A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

I was going to write a rather wordy ( well for me anyway ;) post describing my love and the debt I owe to my local landscape where I wonder regularly and gain such huge inspiration for my ceramic work and for my well... life in general really.

Sullington Warren is a National Trust owned (woop woop the National Trust!!) rare heath land full of majestic Scots Pine and delicate purple and white heather. You will often find me there taking in it's natural beauty, in ore of the wonderfulness that surrounds me. I am lucky too cause I can go there whenever I like as my garden backs on to it and all I have to is go through the gate to get in there!


But I figured a picture says a thousand words and here are some I took on a recent walk about there.
Maybe these photos explain a little bit as to why my work is like it is and where some of my inspiration comes from.
It's funny though...my pieces and the things I create can never be as beautiful as what is already created right here...

Photo Styling

Paisley Dipping Pot

I am so excited to get my new range of dinner wear, inspired by ancient hand building techniques with exciting tribal textures, up and photographed!

You can see some that are already listed here on Etsy www.catsceramics.etsy.com

The ideas, shapes and colours for these functional wears have been swimming around my head for a while now and to finally get them made and out there feels like a real accomplishment.

Amber Lake Glaze 

I have recently been lucky enough to be given some of Ryn Tanaka's Deep Etched Stamps www.designsbyryn.com to try out and when she sent me her Leopard Spot Stamp I knew it would fit in perfectly with the new range!

This is it here - Groovy huh?!

My photographer (My Chris ;)) and I took our time (in comparison, I am ashamed to say, I usually rush out the photography stage of my work) but this time I had a real clear idea of the pictures I wanted and how these pieces had to be presented and I am now understanding how important decent photographs are.

We had fun using props of lovely fresh fruit and veg and trying out some photo styling, adding objects to help bring out certain textures and colours. They way the pinky red of the radishes plays with the blue glaze of this dipping pot blew me away!

Dipping Pot in Blue Glaze

 It was such fun going around the supermarket buying food purely for the way they would look in and around the new bowls and serving trays. I'm sure I must of looked pretty odd staring at a pot of houmous, trying to imagine what it would look like in one of my bowls!

Pistachio Serving Set

Getting away from the standard white background I usually use was liberating and the wood of the table I think works really well.
All in all it was a really good experience and it got my Chris being all creative (which he is always so surprised he can do!)

Indian Dream in Bright White Glaze

I would really love to hear what you think of the photos and also of the pieces themselves. Do you have a favourite?
I'm trying to come up with a collective name for the whole range too and if any one has any suggestions........

x