Wednesday, 28 April 2010

MILE STONE - 6000th Pot

6000th Objects D'art item posted to web site -
Chris Carter's Barrelled stoneware pot ( Thrown and altered)
This special pot will be on show and for sale in his solo Exhibition "Of This Earth" starting on May 1st 2010



"When I heard that we had inputted 6000 pots on to the Gallery website since the re-launch of the gallery in 2006 it was quite a revelation. We have had the pleasure of showing some of the most exciting studio potters in the UK and beyond and yet, there is some wonderful serendipity in the fact that the 6000th should have been made by Chris Carter one of the country’s unsung masters of his craft.
This simple vessel is anything but simple. It is modest in size but its volume is considerably enhanced by the barrel shape and the matt black interior which gives the pot – as with all Carter’s work – the potential to be ‘something else’.
We know that Chris puts great store by ‘rightness’ and this vessel seems just right from the signature carved foot to the elegantly thrown shoulder. This pot is part of a wonderful solo show of Chris’s work which is running for the month of May. The range of pots is stunning and some of the best of his work I have seen. Not to be missed."

Stuart Dickens
Ceramic Curator

Monday, 19 April 2010

UNUSUAL PAINTINGS OF WORCESTER BY TOM WHITE


We are delighted to have the opportunity to exhibit these rarely painted views of Worcester.  They are for sale in the Gallery and are available to purchase on line


 Tom says
"Inspired by the ordinary, my interest is in taking a snapshot of everyday urban
life and preserving the beauty of something that is often overlooked, using canvas and paint.

  My paintings range from impressionistic to photo-realistic, the latter being the style selected for the show in Worcester, in order to most effectively translate that freeze-frame moment onto canvas.
Influences range from Lowry to Hopper and of course the American photo-realists of the 1960s and 1970s such as Goings and Estes."




Most  of Tom White's paintings, such as the ones at  we have at The Gallery at Bevere are a result of an on the spot sketch using the pochade box with acrylics ( or oils if he have time for them to dry) and photos, from which the final painting is completed in the studio.




                         

                                  

 

 He has  also got preliminary sketches for 2 more Worcester paintings which should be completed soon".











 

Tuesday, 6 April 2010

MIDLAND POTTERS' ASSOCIATION 30TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW


  Many potters and visitors enjoyed being the first
to







view the work of 19 members of
the Midlands Potters' Association on Saturday at the launch of this  special Anniversary Show which celebrates 30 years.




 This exhibition was supported by  Prints and
Pastel Paintings by David White




We were especially pleased to welcome Henry Sandon to the Gallery

Friday, 2 April 2010

POT OF THE MONTH - April 2010


Each Month our ceramic curator Stuart Dickens selects a pot which he feels has particular merit and this month Jill's very large Bird Jug is his choice.

Jill Fanshawe Kato’s work is distinctive and in a style which is redolent of her training in Japan - a country which she clearly loves.
To Jill birds are the embodiment of freedom. Not surprising therefore that, following a degree in Painting at Chelsea and Pottery in Japan, everything she makes in clay reveals this affinity. Travels in Mexico, Hawaii and frequent visits to and exhibitions in Japan, all add their influence in her use of colour, decoration and form.

This style of jug is beautifully designed and the line of handle and spout is an elegant signature to all the jugs in this series. It was Jim Malone that said that jugs need to strut and this jug has real presence. The decoration in panels set on unglazed clay is particularly affecting and reminiscent of techniques used by Josiah Wedgwood.


Saturday, 20 March 2010

A Host of Golden Daffodils in the Gallery Garden

The Garden is now open

for Gallery visitors to wander at leisure and view the spectacular scene of the wild Spring Daffodils and crocus spreading over the lawn under the old oak tree with ceramic sheep sculptures looking on


 Late but definitely worth the wait



Also enjoy a short walk through the canopy of laurels as they pass the 100 year old weeping holly











Students enjoying a break during a Weekend Painting and Drawing Class with Valerie Briggs
Sculpture Trail 2010 opens on May 29th

Saturday, 6 March 2010

The Salt Show- March Exhibition 2010

The Salt Show


The launch,  at the beginning of March attracted many visitors to visit this
  exhibition which demonstrates the growing interest in salt glazing and the diversity of the styles and approaches.




Salt-glazed ceramics were first created in the Rhine Valley of Germany in the 1500s. Whether by accident or clear intent, salt was introduced into the kiln and the resulting ware was coated with a glossy, pebbly, glazed surface. This is what salt-glaze potters call the telltale "orange peel" effect. German immigrants who settled in the United States brought the technology to the US and used it to create utilitarian vessels for storing food and liquids.


Tom White (painter) and
Jeremy Nichols (potter) during the launch.

Modern studio potters using traditional salt processes are working in many areas of the world. The unique salt glaze finish captures spontaneous changes in atmosphere and colour. The method is considered a tool for ongoing experimentation and creativity

 New works from four celebrated Potters using Salt Glaze in this exhibition:-

 Paul Jackson, 
Micki Schloessingk,
Jeremy Nichols
Richard Dewar

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

POT OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2010


We were delighted to be able to show Michael Flynn’s work in The Gallery's last exhibition. This particular piece generated a lot of interest and is typical of the energy and exuberance that so often characterises his figures.

Catching the Cock shows how well Michael interprets the classical Meissen figurines, which are undoubtedly one of his influences, and yet still produces sculptures which are very much of our day.

This figure is almost alive. The loose potting and painterly decoration gives the work a real sense of movement and purpose. It is this freedom which is so often the signature characteristic of his body of work.

This piece has only been shown in museums before and we are therefore particularly happy to be featuring it at this time.