Friday, 30 July 2010
Last day at the Castle - Thurs 29 July


It only seems like yesterday we were unloading the van and populating the yurt with all our tools and equipment - now it's time to pack it all up again.
Thankyou to all who participated in our drop-in workshops - you really did produce some ugly work!
Once it's all been fired we'll display the gargoyle pots & planters in the window of Priory Cleaners in the centre of Ledbury - probably around late sept/oct time.
Those of you who visited the Castle from afar, please join our facebook page, follow us on http://twitter.com/eastnorpottery or email admin@eastnorpottery.co.uk to join our datadase.
Do any of the above and we'll give you the nod when we've published photos of the finished, fired pieces.
Discovery pot offerings no4 & 5 at Eastnor Castle


Disappointing news - We had no less than three of our little lidded pots stolen from their hiding places during wed opening hours...(what!)
If you saw anybody struggling under the weight of a bulging rucksack at closing time on Wednesday at the Castle, please get in contact! admin@eastnorpottery.co.uk
In the remaining nine pots we discovered these little goodies.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Arrow Vale High School Comments

We always ask our clients and customers for their feedback following a workshop or event. We regularly send out an evaluation questionnaire asking if the project lived up to expectations etc. Here's a recent response from Arrow Vale High School in Redditch (see the blog titled 'Mud Sofa') http://eastnorpottery.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html)
"The amount achieved by the students was excellent, we have had a variety of positive feedback, the highlight for the students being adding the mud mixture to the structure."
"Your relationship with students was excellent, relaxed but focused, securing the attention and enthusiasm for the experience."
"The amount achieved by the students was excellent, we have had a variety of positive feedback, the highlight for the students being adding the mud mixture to the structure."
"Your relationship with students was excellent, relaxed but focused, securing the attention and enthusiasm for the experience."
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Sunday at the Castle
We've also hidden some 'discovery pots' on the upper and lower terraces. Each pot contains a ball of clay, inviting the finder to look around and model something based upon their observation/interaction with the environment. At the end of the day we collect the offerings - our intention to fire and exhibit photos on our blog at some point in the future.
For the time being we'll photograph the results in their raw grey form and post them here on a daily basis.
Flying Potter at the Castle


This week, Jon & Sam (Sam pictured above - another work experience student from Hanley Castle High School) have been offering castle visitors the opportunity to build collaborative gargoil planters.
Situated in a fabulous Yurt on the lower terrace, families have been sampling coiling, pinch pot and clay modelling techniques.
We'll atempt to publish photos on a daily basis!
Corporate fish


The large group (approx 90 participants!) made up of individuals from all over Europe worksed in teams of 10 to produce a shoel of collaborative fish - each one very different from the next, celebrating diverisity of approach.
Once fired, the fish will swim back to their creators taking pride of place in their European offices.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Myths & Legends

Jon was invited to facilitate a day of clay for yr 7 & 8 students.
Prior to his visit they were encouraged to research mythes and legends. Some of the lads brought in model dragons and fantastical toys on which they based their sculpture.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Riverside Project

For the past six months, Gemma has been working with three Early Years settings south of the River Wye in Hereford:-
The venues, Riverside School, Springfield Nursery and Hunderton Children's Centre all collaborated to produce four tile panels to be installed in their shiny new buildings.
We've all been very busy over the last few weeks cutting mdf, painting and sticking the children's work onto boards.
On Monday Jon delivered two brilliant boats and two fantastic trees to the three venues who were all delighted with the results.
Last Day at Brearley Teviot Nursery

All the materials were brought together to produce this lovely snake...before being 'deconstructed' in apocalyptic style!
Jon took around five hundred photographs documenting the five day residency, the best of which will feature in a display binder for the nursery - the intention to remind the staff and children of just some of the fab things you can do with clay.
Jon will be returning to Brearley Teviot Nursery in the Autumn term to work with the new intake of children and their families.

St Andrew's Storytelling Sofa



Jon was back at St Andrews First School, Evesham on Thursday for the second installment of the storytelling mud sofa project.
The whole school (some 150 children) took turns to shift, bag and mix various consistencies of soil, clay, straw and water.
The fired book characters and story objects made by the school a couple of weeks ago (see previous blog entry http://eastnorpottery.blogspot.com/) were then staked to the structure before handfuls of grass seed were sprinkled all over.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Courtney's Birthday

Not that it mattered, the girls and boys had a fantastic time making T -light holders and lanterns before devouring the feast that Mum Nikki had provided.
If you would like more information or would like to book one of our fabulous children's birthday party workshops please click here: http://www.eastnorpottery.co.uk/pages/eastnorpotterychildrensbirthdayparties.htm
Work Experience

Last week we were joined by Valdis from John Masefield High School in Ledbury. Valdis sampled a whole range of pottery tasks (glazing, kiln packing, and care taking work) as well as supporting Jon in schools around the region.
On his final day, having impressed the team with his confidence and people skills, Valdis led a coil pot birthday party workshop for a gaggle of ten year old girls! Brave lad! Pictured above - Valdis attatching the final 'boat' tile - destined for Riverside Primary School.

Valdis displaying his pinch pot musical dragon.
Festival of Cultures 2010

The sole responsibility for organizing all aspects of the event is given to the Sixth Form,

Pictured here are examples of the trophies made by the lads during the day.
Monday, 5 July 2010
BBC event


Jon and 'potter in training' Lottie headed into deepest Oxfordshire to work with some 500 cubs, scouts, beavers and explorers.
The mass camp-out and activities were organised to commemorate the group's centeenery with youngsters engaging in, amongst other pursuits, rock-climbing, absailing, canoeing and of course pottery.
A world of learning together

After the obligatory potter's wheel assembly, three classes of 30 children made collaborative, 3D letters.
The letters correctly arranged spell out the school motto: 'A world of learning together'. The intention is to dot them around the school grounds for children to discover and piece together as part of an art/nature trail.
Mud & terracotta mix

The school already boasts a fantastic clock and terracotta dragon made with Jon and whole school participation.
This time the new head requested a collaborative work for their forest school site. After much discussion it was decided a storytelling mud throne might be appropriate with fired, terracotta additions.
Jon had facilitated plenty of fired and unfired sculpture, but had never combined the two mediums in one piece. Eastnor Pottery now has two weeks in which to fire the children's ceramic creations ready for the construction of the chair in the last week of term.
Brearley Nursery - day 4


The children were encouraged to throw, stomp and smear clay over a giant piece of perspex. The effect was very positive with participant numbers swelling to an all-time high!
Clay taster session



The friends were holidaying in the Ledbury area and fancied a bit of clay relaxation. We'll now fire their masterpieces and send them on to them in a few weeks time.
If you would like to book a taster session please take a look at: http://www.eastnorpottery.co.uk/pages/documents/Newservicesfor2010.pdf
(pre-booking essential)
Bonnie's Birthday


The delightful group of young ladies made surfing dudes, riding clay waves produced on the potter's wheel. The designs were extremely imaginative and very well executed. One of our personal favourites (although it was very hard to choose) had to be a surfing Lady Gaga (pictured)
Would you like to celebrate your special day at Eastnor Pottery? http://www.eastnorpottery.co.uk/pages/eastnorpotterychildrensbirthdayparties.htm