Rolled Rims – Pottery Semiotics 101

When throwing bowls, I mostly `roll’ my rims. I like the way folding the top back on itself, inside to outside, finishes the top of a pot. I enjoy the little bit of fiddle on the third or fourth pull after the ball of clay has been centred and the well sunk and opened up.…

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On Making Flowerpots

Lockdown was ending, spring was springing and the wall out of the kitchen window was looking grim. The Garden design Committee (AKA my wife and I) decided it needed some pots with herbs and flowers hung on it to bring a little extra visual pleasure into our lives. So, I dug out a bag of…

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4. Being Positive

(I wrote this as one of four essays back in 2015. Some of the data will have changed but my sentiments remain just as crochety. And, of course, I’ve largely stopped working as a freelance journalist and gone back to making pots, which may or may not be meaningful – who knows.) I’ve said some…

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3. Reading a Dyslexia List

(I wrote this as one of four essays back in 2015. Some of the data will have changed but my sentiments remain just as crochety. And, of course, I’ve largely stopped working as a freelance journalist and gone back to making pots, which may or may not be meaningful – who knows.) Visit http://www.dyslexia.com/famous.htm and…

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2. Want to be a Genius?

(I wrote this as one of four essays back in 2015. Some of the data will have changed but my sentiments remain just as crochety. And, of course, I’ve largely stopped working as a freelance journalist and gone back to making pots, which may or may not be meaningful – who knows.) `While dyslexia has…

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1. Dyslexia – Always a Dys-Advantage

(I wrote this as one of four essays back in 2015. Some of the data will have changed but my sentiments remain just as crochety. And, of course, I’ve largely stopped working as a freelance journalist and gone back to making pots, which may or may not be meaningful – who knows?) To the question…

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Pots are Poems Written in Clay

‘Pots are poems written in clay.’ It sounds like a slogan for potters wanting to claim their place as movers and shakers in the temple of high culture. Either that or a nifty way of claiming £10 from Private Eye’s Pseuds Corner column. Anyway, I have to admit to liking it as a form of…

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Dance with a Teapot Today

Ok. Today, you are going to learn a new dance. For that, some people think you need music. It’s not true. Being aware of where you are in space and time, of the reach of your outstretched arm, and the weight of your hand as it moves through space, they’re all just as much dance…

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Welcome to the 21st Century

Historians like to tell us that the 19th century came to an end with the First World War. 1914 or 18, you take your pick but either way it’s not 1900. Similarly, the 18th century ended at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In which case, when did the 20th century end? If it wasn’t…

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Meeting out on the WWW

One of my favourite theories is that one reason many of the artists and makers I know become a little eccentric is that they spend too much time working with only their insecurities for company. It’s not good for them and it certainly isn’t good for me. So, when I discovered the Kiln Rooms, I…

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