Lockdown pottery
The second full lockdown in the UK is affecting everyone. The year 2020 will be remembered as the year that we lost so many people to this dreadful disease and were unable to do much of what enriches our lives. Art and creativity has been severely limited and I, like so many others, have been affected by the lack of human contact and artistic stimulus. No open studios have taken place and that has meant that most feedback and reaction to my work has been virtual via Twitter and Instagram. I am grateful for this; for me, creativity needs an audience to react. Not applause or accolades, but the personal response of someone who picks up and appreciates one of my pieces of pottery is the true worth of making pots. This requires human interaction, so lockdown has been hard to bear, limiting our sense of purpose for making art.
I have been lucky to retain access to a studio where social isolation and distancing are possible, so that I can continue to make pots in a Covid-safe environment. But as we move through the darkest of Winters with some hope of recovery amid the scurry to vaccinate the most vulnerable and gain some sense that there may be an end to our turmoil, I cannot reflect on the past year without a sense of loss for pots not made and people not seen. The year has taken its toll by limiting both physical and mental capacity to make pots. Which is not good…
So I am trying to move to a more optimistic state of being, focusing on what we have, rather than what we do not. And that has meant turning attention to what is possible. Creating this website has helped and I am eternally grateful for the really positive reaction and sales that I have received.
But what now…?
February is with us and it is LGBT History Month. Normally by this time of year I would have delivered pots and/or sculptures to the Loudest Whispers LGBT Art Exhibition. For 2021, this long standing exhibition has been created as an online gallery and I am so glad to once again have six of my pieces included in the exhibition. This year’s theme is Body, Mind, Spirit and that has never been so appropriate as we live through Covid. Do take a look; it is a wide ranging collection of artworks that never fails to have something for everyone.
And for me, having completed the photography that is required for an online exhibition, I am returning to making pots in my studio. I chose to start the year with pots that symbolise the pleasure of making something for oneself. I have recently started mindfulness sessions at work as part of the support for staff that is provided for NHS staff at CNWL. During the sessions my mind recalled some ‘sitting pots’ that I used to make a very long time ago when I first started making pottery. They are whimsical and funny with an individual character. And most importantly they make me smile. I shall be posting some images of them in a short while.
And to renew my enthusiasm, I have also taken delivery of a variety of new clays, including both white and black stoneware and Ashraf Hannah raku body. I intend to make raku pots ready for when lockdown is eased. Plus I have ordered decals (under and over glaze) and some new glazes to reinvigorate my work.