Then I awake and look around me!

International Ceramics Festival, Aberystwyth

I visited the International Ceramics Festival, it has to be said, under sufferance.

I really did not want to go, for no other reason than a lack of time but I am so glad I went.

With a full agenda of lectures, demos, exhibitions and firings, it was really hard to choose which to attend.

The welcome address gave us an opportunity to listen to a snapshot of what each ceramic artist would be covering and despite there being clashes of really good stuff, eventually I went for what seemed best.

William Cobbing spoke about the ASMR nature of his performance art where clay is his chosen medium. I was a little disappointed as I’d thought I’d heard him say that he would be talking about his engagement with social media, which, for any of us, has to be of interest if we are to reach potential customers. It sounds vulgar but it’s true and we have to be realistic, but sadly there was little mention. His address focussed on the different exhibitions in which he has participated, the specific piece and the why. He evaded the much asked question of - how do you breathe? What is the shell made from, if indeed there is a shell? I battled with the question - should he even be at ICF? It seemed to me that he was more of a performance artist than a ceramic one. While I concede he does produce ceramic work, as he wasn’t discussing this at ICF then I had to question whether or not my time would have been better spent seeing Euan Craig and Iku Nishikawa.

Fitch and McAndrew were entertaining, informative and generous with their help and advice. While I’m not after a runny, honey glaze, I am currently looking at dribbly, lush Victorian feel Earthenware glazes. Their pitcher in the demonstrators gallery was fabulous and just the glaze effect I’m seeking.

How lush is this? Doug Fitch explained that he uses a green slip under this earthenware glaze.

Hannah demonstrated her incredible slip trailed decoration. I hadn’t realised how wet the whole surface was that she trailed onto, but then it made total sense once witnessed.

I also watched Nicholas Lees and Bonnie Grace. In some respects it felt like watching the sublime to the ridiculous. I don’t mean that to sound offensive, it is simply that Nicholas’ work is so precise and intricate while Bonnie’s work came across as far more free and fluid.

Nicholas mounts his leather hard clay onto a lathe and then carefully carves fine lines into it to create a double edged silhouette.

Bonnie follows a template to cut the sides of her jugs out of slabs and then marries up the correct pattern to suit each piece. The slabbed jug pieces are then pressed together to form a thin jug in profile.

It was such a quick process that it made me think, how on earth to speed up my own making to make it viable?

For me the demo pair were mismatched, the majority of questions being for Nicholas Lees. It was a shame, because much as Jim Robison tried to re-involve Bonnie, the questions were just not forthcoming.

Rich Miller gave a demo alongside Louise Bell. They both talked about their relationship with clay and explained their making process.

I attended both Rich Miller’s demo and lecture and enjoyed them immensely. He talked about his vast experience gained with his tile company before touching on the Throwdown but focussing in the main on his own work, which sadly seems to have gone under the radar to a degree because of the show. He has looked at his own heritage and his relationship with it, his strong family roots and his absolute love for history. I did wonder how a man of mixed race felt about being in a sea of predominantly white, middle aged, middle class women.

Rich and Louise explained their interest in toys and Louise made an anteater seemingly in the blink of an eye. A naive approach to her animal sculptures, they evoke a sense of folklore or oral tradition, for me, whether or not that is the intention.

I must say I have never been inclined to buy animal based ceramics….but these are so delightful I might have to invest at some point!

I watched Gareth Nash and Patty Wouters demo session, again, fabulous. Gareth’s work is so beautifully observed. It felt like a horses head had appeared from nowhere, and it is so gloriously glazed, very traditional Chinese. You could become quite obsessed watching him. He is mesmerising.

Patty Wouters also talked us through her delicate process, applying the clay to fabric and once leather gently peeling it off to create a coccoon like pod, so delicate and elegant.

Again I had to say it was quick work, and again, this leads me to question how long it would take me to make a certain number of pieces from start to finish and where the time consuming elements can be made more economically viable. It was very elegant work, which exuded a sense of calm.

I was intending to go to another lecture after this but my attention span was waning so I decided to go out and get some air.

It’s amazing how much you miss by being in lectures and demos, there’s so much going on outside.

Joe Finch, Euan Craig and Lisa Orr each had built kilns which were being fired throughout. Jenny Jermyn was demonstrating obvara glazing….so many questions about that one while there was also a raku session going on.

I did visit the Welsh potters exhibition and was truly taken, as always with the work of Terry Bell-Hughes….one day I will invest.

It was a great event, inspiring, informative, entertaining and a source of immense information. I do feel, sadly, that all of this will not really help towards the remaining few weeks of my masters. Going forward, however, it was invaluable.

I wonder had I visited this in my first year, would I now be building rocket kilns and trying out some obvara work!