My work - ceramic pod brooch

3 pod brooch, ceramic & titanium, 1993
(actual piece hangs vertically)

These, like so much of my work, were meant to be glazed white on the outside but when I realised glazes were environmentally un-friendly I stopped glazing anything. Instead, I biscuit fired them inside one of my large copper pods while I was annealling it (that's when you heat the metal to make it more pliable for working). I burned some paper in each pod to create a smoky dark interior. Some pieces were later painted instead using other people's leftover paint. Because they have only had a low firing they are still quite breakable and proably unsuitable for wearing, but I liked that. I fired the other groups fully but I kept this set like this as a small sculpture with the real fragility that found pod cases often have.

Winter sunset

Winter sunset in Stockholm Feb 2006. I had a big blister forming from wearing boots that were new and we had to run to catch the train to the airport because I couldn't stop taking photo's.

sandstone and skip

blue grey skies and 6 steps

These photo's were taken from the carpark (in the car) at Braehead in October. We went there between hospital visiting hours so that Mr P wanted to investigate the indoor ski place. I stayed in the car and these were the views North, East and West. Very wet and cold but I liked the blues. It was strange how the sky changed from blue to grey/blue to just grey in 30 minutes.

My Uncle walked on Friday! 6 steps with the help of a giant zimmer. Maybe doesn't sound like much but it was HUGE for him so I had to record it here, I'm so thrilled for him. He's also getting himself from armchair to wheelchair, no more hoist. His next goal is to be able to roll over in bed. That would drive me crazy, I am a real fidgeter, I turn, wriggle, twist, wiggle my legs about. I'd go crazy if I had to lie on my back for even 5 minutes.

The Good Machinery

The Good Machinery on Etsy and Flickr...


The Good Machinery: Sketchbook Stories

I want these! Also exhibiting soon in a solo show at here gallery (Bristol, UK) in from the 8th of January.

I love red & black

Having neglected my blog I'm giving you some links to explore instead. It seemed a nice idea to illustrate the links (some old faves, some new faces) with colour themed images. I opted for red and black since it evokes winter, all those dark nights and red berries.

Grainne Morton...


Marjojo (Marion Michell)...


-Yu-Chun Chen...

Beppe Kessler...


Lina Peterson...


Lina Peterson & Polly Wales (collaboration)...


Lynette Andreasen...


Joanne Haywood...


Susie MacMurray ...



Willemijn de Greef...


Unrelated, Kat Trappa, a whole blog dedicated to cat ladders found via Bibbi.

You know it's winter when...

Saved my energies today to enjoy Cranford!
Bit of a jump from having enthused about The Mighty Boosh yesterday but, Oh, I do love a BBC period drama. Not sure if this will be as fantastic as Bleak House was, it seems lighter with more comedy (there's no gossip like a 19th century gossip). It has a great cast and I'm enjoy it so far. See the trailer here.

Tagged - 5 weird/random things

Bibbi Forsman, Swedish ceramicist (whose garlands I love), has tagged me and for once I'm trying to respond fairly quickly. I am still owing 2 previous tags.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

It's hard for me to say which of these is random, and which is weird, or perhaps both? You be the judge.

1. Last night I looked like this...


2. That was my first social outing since the 7th of August. when K was here. A belated Day of the Dead party, I'm a Skeleton Bride. I fell asleep in a chair for 2hrs wearing an old net curtain and my trusty skeleton top, then I got a prize for most ghoulish and went home. Not my usual level of participation but no-one seemed to mind too much even though I've not spoken to most of them in person since I started getting sicker 6 months ago. Later I tried it with a wig...


3. The current temperature in my house averages 8ºc in the warmest area.

4. My hair is long and always gets onto things. When I was at Ikea I used to worry it would get on a cushion and someone dodgy would by it and then my hair, my DNA, would be found at the crime scene!!!

5. I have watched the punk/stationery village* part of The Mighty Boosh about 14 times in 2 days (online).

I'm a real Boosh nerd, I love it in the way you love things when you're in your teens and early twenties, where you learn the lines and bore people by inserting them into conversations. So it's probably a good thing I'm not out socialising these days. I'm loving the 3rd series, the first two episodes have already had gems that rate among my favourites. I watched series 1 on DVD even more, especially the Tundra episode, with the Tundra Rap, a classic. The conversion about the mink coat cracks me up every time. For me the cricket dance is right up there with David Brent's dance in The Office. I love the sweet bits when Vince and Howard have their little chats, and I loved the intro's in front of the red curtain, wish they still did them. I don't like the more aggressive or nasty bits, and some of the songs irritate me, but it's all worth it for the gems which I am hugely refraining from quoting at you :0).
*you can watch series 3 episode 2 online 'till next Wednesday then it'll be shown on BBC3

If they are willing and able, I tag: Mien, Susan (get well soon), Camilla, Christine and Megan,

Ruth Tomlinson

Ruth Tomlinson

My favourite ring from her Encrustations range...

