Late last September the Eden Project were looking for some pottery for their new Eden Bakery concept. This concept was originally concieved by Clive Cobb of the TownMill Bakery and part of his success with this concept is the combination of fresh bread and fresh food served in handmade pots, made by potter Don Hudson
.
Jacob and I proposed a range of tableware, After a bit of refining we branded it and presented it to the Eden team.
Made to fit into every kitchen, it is inspired by traditional european pottery.
It looks like Crème Fraîche and we were thinking of Vermeer's 'the Milkmaid'
and Mark Rothko for the composition of the amount of slip application.
Spanish, Greek, French (Alsace, la Borne, Normandy) and Cornish of course!
There is a nod to all these traditions ,yet the way we chose the clay,
the manner in which we use the slip and the way we glaze gives this body of work a contemporary feel..
It is exctiting to be reviving tradition and put two fingers up at all those that think traditional influences are too passé for the 21 st century ..
Tradition can be revisited, and envigorated.
I remember late at night some amazing cuban singer talking about his musical tradition and tradition in general,
his deep warm voice saying. .
Ya know, If there is no oxygenisation within tradition it will not be passed on.
without oxygen there is no life.
Without tradition there is no roots,
if there is no roots, there is no tree;
and with no trees there is no life.
We are living in interesting times.
We are no longer tied down to tradition.
liberation from it has benefited the prolific and creative output in Ceramics in the latter half of the 20 century.
Britain being one of the most vibrant places for this.
The outcome has been that ceramics has flourished and that pottery has nearly died. . buried alive by university academics and many a ceramicist trying to detach themselves from it.
The poor quality of both craftsmanship and esthetics by alienated and disenchanted potters are also to blame,
coupled with the bombardment of quality design.
Yes Design has surplanted religion in its take on people.
It is not tecnology that changes the world so quick but Design.
Design is power and more often than not the production process directly linked to Design ommits the soulfull entity,
it erases the memory of the making process and the conciousness naturally present in the making of an object.
Objects become almost virtual pieces made with basterdised materials that have no energy.
A mug from a supermarket if broken will no be missed, for there is no connection with the object, the material and making process carry no life.
How can people understand what they are missing if in their lives they don't use handmade pottery.
So many people.. good, talented, cultivated people, never had a clue of what they missed before we converted them to living with the handmade..
Handmade pots will make a difference in your life, an a much bigger difference than you think.
Jacob and I are producing this new range for the Eden Project. Check out Jacob's blog photosandphilosophy for more images of the making process. We are making very affordable pots for all. .
Korean for Dinner
As a potter the most satisfying thing is not to open the kiln or the discovering of a new great glaze-
or even doing a posh show in Mayfair.
It is to witness the magic of pottery in its rightfull setting.
Many great pots live in Museums from birth and now even are made for Museums. This is great and inspiring sometimes,
Like the Grason Perry exhibition at the British museum.
Craft becoming Art.
I personally use Art to make Craft, usefull craft.
Not that I am a traditionalist with the belief that usefull craft is the sole thing worth while making;
but my calling for it is too great for me not to act upon it.
Thank you Catherine for this image that warms my heart.
Catherine is a sharp and very creative contemporary artist,
her work is often personal and diverse both in media and content.
I learn a lot about my own work by meeting up with her as I watch her select my pots.
I send a smile to David and Kathy for making me a similar asian meal a few nights ago with pots I gave them a few years ago.
Great to see pots being LOVED and USED it does make the pots BETTER somehow.
This is MINGEI for me.
These last few years I have been researching and making Teabowls; many, many have ended up on the scrap heap..
Still a few of them deserve the right to be the faithfull companion of a teadrinker.
The previous post was about the Yuan teabowl.
This one is loosely inspired by mongolian cups.
As I was making it, I was imagining ancient Pu Ehr steam emanating and warming one's face
on a fresh spring morning as the dew rises all around ..
Reduction fired to 1300°, it benefits form a 'kiss lip' finish on the rim, making it very pleasant to drink out of.
Perfect for sencha and thirsty Pu Ehr drinkers.
It is for sale at 100 Euros delivery is included.
My email mrmfrancois@gmail.com
La fabrication du bol à Thé est une aventure qui n'abouti pas souvent à un résultat satisfaisant.
Tous les potiers ont ce même dilème.
Il faut produire au tour des pièces en pleine concentration;
de manière libre, relax, en toute sincérité.
Puis il faut accomplir un tournassage franc, direct et impulsif.
L'application de la glasure est aussi primordial; prendre des risques sans pour autant forcer. .
La cuisson doit, elle aussi être un peu risqué, faite de manière nouvelle.
Le risque de tout perdre devient donc plus grand que le contraire.
Plus d'une centaines de mes bols à thé n'ont pas aboutis au bon résultat.
Je compte vous en présenter quelques uns au rythme d'un bol par poste.
Car ces bols, eux méritent bien leur place sur la table à thé.
Leurs prix sont de 100 Euros pièce - livraison incluse.
Mon mail mrmfrancois@gmai.com
Ce premier bol est de forme Yuan.
Un espace..dans un bol. C'est fou.
A bientôt
Kiln Tea Ceremony
The pleasure of being a potter is to have such an occasion to drink tea.
The cars are lined up to take the work to London for a show.
Have worked non stop, firing the Kiln over night to get there on time.
The studio is trashed and Matcha is the only remedy left to spark you back into action..
A workman's pallet, a hot Chawan from the Kiln, Wabi bottles by Jacob Bodilly also hot out the kiln.The flower is a bit of Wild Gause growing nearby. 
Jacob's bottle looks like a Seal..
I'm tripping on the mad quality of this glaze, the matcha feels like it is hitting the spot, thank you little leaves..
funny what people get up to in forgotten car parks hey...
Thomas this is your second jar.
