education, education, education
There are ten in the series and all can be viewed together in an exhibition in Bath, at the Bath Royal, Literary and Scientific Institution, Queens Square, from the 19th November 2022 for two weeks. These and other works will be for sale.
history (with crown lid)
(number 1 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two sections made in a press mould with a hand built lid. This piece aims to represent events from history in as far as it is possible to do within the constraints of the size of the piece. It is made from white-earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 45cm high x 30cm wide. It has three lugs around the lower sides made from press-moulded models of animal feet. Applied ceramic border decoration has been attached to the main body with slip. The entire piece has been indented with pattern, carved with a variety of designs, lettering and symbols, which has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the carving and wiped away, as well as the addition of coloured glazes which have been applied to the surface area before being fired to 1080c. Coloured enamels, gold lustre, platinum lustre, mother-of-pearl lustre and enamel transfers, have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. When the firing process has been completed, small, relevant found objects have been glued to the piece mainly to enhance the crown lid. The piece is solid and durable as if made in the past when resources were plentiful and crafts were painstakingly hand-made. It is named, signed and dated by the artist July 2019 and can be viewed currently in the Bath Society of Artists Open Exhibition at the Victoria Gallery Bath.
Price £500
geography with (buddha bowl lid)
(no. 2 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a hand built piece which is has been made from joining two sections made from a press mould. The piece has a complex, hand built lid of many parts .Geography is a piece which aims to represent of the world within its different continents, as seen through artistic and cultural endeavour, in as far as it is possible within the constraints of the size of the piece. It is made from white-earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 45cm high x 30cm wide. The decorations on the side showing different styles of art from every continent, have been incised into the piece, then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the carving and indentation and wiped away. Coloured glazes have been applied to the surface area before being fired to 1080c. Coloured enamels, gold lustre, platinum lustre, mother-of-pearl lustre and enamel transfers, have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. The lid is a bowl in itself, which has two hands holding three mini worlds as juggling balls. The world is in our hands! Although the top of the piece has many transfers of flags from different countries, the most important flags show aid agencies and politically green groups which cross all continents, they stick out of the top of the piece as if in a sand castle. It is named, signed and dated by the artist February 2020 and has been exhibited as part of the Bath Society of Artists Online Open Exhibition 2020.
Sold from BRLSI November 2022
science and technology (with flickering light in a domed lid)
(no. 3 in the set of educational subjects’ pieces)
is a press moulded piece which is has been made from joining two slab sections together to make the main piece. The lid is a glass dome which encases found objects . The shape is like a large egg cup as the question of which came first? … is still a relevant question today. This piece aims to be a representation of the world as seen through scientific and technological endeavour, celebrating small inventions for example the can opener or matches etc. (in as far as it is possible within the constraints of the size of the piece). It is made from white-earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 45cm high x 30cm wide. The decorations on the side show different symbols used when illustrating experiments in science lessons at school.. These have been incised into the piece which has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the carving and wiped away, before being fired to 1080c. Gold lustre, platinum lustre, mother-of-pearl lustre has then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. The lid is a glass dome which holds a collection of tiny yet miraculous inventions, discoveries and scientific achievement. The collection of objects is constantly growing.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist February 2020.
Price £400
english (with library lid)
(no 4 in a set of educational subject pieces)
is a press moulded piece which is has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a mould. This shape and method of construction has been common to all of the educational subject pieces. This press mould makes the main body and the lids have been made individually and differently for each subject pot. The main piece copies early English Earthenware in design, with blue and white coloured clay attached by sprigging, a method similar to that which Josiah Wedgwood used to make his famous blue and white ware. The piece is highly decorated with flourish styled shapes, in a Georgian manner. These decorations have been applied to the surface of the main body of the piece in its green state,
using blue coloured clay. The library lid is modelled to look like an Edwardian rooftop which also serves as a container to hold the library of book-like tablets. Each tablet has the name of a favourite poet or writer indented with letters. A bottle of Quink ink sits in the lid. The piece is made from white earthenware mixed with white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the sprigging, then wiped away, before being fired to 1080c. Gold lustre and mother-of-pearl lustres have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. The lid fits snuggly on the top of the piece, hiding a transfer of an early word processor, and has Scrabble letters spelling ‘West Bromwich Library’, around the rim.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist November 2020.
Sold from the ‘Bath Society of Artists’ exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery Bath, October 2021
maths ( with abacus lid)
(No. 5 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a press moulded piece, which is has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the educational subject pieces. This press moulded piece makes the main body and the lid has been made individually and differently for each subject. The main piece has been decorated with applied large clay numbers with a font similar to an old typewriters’ set of numerals. Each number up to ten has a different colour which corresponds to other uses of that number in mathematical shape and form on the work. The lid is modelled with an abacus in the top and a sealed section in which dice can be shaken. The piece is made from white-earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the sprigging and wiped away, before being fired to 1080c. Transfers of mathematic models, games and graphs have been added to the inside of the lid and the flat top of the main work. Silver lustre and mother-of-pearl lustre has then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist January 2021.
