What happened in Lockdown.

So Lockdown has been weird, right? In all honesty though, it’s not been all bad for me. With my studio in the garden, I have been able to spend long uninterrupted days making as and when I chose. The initial problem though, was that all the galleries had closed and all the shows had been cancelled, so what was I making for? I’ll admit to you that firstly, I panicked at the loss of these selling opportunities. What would this mean for my business? Then, I confess to a good sulk at the loss of purpose these shows and exhibitions provide for me. I like goals and deadlines to work towards around which I can frame what I’m doing and keep my motivation high. So yes, I moped for a bit, but then I started working on something new. The slower daily pace and lack of deadlines actually turned out to be a blessing, creatively speaking. I have had time to think, try out new ideas and just let it all flow with no pressure.

I began thinking deeper about the constraints I was feeling due to lockdown - the lack of freedom and sense of purpose. I started exploring these ideas in a new series of vessels. I was feeling restricted, so took joy in allowing the rims on these thrown forms to be fluid and free with the energy continuing on beyond the edges causing them to ripple and tear as I threw them on the wheel. I carried on with the theme of freedom by splashing on the glaze too, something I never normally do, but in this moment it just felt right.

I added appendages suggesting handles or toggles to allude to some kind of purpose but their actual use is not clear - handles for pouring perhaps, but no spout, toggles for tying or fastening with no obvious indication as to what would be fastened or why. On one, the ‘handle’ became a kind of wing which I quite like too as it also could be symbolic of flight and liberation, being ‘free as a bird’. The birds & wildlife have had a better time of it during lockdown as we humans quietened our presence on the planet a little. I even saw a baby deer outside my house on the road - I live in a residential area in a small town usually busy with cars, but that day the young deer roamed free. I digress, sorry, that is what my brain has been like over this weird time, easily distracted! Back in the studio, I was just letting it all evolve in front of me, reserving critical judgement, for the time being.

This method was liberating in itself and did a lot to bring back my motivation as I enjoyed the daily throwing and the therapeutic rhythm that it provided, while also working on something new. It feels positive to have done and am interested to develop the themes more. I look at these vessels now and see a lot I don’t like and much to criticise but also a lot of potential for continuing with my little ‘Lockdown’ project.

I have filmed a 10 min chat (critique) about these vessels over on Instagram (it’s in my IGTV section) so click here if you fancy hearing me blather on in more detail about these results - what I like & what I hate so far. It’s not success after success in the studio, there is a long slow process of working things out and getting things wrong. I figured you might find it interesting if I shared the very early stages of this process openly with you to give the full picture - the good, the bad and the ugly!

Let me know what you think via the comment box below. I’d love to know what kept you busy and sane during lockdown. Did you start something new or finish off things you started ages ago? Did you channel your inner Mary Berry? From what I saw, this country has got culinary skills - my instagram feed was full of people making yeast from berries. Impressive! Me, I just made pots.