Inspired by Garden Designers

 I had a great evening last week when a group from the Garden Designers Society came to my studio. I loved talking about art, gardens, plants and design and feel very excited about creating more work which will fit well in a garden setting. They had some great ideas and helpful thoughts which i will follow up. I also feel inspired to make some changes in my own garden, look at the planting schemes again, and include some of my own pieces of ceramic and concrete.

Reflection Exhibition at City Art Centre, Edinburgh

I have just installed around 200 small porcelain forms in glass cabinets as part of Reflection Exhibition , at City Art centre, Edinburgh, opening tomorrow, 19th Nov. Along with my studio colleagues, Rebecca Wilson and Frances Priest we are part of a show with over 20 artists and makers who have received grants from Edinburgh City Council in association with Creative Scotland.

news autumn 2011

I have been quietly working away here at the studio over the last few months. I have been away on a few trips, including an inspiring and enjoyable visit to the London Design Festival, as well as a stint of civic duty on jury service.

Jewellery - new designs are now available , from Concrete Wardrobe and City Art Centre, Edinburgh and also Open Studios in December
Organic Ceramic Evening Classes - 2 blocks have been successfully completed, and final 3 week course to start next week ( fully booked) New spring dates to be announced shortly.
Open Studio - Coburg House Dec 3 and 4th, lots to see as usual
Threave Gardens - I had an interesting visit to the National Trust gardens near Dumfries recently and will be putting one of my large my concrete forms there in the new and developing sculpture garden being created there.
Conversations - I am having a series of interesting chats with garden designers, landscape architects about gardens, sculpture and design and really enjoying the interactions.
New Website - I am about to design a new website, with the help of Colin Usher, so that it reflects my current work and can be easily updated.
Reflection Exhibition at City Art Centre -  I am busy sanding and polishing 200+ small porcelain pieces as part of installation at exhibition which opens on 19th Nov of recipients of awards from Edinburgh Council arts awards.

exhibition at New School House Gallery York

I have made new work related to talismans and collecting precious objects. there are wall mounted bone collections and porcelain bone fragments in origami map boxes for this exhibition in York, it's a lovely gallery near the city walls in a garden with a great italian deli/cafe next door.

Talk at Peter Potter Gallery this Friday 19th August, 6 to 7pm

I am giving a talk this friday, 19th August, 6 to 7pm, at the Peter Potter Gallery in Haddington, address is 10 The Sands, Haddington, EH41 3EY. This is during the 'Return to the Earth' exhibition which runs until 3rd September, which is part of the Lost Landscapes Programme running this year.
I will talk about the porcelain bone collection on display at the Gallery and also current developments in my work using eco friendlier concrete to produce larger pieces.

Autumn Term of Organic Ceramic Evening Classes

Coburg House Art Studios

organic ceramic

evening classes

Exciting ceramic classes, using hand building to produce a range of objects inspired by natural forms. Techniques include slab building, coils and more experimental ideas, including porcelain and paperclay.

This course is open to anyone, whatever your ability and experience with clay before. A small group ensures a relaxed and informative class. Plenty of tea and biscuits. Come and make some Xmas presents or something for yourself
All you need of basic materials are provided, and kiln firings are included in the cost.
Taught by Jenny Pope    website – www.jennypope.com

Organic Ceramic Evening Classes  - 8 week Block

Monday evenings 6.30pm to 9pm  
Mon 12 September to 31^st October            £160 for 8 week block 

 Organic Ceramic Evening Classes - 4 week Blocks

Tuesday Evenings 6.30pm to 9pm  
Tue 13^th September to 4^th October                £80 for 4 week block
Tue 11^th October to 1^st November                 £80 for 4 week block

 Organic Ceramic Evening Classes - 3 week Blocks

630pm to 9pm
Mon - 14^th November to 28^th November    £60 for 3 week block

Tue - 15^th November to 29^th November     £60 for 3 week block

 Payment by Chq or BAC confirms place

For information and bookings please contact Jenny  at:
Coburg House Art Studios (Studio 12), 15 Coburg Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6ET
phone 07766332048     email – jennypope2002@yahoo.co.uk

Exhibition opening today at Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington

http://www.peterpottergallery.org/PETER_POTTER_GALLERY/Home.html
I have just installed 140 small porcelain bone related fragments on large shelving at Peter Potter Gallery, as part of the group show, 'Return to the Earth' exhibition opens today,
I am also giving a talk on 19th Aug , 6 to 7pm about the piece and my ideas and inspiration for my work.

Progress with concrete pieces and Open Studios at Coburg House

I have returned from the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop with a very tall concrete piece which I will finish in my studio.I will be polishing and sandblasting  the surface so it becomes erroded, and similar to the the bowl form texture.
Both pieces can be seen at the Open Studios at Coburg House from 5th to 7th August
 see http://www.coburghouseartstudios.co.uk/ for more info

Project Space and Open day at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

I am spending 2 weeks using the project space at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop to experiment with new large pieces of work. This has been funded by a Craft Makers Award from City of Edinburgh Council .
I am exploring the use of environmentally friendlier concretes to produce work on a bigger scale than so far I have made in clay.This is a new area for me and I am learning a lot. I am using bone and erroded rock forms as inspiration, as in previous pieces.
ESW hve an Open day this coming Saturday , 16th July from 11am to 3pm. There are lots of different workshops and activities going on, including a talk with me from 12 to 1pm.

