This week Sarah has been joining in with ‘Find a Maker Week’ over on her Instagram page and has been sharing her practise, some behind the scenes moments and celebrating fellow craft makers.
Find a Maker is a not for profit organisation who have spent 21 years creating some of the most beautiful craft festivals in Europe. Along the way, they have gathered a loyal and knowledgeable audience of followers that love and appreciate skilfully, handmade objects. They have created another way connect their audience with a curated collection of the finest makers, regardless of where they are based.
Sarah has been a member of Find a Maker since it’s launch in 2021 and she can be found in their fantastic curated makers directory. See Sarah’s page here!
Each day this week Find a Maker have provided a prompt and here are Sarah’s responses:
Day 1 – My Story
Here I am outside @eastnorpottery which I share with @jon_williams_potter & we’ve been potting here for 32 years! 😯 (we met on the BA ceramics at Bath many moons ago… eyes met over the potter’s wheels 😂) We share our time between making our own studio ceramics and teaching our potter’s wheel classes. You can come to Eastnor Pottery for a 1.5 hour Intro Class, a day or a whole Weekend. Our studio is in an old disused farmer’s cottage. We are tenants of the Eastnor Castle Estate… a chance meeting with the Estate manager found us here. A stroke of good fortune (they were looking for craftspeople to fill some redundant farm buildings)
We also have three grown up children, who are all creatives in their own fields (but no potters 🤣) … Lottie is dance facilitator, in London with the amazing The Baked Bean Charity … go Zumba Beans! She’s doing what she loves doing most in the whole world! The most recent accolade for Baked beans is their involvement with ‘The Assembly’ currently showing on ITV. The boys @dubruvvas are in Bristol producing dark/minimal drum n bass. They have a brilliant time doing gigs & festivals (I don’t get to see their gigs too often as they seem to start after 11pm 🤣)
We all enjoy creative things. It’s important to follow your dreams don’t you think? (we certainly have).
I love being part of the Find a Maker community and all that goes on there! Please check out their online directory- it’s 500 members strong! The website link can be found in my stories this week.
Happy Monday to you!
Sarah 😊🌸🌼
Day 2 – Inspiration
Flower brick inspo… the thing that inspires me more than anything else in my making process is the thought that these flower bricks will be used and enjoyed many times over by their new owners. That creative journey continues (without me) after it has left the studio. The potential to be embellish further ( by whoever they may be). I think that’s a very exciting thought and I always think about it when I begin making.
I LOVE it when customers send pictures too; a flower brick in all it’s floral gorgeousness! Sometimes it’s feathers, grasses or even paint brushes! It’s all absolutely inspiring!
Sometimes I like to trial my own flower brick arrangements too here in the studio. The potential for another creative journey is there… it’s really easy & so much fun!
Day 3 – A Day in the life
A Day in the Life, behind the scenes: I’m here in the studio, busy busy! I’m making work for @craftfestival There’s a lot of different pots at different stages; some large slab flower bricks awaiting slip & sgraffito. A couple of big thrown vases (these are going to be the statement piece for my stand). Slips & underglazes have been brushed onto a collection of oval fruit punnets (they’re drying off a bit). I’ve applied some handles to some mugs and centre bits to some juicers. There’s a platter to sgraffito… This is the nature of being a small batch potter- there’s a lot of things at different stages… it’s quite a juggle! I doubt I will finish it all today, but Rome wasn’t built in a day! 😂
Craft Festival takes place in Bovey Tracey on the 12th – 14th June
Day 4 – Before and After
My goodness! The transformation from clay (mud effectively) to fired ceramic is dramatic!! 😄 The change from soft, wet squished terracotta to something that feels shiny & durable…. a pink dotty flower brick! 🌸 Such a wonderful process from start to finish!
This one’s heading to Devon based mixed media artist @katetoms.mixedmedia 😊 I hope you enjoy doing lots of fabulous arranging Kate! 🌸🌷🌼
More of my work can be found at:
Contemporary Ceramics Bloomsbury, London
Coming soon to @thegalleryatwaterperrygardens & @t1nsmiths
Also, I’m doing @craftfestival , Bovey Tracey, Devon. 12th – 14th June, maybe see you there!
Day 5 – A maker I’m proud to own
Well this is easy! I am such a fan of Henrietta Park’s vibrant knitwear and moreover, I’m an absolute fan of Henrietta herself! We have such a laugh when we get together and her humour and energy is infectious. I first met Hen at Craft Festival Cheltenham 4 years ago (although I had been admiring her work a lot longer than that!).
Henrietta Park designs and makes gorgeous designer knitwear from felted lambswool in vibrant colours; tunic dresses, waist coats, mittens, scarves, ponchos and cardis. I have a cap and a tank top…. they are so comfy and fabulously warm in the winter!
We’re both exhibiting at Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey this year so that’s another wonderful thing to look forward to this summer!
I’m proud to own, and wear a Henrietta Park!
PS. I keep dropping hints to get a Henrietta Park modelling contact, but she is yet to respond, hehe!
