Taster Session

We love this fabulous construction made by one of the participants on our one and a half hour taster sessions. In case you're wondering - it's a tea-light holder, complete with chimney flue arrangement! If you would like to book a coil-pot taster session please follow this link.

New Intake at Evesham Nursery

On Thursday, the Flying Potter van rolled into the car park at Evesham Nursery School for the first session of the new academic term. The children responded well to a series of activities, exploring ways to attach soft clay to arms, hands and faces. Funky glasses, brilliant bangles and magnificent moustaches captured the children's imagination.

Final Monday Magic

The Monday Magic Group was at full capacity when Jon delivered his final pottery session.

Coincidentally, some of the parents are participants in a Bright Space project encouraging families to attend cultural events in and around Birmingham.

One of the mums was so impressed by her two cultural encounters so far that she spoke eloquently for 15 minutes about her experience to the rest of the group - a real advocate!

Jon was moved to investigate a couple of websites that she had recommended. So, if you're looking for something to do at half term in the city then take a look at the Barber Institute and the Ikon gallery.

Megan's 11th Birthday

Megan and friends had a very novel birthday party at the pottery on Sunday.

As well as making some rather fetching terracotta nightlights, the girls also got to witness the Mudrunner event; 1000 competitors, covered head to toe in Herefordshire's finest mud came streaming past the pottery.

Once the girls had finished their masterpieces they retired to the balcony to cheer on the weary runners.

Solihull Libraries

Jon has been providing occasional pottery workshops for Solihull Libraries for nearly ten years. The contract has seen him deliver sessions all over the borough - often visiting two libraries on the same day. This was the case on Saturday when he worked with families in Castle Bromwich and Balsall Common libraries.

It was a great opportunity to trial the theme for Eastnor Pottery's October half term workshops 'Troll in a Trug'. Both adults and children made some fabulous pieces, which they took away to paint at home.
If you would like to experience some 'Troll in a Trug' pottery fun, there are still places available at Eastnor Pottery. The one and a half hour sessions take place on Wednesday the 27th and Thursday the 28th of October, and are aimed at children aged 4-12 years. If you would like to reserve a place then please call on 01531 633886, or email admin@eastnorpottery.co.uk

Amelie's 5th Birthday

Amelie invited thirteen of her friends, straight from school, to celebrate her 5th birthday at the pottery. When it came to the collaborative keepsake, Amelie suggested cats as the theme. Everybody contributed a feline model to be attached to the pot.

Washwood Heath Nursery

Having spent three sessions (session one 'Smooth Transition', session two 'Washwood Heath Nursery Visit 3') working with parents, Jon set up his wheel in the classroom.

The nursery has an intake of 180 children (90 am, and 90 pm) who are offered a whole range of planned free flow activities to engage in. Clay features heavily and the children get to explore the stuff on a daily basis.

Extending their commitment to the mucky stuff, the school have just purchased a potter's wheel. It is a table top affair, RK5T manufactured by Shimpo, perfect for little hands and storage limitations.

Withington Tots

The newly opened Children's Centre in the old Nursery at Withington Primary School in Herefordshire provided the perfect setting for more parent and baby 'clay fun'.

It was very much an exploratory sensory session with youngsters and their parents experiencing clay in all its glorious consistency.

The group will work with Jon for a third time in November, where they are going to produce a 'tree of hands' - turning hand-prints into leaves. These will then be mounted on the wall with semi permanent glue so that parents will be able to 'harvest' the leaves at the end of the academic year.

Mudrunner 2010

The Mudrunner event goes from strength to strength. Participant numbers have nearly doubled from the inaugural event held on the Eastnor Estate last year. Once again, the organisers D3 made the 1000 medals from clay supplied by our good selves. We just popped them in the kiln and here they are ready for dispatch.

Totem in the news!

Take a look at this weeks Ledbury Reporter .

Washwood Heath Nursery - Visit 3

Most of the children at Washwood Heath Nursery have settled in and are enjoying the creative opportunities offered to them by the industrious staff. There is little need for the parents to stay behind now (see previous blog entry - Smooth Transition).