Greens near the hospital

Pickles & Pies

If you want a meal near the hospital in Govan...

Megan Auman - jewellery & sculpture

I came across Megan Auman's ace work on Flickr recently. See more of her work on her website, blog and her Flickr portfolio sets and you can buy jewellery at her Etsy Shop.




This is Megan's MFA Thesis show...

Pictures not words - Gourock not Greece

Discovered while waiting for my Uncle's clothes to dry at the launderette...





He's doing better, by the way.

Sebastian Buescher - jewellery retrospective

Sebastian Buescher (via Klimt02) is still being busy with his work even though he is off on world travels, and he's even managed to put together 'The Pygmy Retrospective' showing some of favourite pieces over the last 3 years. Showing until 1st December at Alternatives.
Sebastian Buescher: Pin, Untitled 2007
Silver, epoxy resin, ceramic, coral, fossil


Sebastian Buescher: Ring, Untitled 2006
Porcelain, silk, amazonite, amber, thread

To quote Sebastian... "The Pygmy Retrospective is a collection of my favourite pieces over the past three years. The work is taken from several collections and is meant to show my evolution, the introduction of new materials, processes and the development of my ideas. Since I view my work as emotional, pieces are linked to specific times of my life, sometimes hard and sometimes joyful.”

Sayumi Yokouchi, Sondra Sherman - jewellery

Sayumi Yokouchi: Urban Topographia 2 Brooch, 2007

Such a beautiful piece by Sayumi Yokouchi at Sienna Gallery, makes me feel calm and reminds me of the pale lichen on silver birch trees. Also at the gallery these strong pieces by Sondra Sherman, I love when people make the back of a brooch as beautiful as the front...


Sondra Sherman: Lavandula-Lavendar (back) 2007


Sondra Sherman: Corsage-Passiflora-PassionFlower 2007

Maria Phillips - jewellery

Beautiful etched cedar in these brooches by Maria Phillips, found here on Klimt02


Maria Phillips: Brooch, Striped Twin
Enameled steel, etched cedar, silver


Maria Phillips: Brooch, Cedar Floral
Enameled steel, etched cedar, silver, string

Lack of blog

I'm realising I've not posted, I plan to as soon as I feel a bit better, same with email, goodness knows how much is filling my in-box. Also briefly lost my camera batteries but I found them yesterday so hope to add new pictures by the weekend. Gusty winds blowing outside, lovely, I love gusty winds when it's dry and reasonably mild.

Annamaria Zanella & Karin Kato - jewellery

Annamaria Zanella: Brooch - Cuore bionico rosso Silver, pigment

I'm not a fan of Annamaria's previous work (seen in The Scottish Gallery) but I really like this more piece shown on here on Klimt02. Makes me think of cupcakes and barnacles, two things my eye is always drawn to.

And since we're talking about brooches that conjure thoughts of cupcakes and barnacles, here's another one, shown here on Klimt02, this time by Karin Kato...


Karin Kato: Brooch - Nerosso 2006
Sand, resin, silver

My work: the 4 day sketchbook - papercut & colourways

Papercut in parchment and tracing papers (detail) 1991

In '91 I loved neutrals (still do), but the California part of me still enjoyed a good shot of colour. If I'd done a colour version of the cell drawing that those papercuts were based on, it would probably have looked like this...


drawing from the 4 day sketchbook 1991
colour added 2007

Marjojo, I'm not making work just now due to lack of my own home/health but I have talked to Mr P about the possibilty of having space in his heated house* to try finishing some half finished work that I've been unearthing. The theory being that the creative, messy, energetic stage has been done already and all that remains is the final touches, trimming, covers for books, taping seams, filling the gaps on drawings that were abandoned when new idea distracted me in another direction.

Given that I am bound to finish things differently now than I would have then, it will be like doing a collaboration, only I'll be doing it with myself so no scary 'I'm not worthy' feelings to wrestle with. That said, there are quite a few of you out there who I am REALLY keen to work collaboratively with in the future, when I am feeling more able, and more confident.

*I couldn't light a fire yesterday because even the old newspaper in my house was to damp. That's bad isn't it. Will have to use electric heaters to get my place drier so the pellets on my stove will light.