Permanence is a powerful concept. Almost nothing is permanent. Certainly some things last longer than others. Plastic longer than paper. Glass longer than fiber. Metal longer than wood. Clay is very impermanent. So much so that a simple rain fall can erode its form in a matter of minutes. A very malleable medium with which a single piece can be pressed, extruded, coiled, turned and kneaded a hundred times and still be just as accommodating as the first pass. This fact, much like many others in life, remains steadfast until it is subjected to temperatures of over fifteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit. You may be hard pressed to think of anything that would not change much less turn to ash and gas at these temperatures. Between sixteen hundred and eighteen hundred degrees F clay turns into ceramic and a slew of chemical conversions occur.
The application of clay manipulation and “firing” for the purposes of making the form permanent is not a new concept but one that lends itself well to the creative and or functional mind.
Otherwise known as a potter, the profession has been recognized as a community essential throughout ancient and modern history. We would like to introduce you to your community essential with this week’s Treasure Chest offering. Jane Herold is a potter who now lives in West Cornwall who represents what it means to be diligent, patient, artful and creative. Her manually powered kick wheel and hand mixed glazes using foraged materials and wood ash speak to her connection to the process and devotion of energy each pot deserves. With nearly thirty years of experience firing her pots in her own wood fired kiln she exemplifies what it means to create functional art without compromising a laborious process for the sake of preserving the nuances it offers.
On her website www.janeherold.com you can find artful sets of dinnerware, coffee mugs, bowls and serving platters along with other creative one of a kind items. For Jane, pottery was the pursuit of a lifetime. She recognized her passion from the age of eight and has been developing it ever since. What we have available in the Treasure Chest today are a selection of lifetime coffee mugs by Jane. These coffee mugs require their own dress code for use. Think, chunky old sweater, favorite pair of relaxed fit jeans and wool socks on an overcast almost drizzly Sunday morning. You can order directly from her site but we also highly recommend a visit to her studio where your head will spin whilst trying to keep up with your darting eyes as they hop from one pot to the next.
Instagram : @janeheroldpottery
Email : jane.herold@gmail.com
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