The Wobage Gallery opens for the season this weekend Saturday 5th March 10am, with a one day only bargain sale of seconds and old stock. Pots by Patia Davis, Sheila Herring, Petra Reynolds and Jeremy Steward and a few baskets from Clyde Hoare. DONT’ MISS IT, ONE DAY ONLY. Wobage Gallery is then open for the season, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm.

Our two opening courses of the season in February and March are now fully booked. We have a second 2-day Beginners scheduled for Thurs.7th/Fri.8th July, and then a 3-day Improvers aimed at more experienced makers, Wednesday 13th – Friday 15th July 2016. By popular demand the latter has an extra day in variation to the 2 day course in March, providing budding intermediates with an opportunity to get really stuck in. These courses are now available for booking. Patia’s two earthenware courses in June and July are booking out fast, don’t delay if you fancy a treat this summer!

This Saturday 19th December is the last chance before Christmas to choose from a selection of fabulous hand-made work from the Wobage Gallery, from pots and kitchen-wood to baskets, jewellery and textiles. Returning from a break from pot-making, Petra has a fantastic selection of her slab-built domestic ware, fresh and hot from the wood-salt kiln. Snap ’em up, they are going fast!

Open 10am – 5pm Wobage Makers Gallery, Upton Bishop, Ross-on-Wye. HR9 7QP. Tel. 01989 780495.

(The gallery is then closed in January and February, re-opening in March. During winter closure please ring for an appointment if you would like to look around the gallery.)

Basketmaker Clyde Hoare will be running regular introductory courses in basket weaving throughtout the year. These are day-long courses that introduce a basic understanding of basket making from its history to its place in the modern world. You will get to craft your own basket using green and dried willow, red and yellow dog wood and other seasonal materials. Clyde will guide you through the different stages of the basket and you will have a lovely handmade basket at the end of the day

The course costs £50 per person. This includes all materials, tea, coffee and homemade cake. To find out about a full range of courses, forthcoming dates and to make a booking, please contact Clyde on 07866138436 or Clyde@wildwicker.com

www.wildwicker.com

We are delighted to welcome basketmaker Clyde Jefferson to the Wobage studios. Working in the upstairs of the Farm granary, Clyde works alone creating a range of traditional baskets, handmade from a wide variety of natural hedgerow materials.  All materials are sourced from renewable and sustainably managed hedgerows.  They include willows of many types, dogwood, privet, holly, spindle tree and many others.

Clyde is inspired by the colours of nature, and by the geometric patterns he creates as he weaves and crafts a myriad of shapes and sizes from big log baskets, laundry baskets and plant containers to fruit bowls, gift hampers, shopping baskets, sewing baskets and wastepaper bins.

By reviving this ancient craft, he has realised the relevant application of natural, renewable materials and its place in a modern lifestyle, from replacing plastic shopping baskets to providing a living fence to surround your garden.

Baskets can be made to your specifications – if you can think it, Clyde can make it!

Jeremy and Patia are taking sabbatical from summer teaching this year, 2015, so there will be no intensive courses forthcoming this season. Many of you have contacted us, and we are very sorry to disappoint. If you would like to keep in touch and hear about future courses when they are made live on the website, please subscribe to our online newsletter. In the meantime, we hope that everyone has a fantastic year, and keep on mudslinging!

Please join us at Wobage for fresh coffee and mince pies for our Chrismas Exhibition. We’re open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Enjoy a break from the busy high-streets, a quiet shopping experience for quality hand-made. For further information, please visit our Wobage Gallery website.

Adam Keeling heads the production team of plant-pot makers at the world renowned Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire. An audience of 24 packed into the Wobage throwing studio earlier this month; it included evening class students and UWIC Ceramics undergraduates as well as the Wobage crew. All of us greatly enjoyed Adam’s large-ware demonstration, where he threw a number of huge pots, several of them in multi-parts. The ease with which he handled substantial amounts of clay was awesome and captivating. He spoke confidently about technique, answering questions mid-process and discussing his life and work at Whichford. Thank you Adam and to all that helped make for such a successful and educational event. Many thanks to J.P.Kavanagh who has very generously donated the images on this post.

goose brooch on salt-glazed tiles

The Wobage makers warmly invite you to our Christmas Exhibition. Please join us for a browse and a home-made mince pie and fresh cup of coffee or tea. The pies are warm and delicious! On display is a range of new work from all of the makers, with plentiful gift ideas for Christmas across a range of prices. This includes a selection of fantastic pots, hot from the many Wobage kilns, including new candle-holders from the potters. Also a new delivery of pots and tiles from Andrew and Clare McGarva in Burgundy, France.

From furniture maker Ben Casson, new hors-d’oeuvres serving trays, applewood spatulas, his regular trays and laughing boxes in many combinations of native hardwood including fumed oak, ash and walnut. We have a wonderful new display of Clare Casson’s hand-dyed and embroidered indigo textiles, from large bedspreads to smaller throws.

We most look forward to seeing you at Wobage on the weekends preceeding Christmas. The gallery is open Thursday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm. If you would like to meet up with one or more of the makers themselves to discuss a particular item or to make a commission, please e-mail using the contact form of this website or phone in advance. 01989 780495.

The makers at Wobage warmly welcome you to the opening of our Autumn Exhibition of pottery, wood, jewellery and sculpture, in conjunction with Herefordshire’s Art Week. Please join us on the evening of Friday 9th September, for a glass of locally produced wine, or a ‘Springherne’ sparkling perry, made from pears harvested from the Wobage orchard. Alternatively, the exhibition then continues from Saturday 10th – Sunday 18th September 10am – 5pm.

h.Art is Herefordshire’s Open Studios tenth event, giving you exclusive access to artists’ studios, workshops and special exhibitions. This year there are 103 fantastic venues spread across the whole county and borders. It is the perfect opportunity to meet the makers in relaxed surroundings, learn about their techniques and inspiration and perhaps buy an original artwork. For further information, pick up a pink brochure during your visit to Wobage, or visit the h’Art website.