However, so taken by the arts and crafts based diversions laid on for them during their child's transition to Nursery school, a hardcore group has evolved who still remain at the nursery to practice their pottery skills. So, Jon carried on working with the grown-ups making a large vase form on the potter's wheel for the 'gang' to decorate.

The children in small groups and individually, came out to experience the potter's wheel, the parents taking obvious delight in watching the youngsters feel their way around the spinning clay.

Friends Forever

Some teachers move schools, searching for and embracing the challenge of a new educational environment.

In September the respected headteacher at Badsey First School; Elizabeth Spencer, took on the headship at St Richards First School, down the road in Evesham.

Jon had worked extensively as artist in residence at Badsey and was delighted to work with Elizabeth in her new school.

Working with the two Year 3 classes, Jon, staff and children made a collaborative wall clock, each tile illustrating and representing the idea of friendship. The workshop took place over two mornings, one in September and the other last week.

Monday Magic

There's a group of adults who meet regularly at the St Thomas Centre on a Monday morning. The session is known as 'Monday Magic'. Jon had the pleasure of working with them again early this week.

The group is made up of individuals from a range of cultures and different backgrounds, lots of stories and anecdotes are shared. Apparently, in India the child is sometimes compared to 'the clay', and the parents are 'the potters'. Parenting is all about carefully 'shaping' the clay and allowing the pot to 'grow' and develop form, so eventually hands can be withdrawn and the elegant vessel can stand alone...nice metaphor!

Throw a Pot Workshop

A small but perfectly formed group of participants explored the benefits of working on the potter's wheel at our monthly 'Throw a Pot Workshop'.

Check out these fantastic pots, drying in the kiln room, made by Anna and Lysa.

Pippa's 14th Birthday

Pippa's family have been visiting Eastnor's Deer Park for the best part of twenty years. They are all keen Landrover enthusiasts, members of the MROC Club and take part in various off road events held at Eastnor.

Last Saturday, Pippa's family and friends walked the short distance from the Deer Park to the Pottery to make potter's wheel based creations to celebrate Pippa's 14th birthday. The birthday girl herself made a fabulous Landrover emerging from a wheel thrown, muddy puddle.

If you've got something to celebrate, drop us a line at admin@eastnorpottery.co.uk, or check out our special occasions workshops.

The Eastnor Totem

It's been well over a year since we made this fantastic Eastnor-inspired totem pole, in the grounds of Eastnor Castle. Having every intention of a rapid firing, installation and posting photos, we dutifully took the email addresses of participants so we could show them the fruits of their labour. We did say October - but luckily didn't specify the year!

Check out our facebook page for more photos

Arts Supermarket

Once a year, Herefordshire Council parades its artist educators at the Courtyard theatre in Hereford. The event is called 'Arts Supermarket' and gives the county's school teachers and other interested parties the opportunity to talk to and peruse arts workshop facilitators - all under one roof.

From an artist's point of view it's a good time to network and catch up with other creatives on the circuit. This year, Jon's stand was next to the 'Green Eyed Monster'. Karen and Tina provide workshops to schools using found, reclaimed and recycled materials. Check out this lovely Christmas tree made from plastic bottles, wire and....jingle bells, jingle bells....

St Thomas Creche

Having finished the New Parents session in the morning, Jon 'hot foots' it across to work with children and staff in the centre's creche. These free flow, organic sessions often take place 'alfresco' in the willow room's garden. Clay is pressed into bark, trod into tarmac and mixed with sand and other naturally occurring stuff lying around; leaves, twigs, grass...that sort of thing.

This week the inclement weather made for some inside clay activities. Jon set up a vertical clear perspex screen so that the children could work either side, applying clay and painting with slip. The overall effect (pictured above) looked very Autumnal.

Final Baby Session

How many of us can confess to having our first potter's wheel experience at the age of four months? This was Jon's 3rd and final session with new parent group at the St Thomas Children's Centre in Birmingham. So much rapid development occurs in those early months. It was a joy to behold the advances and the increased sophistication of the children's approach.