a sculptural period

raku head being washed

Life goes in cycles. You can have periods of following a particular creative route, for instance and then it's all change. A special time for me was the seven years in the late 80s and early 90s when I was absorbed in creating sculptural clay forms of heads and bodies. Whilst working and bringing up young children I also managed  to make a new sculpture a fortnight. Looking back as an older, less energetic woman I marvel at this. It was probably due to the inevitable stresses of that time of a life that this was possible. And they do say if you want something done ask a busy person. I like the way when you take up new creative forms you start to see the possibilities around you. Like blog writing of course! All sorts of things used to inspire me with new sculptures. Magazine adverts were a big source of ideas. Works by artists like Klimt, Kathe Kollwitz and Beardsley proved to be useful starting points for a new sculptural form. Punk heads were a boon. Life classes and the mirror were essentials. Many of my sculptures were Raku  -  an exciting process involving quick second firings and sawdust with some lovely turquoise or white crackle glaze like in the picure of a head being scrubbed up after a firing.

I don't have much left now - just a few mementoes that go in the garden of a summer and a large selection of reference books, but it was a rewarding time and part of me mourns the passing of it. Had there been an internet then I might have had a website to direct you to! As it is a few badly scanned shots of some of them is all that remains and the memory of all that energy!

sculptural miscellany