Images from Cockenzie Harbour installation

Michael Wolchover, www.michael-wolchover.com took some excellent images for me during the installation and during a high tide.Piece is now safely down, thanks to help from Yvonne Murphy and friends from 3 Harbours Festival.
It will next be seen at Pittenweem Art Festival from 5th to 14th August, as part of  Flashcraft Exhibition.  http://www.pittenweemartsfestival.co.uk/index.html

AA2A work in progress at Sunderland

I have been working as part of Artist Access to Art Colleges programme at Sunderland University dept of Glass and Ceramics, at the National Centre for Glass. My recent trip down involved making some long bone form with layers of paperclay, porcelain and seaweed mixed together. These will dry slowly and then be fired and sandblasted to make erroded surfaces, before a final high temp firing.

PAPERCLAY- IN AN EXHIBITION AND AT EVENING CLASSES

There is an exhibition opening tomorrow at Craft House Concept, at 31E Minto St, Edinburgh, EH9 2BT, called 'Paper'.see www.livingwithcraft.com
I will be showing some porcelain paperclay vessels, amongst many other more obviously paper related objects from a wide selection of artists and makers.
I use paper pulp in the porcelain pieces I make so that the porcelain has a greater strength whist I am formimg the shapes. Porcelain is a beautifully smooth clay which is very soft but has little strength when dry and cracks very easlily when making. It is a messing and enjoyable process of combining liquid porcelain and torn up paper and water ( paper-mache style) and blending to a smooth paste befor drying out on plaster slabs. The result is a much easier to work material. The paper burns away in the first firing, leaving only the porcelain, and no trace of paper. Paperclay has been used over the last 20 years or so in ceramics and resolves a number of issues to do with fragility when making but not affecting the look of the final piece.
I run Organic Ceramic evening classes from my studio at Coburg House in Leith. Here students have the opprortunity to experience the whole process of making and using porcelain paperclay, as well as the regular clay. For more info please see http://www.coburghouseartstudios.co.uk/, new courses will start in the autumn, please e-mail me if you wish to be informed of next terms dates, info@jennypope.com below are examples of students work , done at previous classes.

Installation at Cockenzie Harbour

Last night I finally installed my large concrete piece, at Cockenzie Harbour, East Lothian, after several months of making. It was a team effort, with several people from the 3 Harbours Festival helping with 2 big ladders and ropes and chains! It was a bit nerve wracking for me to see my piece hoisted up the side of the pillar by a rope but it all went well and done within the one hour window before the tide came in. Michael Wolchover was there to photograph and document the process,
I am interested to see how the limecrete and recycled materials fare in the windy sea environment, and look forward to some weathering and erroding.
The 3 Harbours Festival opens on Friday 27th May and info is at www.3harbours.co.uk. I also have a smaller sculpture and jewellery in the Power Station exhibition.
My piece will be in the Harbour for several weeks before it comes down and then I will look for  new home for it.

concrete and conversations

I have had an enjoyable conversation with Hannah Longmuir as part of a blog that Cameo Curio are doing about creativity, 'Month of marks' for May see http://cameocurio.wordpress.com/ , a really interesting collection of interviews, thoughts and comments on all aspects of creativity .
I am also in the middle of making a large concrete piece for 3 Harbours Festival, http://www.3harbours.co.uk/ , subtitled , 'art in unusual places' , i am making work for both within the Cockenzie Power station and also on a 'plinth' in the harbour at Cockenzie.

This work has been started as part of my time at Sunderland University Glass and Ceramics Dept during my AA2A( Artists Access to Art Colleges) residency. It is exciting and slightly daunting to make such a big piece and challenging me to work in another medium to clay. I am using  a concrete which I am trying to make as low impact on environment as possible, using limecrete and recycled aggretages, with a base of recycled polystyrene. lots more to do on it, updates to follow.

NEW TERM Ceramic Evening Classes at Coburg House ,Leith, Edinburgh

here is the latest set of classes, come along for a relaxing evening, do pass on to friends who may be interested

 

Organic Ceramic Evening Classes  - 7 week Block

Monday evenings 6.30pm to 9pm  

Mon 9th May  to Mon 20th June  

Hand building ceramics classes, simple projects , variety of different techniques, or your own designs, materials included, relaxed small group, all welcome  Cost £140

 

Organic Ceramic Evening Classes - 4 week Blocks

Tuesday Evenings Tue 3rd May to Tue 24th May   

or Tue 31st May  to Tue 21st june 

Hand building ceramics classes, simple projects tiles, printing, small pots, or your own designs, materials included, relaxed small group, all welcome  cost £75 each block

Classes held at Coburg House Art Studios in Leith, Edinburgh.

Conatct me on jennypope2002@yahoo.co.uk to book