Beginners they were, but are no longer! Flamin’ June, flamin’ eck! Despite the drizzle, and with the throwing studio wood-stove fuelled, our intimate group last weekend came on a real treat over the 2½ days. A big thank you to Tracey our caterer for such wonderful grub. To name just a few, hot soup, red pepper & caramelised red onion galettes, and those double choc brownies, wicked!

From Susie, 18th May 2012: “I would like to thank everyone for such an inspiring and enjoyable experience. Although I was pretty intent on the task in hand and might at times have felt a little daunted, I felt the spirit of encouragement from each and every one of you. I got more than a mug, an jug and two bowls out of the weekend.

My special thanks to Jeremy, our patient teacher. I didn’t once catch you rolling your eyeballs and was much heartened by your positive, yet relaxed approach. Also to Jack, who gently assisted me more than once at a crucial moment.

I am sure there will be more vessels to throw for me. Pot on….”

Over a long weekend, beginning 1st June, Wobage welcomed a full quota of ‘Improvers’ to participate in the first course of the season. With the dining canopy erected, the lawns mowed and the studios spring cleaned, it was great to bring the throwing studio alive with prolific activity. The 3 day course covered a wider spectrum of practice than scheduled, with demonstrations from Jeremy  that included flat-ware, jug-making,  thrown & altered forms, and slip decoration and raw-glazing for salt-firing. Also of course, plenty of basic best practice in throwing, turning and handling. It was a great group of students, further enhanced by our summer apprentice for 2012 Jack Welbourne, an undergraduate from the degree in Cardiff (UWIC). The pots moved on a pace, and did they ‘improve’, well yes did they ever!

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.

Jeremy and Patia are currently exhibiting recent work at the new Contemporary Ceramics Centre in London. Contemporary Ceramics is newly situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, opposite the British Museum, a must visit for pot-lovers. It is the gallery arm of the CPA, the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain, of which Patia is a Professional member, and Jeremy a Fellow. There are many perks to joining the Association as an Associate member. For more information on this click here on CPA. If you are planning a visit to London, don’t miss a trip to the gallery. It consistently shows an excellent cross-section of studio ceramics. For more information on the gallery click here on Contemporary Ceramics.

Led by Jeremy Steward and Patia Davis, the pottery at Wobage Workshops is delighted to introduce it’s teaching programme for 2012, which this year expands with the introduction of some brand new courses. Large-ware thrower from Norfolk, Stephen Parry, guests alongside Jeremy Steward on a five day ‘Big Improvers’ course, focusing upon extending student skills in advanced wheel-throwing. This will begin with techniques in single piece throwing and moving on to various methods of multi-part throwing and assembling.

Matthew Blakely guests alongside Patia Davis for demonstration and lecture in wheel-thrown porcelain. Alongside one to one tuition, Patia and Matt will each demonstrate their softly thrown and altered porcelain, carefully scheduled into the 5 day curriculum to assist with student’s own creative progress and evolving skill base. Matt, a fervent glaze wizard, with also be presenting students with a practical approach to making and developing their own glazes for high-firing.

Bridget Drakeford joins Patia for a new course in Teapot making. On this 5 day course, students will tackle the making of separate components before considering the subtle relationships of these and how they come together to make a harmonious and unified whole. Encouragement will be given to students to express their own personal creative response to the teapot, whilst at the same time considering proportion and rightness of purpose; it’s ability for pouring and potentially solving some of  it’s trickiest problems, ‘the dribblesome teapot spout!’

Guesting on Jeremy’s 5-day Jug making this year is Nigel Lambert. Nigel’s slip-decorated wood-fired earthenware is fast earning him international recognition. HIs thrown and altered beaked jugs possess a majestic poise. Set with his inimitable style of decoration and strong sense of function, they are a joy to behold. Wobage is most looking forward to his contribution in tutorial and demo.

Each course invites a maximum of 8 students, each with their own power wheel for the duration of each course. These are predominantly Rayefco, but also Alsagers and Shimpos. Each Rayefco is now fitted with a hand control lever for foot free throwing and decorating. This will come into it’s own during the ‘Big Improvers’ course this Summer. Courses are carefully designed individually, revolving around specific areas of production and student creative development. There is opportunity to work with different clays, stoneware, earthenware and porcelain, depending upon the focus of the course and the tutors assigned to it. Dual emphasis is focused upon developing skills alongside experimentation and strengthening individual expression. Regular demonstration and visual presentation feature in each course, however we aim to offer students as much time as possible for their own making.

Courses begin at 10am on the first morning, completing at 4pm on the last day. Tuition hours are otherwise 9am – 5pm. Delicious home-made vegetarian lunches, along with morning and afternoon refreshments are included in prices.

Christmas gift vouchers for all of our individual courses are available, either for deposit only, or the full course balance. Please use the booking/availability section of this website.

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.

In addition to his selection of sculptural candle holders now on display as part of the Wobage pre-Christmas exhibition, Josh is also displaying new pots in a few different venues.

He is now stocked at European Makers Gallery, Amsterdam.

http://www.europeanmakers.nl/Eng/1.html

A selection of his mugs and bowls will be on display during the Christmas exhibition at The Sho, a contemporary art and design gallery on Albany Street, Roath in Cardiff. November 25th – Christmas Eve.

http://www.thesho.co.uk/

On December 3rd-4th Josh features as a special invited guest at Kate Malone’s open studio exhibition, Ball Pond Studios, Hackney, London. He will be showing small and large scale work, alongside a selection of makers who have helped Kate Malone with the production of her own work.

http://www.katemaloneceramics.com/

Josh Redman features in this current exhibition at Hereford’s Courtyard Art Centre which runs through h’Art until Sunday 18th September. The exhibition features a selection of international, national and local ceramists and also includes an exciting range of events including ‘have a go throwing’, ‘family pot decorating sessions’, and artist’s talks. Furthermore, Josh will be demonstrating the creation of his pots and sculpture in the foyer of the Courtyard for 3 days between Friday 16th and Sunday 18th. A rare treat and opportunity to view Josh’s inimitable and energetic methods of production. For further information and booking details on other events view the Courtyard’s own website.

With the broadleaf colour beginning to appear and a wee chill of an evening a sign of the end of the Mediterranean Summer we’ve enjoyed in rural Herefordshire,  a little time to reflect upon an inspiring season of workshops at Wobage. Fully booked courses, some terrific new visiting demonstrators, notably Tavs Jorgensen and Clive Bowen along with an abundance of enthusiastic students. Sincere thank you to all for making such a rewarding time, also thanks to our Summer apprentice Ana Simmons for her participation and hard work.

Here are a small selection of pic’s from the last couple of months, more to follow. If any participants from over the Summer have any good photos that they’d like to share, then please forward them via e-mail or CD, from which we can post them up or forward to other students.

Pots selected for firing are steadily being processed and will be ready for collection later in the Autumn. We will contact you as soon as they are ready. The 2012 course programme will be finalised in the next few weeks and made live on the website in November.