Shaun Hall's Raku Ceramics Blogspot

Just a quick post to say "Hi" during Lockdown! Lots of things have changed, personally speaking, the loss of my teaching profession has allowed a bit more time for potting- in between home schooling. Strange days indeed. It's difficult to express just quite how wierd life is these days.  I hope galleries and craft shops will get back to normal soon. I have work with Erwood Station in Wales and Buckenham Gallery  in Southwold. I am planning on re supplying them very soon.  In the meantime I am potting and re supplying my etsy store.  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ShaunPots It has gone surprisingly smoothly and I would recommend etsy. I love the fact that there are no "middlemen" hassling you about your work. Or unscrupulous internet gallery owners who refuse to pay up three months later  for your sales. I've had enough of that and the disrespect metered out to the crafter. Stuff them.  For me it is perfect and I have been lucky to make quite a few sales. I

I was surprised to see my pots appear albeit briefly on Channel 4 last night as part of Kirstie's Lockdown Crafts. Very nice to get a small bit of recognition at long last!

With the world in lockdown, I was just reflecting on things prior to the terrible events caused by Covid 19. Plans thrown completely out the window... It seems trite now, but I was due to exhibit at the Naze Tower in Walton Essex. I was so looking forward to my first exhibition there. I had just  dispatched pots to Charles Blim for his gallery in Nevada USA and made a couple  of sales to Singapore. In the workshop I was beginning to make work for Buckenham and Erwood Galleries. I felt at last things were on an upturn. It seems like ages ago now. How quickly life changes. How insignificant things seem by comparison. All that really matters is health family and friends.  It  took me a while to get back on track. Pottery for me is the best therapy. Hopefully life will return to normal before long. Take it easy, signing out. View my Etsy Store and Gallery:   https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ShaunPots Happy viewing and happy potting. Peace https

I'm just floating my Etsy  store relaunch, in the midst of these challenging times. There might be something to catch your eye which might provide some calm, stillness and peace. New to the store are my textured "Do Iwa" teabowls- meaning "copper rock". Galleries are cancelled, exhibitions postponed...so I'm taking the art to you instead. I hope you find something to enjoy.  If you add an item to your basket, what's more you can get a 15 percent discount too... https ://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/793732595/tapered-raku-pottery-dish

After a lethargic start to the new year, I at last got the raku kiln fixed and got round to firing some of the new teabowls, chawan and yunomi style. The wonder of the internet certainly does bring the market to you, and for all it's faults it's such an indispensible tool of the modern world. Of the new fired batch I managed to sell over half of it to online customers, including a guy from Singapore , a much appreciated collector from Sussex , and several to the # CharlieBGallery managed by owner Charles Blim in Nevada, USA. It was certainly pleasing to have achieved some sales, with the pots barely cool from the kiln! It's been fun too, I've been experimenting with " flashing" the pots in magazine print sheets in the reduction bin and this has been positive and looks hopeful for a new palette of colours. So after my last rather gloomy post I am at least- back! Happy potting.

So it's a new year, a new decade and time for some well earned self reflection. I guess 22 years in to this career, you could call recent times challenging. I've reached a mid point where for once,  I'm not sure quite where I'm going or why I'm doing it. Personally and financially  I find it problematic  to attend as many ceramics fairs as I'd like to, the cost of exhibiting is prohibitive, the competition gets tougher and tougher- there are so many talented potters out there! It's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario....Gallery owners need to see your work in real context rather than online, cold calling rarely works....so it feels a bit like  like exhibiting opportunities are growing fewer and fewer in recent times. Another factor is probably changing times and design trends. My work is part sculpture...informed by function but not necessarily all about function! (Yes that old curates egg- sorry to keep on harking back to chickens...) I would say- and