The Wobage team has been busy this week preparing Sheila’s birthday retrospective of pots, including a ‘for sale’ display of her current salt-fired stoneware and porcelain which has just been unpacked from the gas-salt kiln. Some wonderful mature surfaces, particularly the rich blue-blacks. The exhibition is being set up in the entrance of the magnificent threshing barn.

The small wood-salt kiln was fired Tuesday 25th and will be unpacked later today, nothing like the smell of a smouldering exhibition plinth! The kiln was crash-cooled and basted just after midnight, and the draw rings looked very promising indeed. Jeremy was assisted over the 20 hour firing by apprentice Sheila Herring, Josh Redman and local potter and cider-maker John Teiser. The kiln pack was dominated by Jeremy’s pots, but with mugs of Sheila’s and a shelf-full of Josh’s porcelain. We shall be serving John Teiser’s highly reputed farmhouse perry during the exhibition, made using the rare pear variety, ‘Early Griffin’ collected from the Wobage perry orchard in 2009.

Wobage exhibition, including an 80th Birthday retrospective of Sheila Casson’s work opens Saturday 29th May and continues until Sunday June 6th.

Hot from the kiln and ready for our forthcoming exhibition this weekend, Patia is rattling through several firings of both her porcelain and earthenware ranges. Some fantastic new square slip-decorated dishes which have proved very popular indeed, alongside the fresh greens of her yew-ash glazed, reduction-fired porcelain. (see pics) For the first time, she’ll also be exhibiting a new range of screw top jars.

The Wobage makers warmly invite you to join us for our forthcoming exhibition, beginning on the next May Bank Holiday weekend, opening Saturday 29th May 2010, until Sunday 6th June. In celebration of Sheila’s 80th birthday this Spring, Wobage Gallery will be displaying a retrospective exhibition of Sheila’s pots. The exhibition will also include new work by Patia Davis, Jeremy Steward, & new Wobage potter Josh Redman. Wood & furniture by Ben Casson, jewellery by Clare Hodgson, tin sculpture by Lucy Casson, pots and tiles by Andrew & Clare McGarva, and indigo textiles by Clare McGarva.

After a busy April, Patia’s kiln is now up to the top of the chamber, with the springers in place to begin corbelling the domed roof. Would you trust these two men (see image) with the design of your damper? A lamp-maker and an energy consultant! Thanks indeed to Colin Chetwood and Nick Grant, partners in much worse crimes,  for making such a neat and sturdy job of the kiln’s metalwork. Patia is now back to full-time making and firing in preparation for the forthcoming Wobage exhibition, returning to complete the kiln-build in June. For more pics of the build, scroll to the bottom of Patia’s profile page

In readiness for the Wobage Summer Exhibition at the end of May, Andrew and Clare McGarva have just delivered fresh pots and tiles from their workshops in Burgundy, France. For a closer look at their recent production have a browse through their website. You’ll find images featuring Andrew’s large slipware dishes, the McGarva’s widely recognized blue and white domestic pots and Andrew’s range of medieval style floor tiles.

Amateur potter and architect, Catherine Yeatman reviews the Wobage courses she attended in 2009.

“…there are salads with flowers in them, good company, a family of barn owls, home-made pizza in the wood-fired oven and by no means least there are, of course, the pots…..”

Click here to read the review in full

Patia has a last minute cancellation and therefore a place available on her Wednesday evening class. The 10 week Summer term covers all aspects of wheel-thrown earthenware, including slip-decoration and raw-glazing. Equally suitable for a beginner or a maker with more experience. You’ll find more information and contact details on the Evening classes page

With the new Wobage kiln-site shed completed a few weeks ago, Patia is now making good progress with the building of her updraught wood-kiln. Once complete, she will journey towards wood-firing her earthenware which is currently electric fired. Patia was inspired by a similar kiln which she helped build and fire with Clive Bowen at Aberystwyth Arts Centre in 2007. Her design encompasses two catenary arch fireboxes, a round chamber and domed roof.

We eagerly await her first trials later in the year, in anticipation of ever more seductive surfaces; that added warmth, softness and serendipitous generosity of wood-firing. In combination with Patia’s bold and already sumptuous decoration, mmm, can’t wait! The kiln-build will be documented with regular picture updates on the end of Patia’s profile page.

Sheila Herring has been busily making mugs to donate to the ‘Adopt a Potter’ Trust which is supporting her apprenticeship to Jeremy this year. Jeremy has designed the shape and handle for the mug, which have been adapted to three different sizes. A batch have just been beautifully fired in the small wood-salt kiln. These mugs will be sold at Ceramics fairs over the Summer, at ‘Earth & Fire’ at Rufford Park in June and at ‘Art in Clay’, Hatfield House in August. For dates and details of these fairs, hover then click on the above hyperlinks.