Price £500
art, craft and design (with eiffel tower lid)
(no. 6 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the ‘educational subjects’ pieces. This press moulded piece makes the main shape and each lid has been made individually, and differently, for each subject piece. For Art, Design and Craft the main piece has four Venus-de-Milo figurines as feet, which suspend the piece in the air. Small tablets of clay with ceramic transfer images of Art, Craft and Design exemplars have been ‘stitched into the piece with wire. Venus De Milo wears her best gold cloth for the exhibition. The coloured lid houses a range of different craft materials and is topped with an Eiffel Tower glass bottle for the knob. The piece has been made from white earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the sprigging and wiped away, before being fired to 1080c. Silver lustre, gold lustre and ceramic transfers have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist February 2021.
Price £700
religious education ( with heavenly lid)
(no. 7 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a plaster mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the ‘educational subject’ pieces. This press moulded piece makes the main shape and the lid has been made individually, and differently, for each subject piece. The main piece has two sections; the lower main body of the piece ‘hell” is made from black clay and shows gargoyles and burning fiery coals, full of miserable writhing creatures whereas the lid “heaven”, is made from white clay and is full of tiny fairy lights and good people and concepts from all religions. There is a button with press me on it, which allows ‘heaven’ to light up for any of us should we choose to press it. Tiny nuns stand guard in between the two.
The piece has been made from white earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the sprigging and wiped away, before being fired to 1080c. Silver lustre, gold lustre and ceramic transfers have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist February 2021 This piece can currently be viewed in the Bath Society of Artists Exhibition in the Victoria Gallery Bath.
Price £400
music (with drum lid and musical movement)
(no. 8 in a set of educational subjects pieces)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a plaster mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the ‘educational subject’ pieces. The press moulded piece makes the main shape and the lids have been made individually, and differently, for each subject piece. The main piece has designs of typically used instruments learned at school, as well as other smaller instruments that children may enjoy making noises with. The lid is a hollow drum with an animal skin top.
The piece has been made from white earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the illustrations of the musical instruments and wiped away before being fired to 1080c. Silver lustre, gold lustre and ceramic transfers have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. Two school recorders sit in the top of the piece alongside other spare bits of musical detritus next to a wind up musical movement.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist October 2021.
Price £200
physical education
(no 9 in a set of educational subjects series)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a plaster mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the ‘educational subject’ pieces. This press moulded piece makes the main shape, and the lid has been made individually, and differently, for each subject piece. The main piece is formed as a trophy which may be won as part of team sports and activities in school. On the surface are shields where normally the names of winners are inscribed. However, on this piece there are the names of all of the different sports now studied at school, and underneath is the date when the artist first took part in this activity and so it takes on a personal feel. There are two handles at the sides where yellow ribbons are tied, depicting ‘Spartan House’ colours. The lid is a football, which is the most common sport enjoyed at school, but other balls sit around the edge set into small holes drilled for the purpose. Inside are various medals and badges won by the artist.
The piece has been made from white earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices in the applied shields, and wiped away before being fired to 1080c. Silver lustre has then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c.
It is named, signed and dated by the artist October 2021.
Price £150
modern foreign languages ( with cross channel ferry lid)
(no 10 in a set of educational subjects series)
is a press moulded piece which has been made from joining two slab sections of clay pressed into a plaster mould. This shape and method of construction is common to all of the ‘educational subject’ pieces. This press moulded piece makes the main shape, and the lid has been made individually, and differently, for each subject piece.
The main piece has been decorated with cherubic figures, often seen in European cities as part of the architecture. The sides are decorated with images of vintage postcards from all over the world and there are a variety of greetings written, indented in many languages around the piece. ‘Travel broadens the mind’ is the main theme of this piece, which becomes a vessel for real postcards from around the world. The lid is a cross channel ferry one of the ways in which we can leave the country. The ferry sails through a collage of foreign stamps on its way to France.
The piece has been made from white earthenware/white St Thomas clay, which stands approximately 50cm high x 30cm wide. When fully dry the piece has then been fired to 1160c. Black glaze has been rubbed into the indentation and crevices of the applied cherubs and floral decoration and wiped away before being fired to 1080c. Gold lustre and ceramic transfers have then been applied to some areas of the outside and fired again to 800c. Old postage stamps have been collaged on to the rim of the piece
It is named, signed and dated by the artist October 2021.
Sold from Newbridge Arts Trail 2023
