Modern Ceramic Planters

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted anything here - but I have been alive and making as usual! A lot has developed these past few months (including buying a house!) and making lots of exciting new pieces at Cat's Ceramics HQ

'Alexia'

These are my new Character Planter Pots which I've fallen in love with. They are great as planters for cacti, succulents and air plants. And just as good as a general bowl for anything you might want to pop in them.

I've fallen so much in love with them I've even given them names....

'Priscilla'

'Nancy'

'Svetlana'

'Sam'

You find them all here in my online shop

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CatsCeramics

And pick your favourite!

Give it Away

I had a great time at a local Arts & Craft Fair the other day. It was in Henfield, where I live and everytime I do something within the community I am reminded just how wonderfully supportive and kind the people are here.


I've been thinking and reading a lot about being human. Ideas of anthropology and ecology, the way we treat and view the world. And a hell of a lot of it has truly open my eyes and mind. One aspect that keeps ringing round in my head is, how in this consumerist society we live in, everything and everyone is geared and programmed to think "what can I get". We wake up and the first thing we think is "What can I get today? If I go to work I can get money to acquire things that I think I need and this will make me happy". But how happier would we be and how much better the world could be if instead we said "what can I give today".


When I was at the fair I gave away the necklace I was wearing. I didn't even really think about strangely. The lady said her daughter would really love it so I gave it to her. She was shocked and didn't know what to say. It wasn't the most precious necklace to me but I liked it and thought "I've had it for a while and enjoyed it, maybe someone else can get some pleasure from it now". It felt good and right. And would of made my day if someone did that for me.

It was just a token and something like isn't going to change the world but you never know what these things might lead to....

'White Prickly Holey Spikes'

 

I think it's fair to say I'm going through 'A White Period' with my pieces at the moment. I'm really trying to focus on form and texture using just the clay and my hands. 

Making them is becoming therapeutic for me. They take ages to make, sticking on each tiny little spike and it frustrates me that I can make them quicker. But I am reminded - this is clay, you can't force it. Well you can but that's lame and slipping it into a production mold kinda beats the whole point.

I suppose the white is my way of hoping for purity, simplicity. My world feels crazy at the moment yet if I can create these beautiful pure objects maybe something good has come from it. Maybe I'm just hoping for snow again this winter

Instagram

To let you know we are now on Instagram -

https://instagram.com/catsceramics/

Please come and find us @catsceramics

Rather strange collection?

I collect things, not thimbles or stamps, but interesting things I find when out and about.

Odd looking seed pods and strange shaped rocks, animals bones and dead insects.

To me these are the most beautiful things one could collect. Natures treasures that I put in my studio in a ancient printers tray upon a shelf.

They inspire me, they inspire my art. I feel I am looking after something unique and wonderful. Cherishing things others might not .

Isn't nature wonderful?

Spring

'Made From Love' Nest

Birds Nest w/eggs

Quirky Garden Stake

Spring is finally here and boy does it make me feel happy :)

A well worn tool

How I've been feeling this past week.......

As Yet Untitled...

First off I feel terrible that it's been over FOUR MONTHS since I last posted here! So HAPPY NEW YEAR! MERRY CHRISTMAS and all that sha-bang..... I do feel guilty neglecting the blog and my dear readers, I am sorry. I toyed with the idea of getting rid of the blog all together, as it was a constant reminder of how I can't keep up this blogging regularly enough and what a blogging failure I have turned out to be. But then I thought, actually it still has it's place, it's just the way it is. I'm obviously not a regular blogger type but I can still use it for something good and hopefully bring something my readers would like to hear/see/think about, all be it occasionally.

So times are a changing here on the blog and hopefully for the better. I won't try to post fascinating insights every few weeks or give wonderful anecdotal stories with a inspirational message (as if I ever did that anyway, but I always hoped that I would...). I don't even want to use it as a way to solely show and promote my work (we've got my Facebook page for that any way). Sometimes I might just post a picture up that I've seen and thought worth sharing, or maybe I'll just say a thought that's been going through my mind and just needing to 'get it out there' into the cosmic ether. Hopefully to connect with you out there who maybe feel the same or can take something useful from it, that would be nice.... I guess what I'm trying to say, dear reader, is that from today this blog will be simply- 'me', unaltered, in all my strange thinking, random weirdness way. I suppose it's a type of new years resolution - learning to just be myself - in front of you all - and being ok about it....

GIVE AWAY at Cat's Ceramics ! !

How would you like to win a Leaf Bowl (your choice of colour, choose from Inky Blue, Ruby Red or Cool Turquoise) AND a Porcelain and Recycled Glass Necklace (see pic) made by my fair hands at Cat's Ceramics ??

To be in with a chance of winning head on over to my Facebook page -

www.facebook.com/CatsCeramics

'Like' the post pinned to the top of the page titled 'GIVEAWAY TIME' and comment with which colour Leaf Bowl you would like, should you win. 
Shares are not compulsory, though greatly appreciated and will be considered an additional entry to up your chance of winning!!

Entrances will close this Friday 5 th Sept at 8 pm and a winner will be announced on my Facebook page shortly after that.
(Entrances only open to UK residents sorry)

That's it, no strings attached, I just like you and want to give you something for being fab :)

Southern Ceramic Group Summer Exhibition at the Bishop's Kitchen Chichester Cathedral

During late July/August my work was part of the Southern Ceramics Group annul exhibition at Chichester Cathedral. I just want to share with you some picture I took ( I'll try to credit the artist who's work it is but I'm not sure I can remember everyone unfortunately ) ;-

Edward Chamberlain

Richard Hollingbery

Nancy Thompson

Margaret Newton

Sandie Dixon

Ruth Smart

Cat Brown (Cat's Ceramics)

Bekky May

Ollie Chappell

Rosemarie James

Cat Brown (Cat's Ceramics)

Me again!

Harriet Wesley

Jan Griffiths

April Stephenson

Menear Ceramics

Heather Muir

Leo Deville

Tony Thompson

Ian Harris

Kat Sedlackova

Brian Tew

More info can be found at http://www.southernceramicgroup.co.uk/