a large amount of orders from Country Living magazine we thought we would never get through them, but I think we are coming out the other side now & straight into the Christmas rush. Sometimes I get so stressed I cannot sleep at night so I start working which often makes things worst but now & again I get my best ideas at night.

We have just been getting a new kitten as I convinced my Husband she would pay for her keep by being a model for me. So far she has had her paws in the paint, chewed my paint brushes & everyday nearly knocks over our pots.  So one night when I could not sleep I put her to work as a model for a Christmas Plate. I tend to find that most designs are never right first time, they often take a bit of working out. As I don't have time to mess about with a pencil & paper I have to do my try outs straight on to the ceramics with a pack of baby wipes by my side just in case it all goes wrong. It seems to be third time lucky. By the third try I usually feel that I am happy with the design & I have got it out of my system & I am ready to look for something esle to inspire me.

However sometimes I am left unsure which design I like best?

I love these cute bird hearts.

I know a lot of customers in the north-east do not like anything with a bird on in their homes. I think it might be something to do with the Miners & the birds they used to keep down the mine to warn them of gas. However I cannot resist doing these designs so it is a good job that we are going to be travelling all over the country in the next few weeks because if they do not sell I will be really disappointed.