Best 3 pieces of advice...

1. When I was feeling a real lack of interest in the work I was producing, and overloaded with different advice and conflicting opinions. I was told simply to "Make what you want to make". 

And it really makes sense. Yes I would like to do well in this course and get the best marks possible, but I want that to be for my ideas and designs not for those imagined by another.

Advice is useful but you need to rely on your own judgement.

2. Another piece of advise I was given was to "remember to put these shape holder thingies in the tops of your boxes otherwise they will warp and then the lid won't fit"... and thats an issue everyone can relate too.

3. My final bit of advice is "Be excellent to each other." (Bill and Ted) because sometimes films have the best advice.

I hope these are useful you as well.

I wish I had made that...

For this blog entry I have chosen a ring by jeweller, Ruth Tomlinson from her 'Encrustations' collection.

Retailing for £750, this ring is made with a base of sterling silver and decorated with gold, peridot, aquamarine and antique beads.

This price seems very reasonable for a unique piece of jewellery made using a variety of techniques. A quick internet search for jewellery of a similar price shows a long list of far less imaginative pieces.

The amount of detail in all of Tomlinson's work is amazing, she shows an obvious affinity with the materials and talks about her passion for drawing attention to minute details, which is a theme I also find fascinating. I like how her work has the ability to appear both glamorous and natural in style.

At first it seemed that this piece had no relation to my own work, but after considering the layering of decoration, and the encrusting; embellishing and opulent style shown in the design, it becomes easy to draw a comparison, particularly in my latest work with the layers of glaze, lustres and transfers which I used to create this type of luxurious style. 

Her website is definitely worth a browse: http://ruthtomlinson.com/

Two more trinket boxes...

These have been made in fine bone china, which I thought would be really difficult to use but I feel they have turned out even nicer that my porcelain ones. These are thinner, whiter and glazed a lot better. One does have a small crack in it but that was me being impatient.

And Finally...

Here is the Wedgwood exhibition space all set up. It took a lot of time and shifting plinths around but the layout is now sorted. The banner and name card still need to go in but thats just little things.

Everyones work really came together, there is a brilliant mixture of materials and styles, its very exciting. Hopefully everyone will enjoy it.

The Exhibit

My tiles and boxes

One of my favourite tiles

Exhibit

A mini menagerie...

And I did these just for fun.

Tiles for the Wedgwood Museum exhibition...

Some close up shots of my lustre tiles...