February 2026 Monthly Analysis of Progress

This analysis is based on my Learning Agreement from this current module.  It is undertaken to aid me in seeing my progress.  This module, my Learning Agreement somewhat switches from its format and forms the basis for my final written module, the poster.

To write short rhymes that form the basis of original character driven stories

Since my assessment in January, I have worked a way forward in many ways.  My narratives are now more included into my designs for builds.  It is this that has been my focus in February.  As such, I haven’t added to any of my written poems.

That said, I’m now quite focused on researching Victorian England, particularly London and specifically around the period of the 1880s, as this was when freakshows were on the wane and would clearly be a tad worn and worse for wear. 

This weekend we went down to London to visit Niamh, and managed to get in some research at the V&A Museum in their Britain 1760-1900 section.  In addition, perambulating around the capitol’s architecture and parks brought forth some fabulous remnants from the era.

I’ve also taken to reading around the period too.  Liza Picard’s ‘Victorian London, The Life of a City 1840-1870’ holds a wealth of interesting, bite-sized facts.  Ruth Goodman’s ‘How to Be a Victorian’ is equally informative, and ‘The Time Traveller’s Guide to Victorian London’ by Natasha Narayan has been purchased and is ready to start.  Overall, I feel fairly emersed in Victorian London at present.

My final research on all things Victorian involves guns, cartridges and bullets of the period.  This is to inform my latest design for Lady Delores and her weaponised accessories.  So maybe not exactly writing new narratives at present, but definitely absorbing Victorian culture with my research.

To design and make ceramic forms, primarily in stoneware, that visualise these narratives

My building continues apace.  Each design is more complex and I feel includes the narratives far more.  I’ve stopped worrying so much about how to get the poems in and I’m now focussing on how to encompass the overall visuals from the poems into the detail of the pieces.  This is a step forward I feel.  It has freed up my designs, adds to the layering of a piece that I have been seeking and makes the building process far more fun.

I designed a new version of Lady Delores and after three days building, I decided that the engineering wasn’t workable as I couldn’t include sufficient narratives in the piece.  I took the difficult step of reclaiming her, rather than firing the piece. The reality was that I had learned so much during the build and had changed aspects of the design that meant the balance was lost.  Adding on her hat and accessories would have seen this further hampering the balance.  I filmed the smashing of the leatherhard piece and it had several thousand views on social media.  Apparently people enjoy destruction!

I’m about to start building her again this week with modifications, a new design, improved engineering and even more of the narratives from her poem.

To identify ceramic processes (eg, sculptural modelling, pictorial decoration, illustrative mark-making) that most effectively communicate narrative elements

My sculptural modelling continues and I improve with each build, learning new aspects about weight, balance and techniques.  This is all positive. 

My glazing will always be an area I am unconfident with, but I have made progress recently.  I have been underglazing bisqued pieces and experimenting with a method washing my work to achieve a dirty effect.  The underglazing involves painting each piece three times which is very time consuming.  I’m looking into one coat underglazes, but there seems to be none available on the market at present, bar black.  The dirty wash is an underglaze that is 25:75 glaze to water ratio.  This I can then pour or brush onto my fired pieces and wipe back or leave depending on the finish I require.  I have fired the test tiles and now have pieces in the kiln to see the effects on them.  It’s quite exciting (to me at least!).

So, my work will get fired to bisque, then underglaze fired, then dirty wash fired and then clear matte glaze fired (applying this in my tests has moved around the glaze wash, hence the extra firing).  Not really very sustainable, so I hope to find a way around this somehow.

To experiment with surface design techniques such as printing, etching, embossing and carving, to explore their potential for storytelling

I still feel limited in my surface design.  I want to achieve a layer of mark making that adds to the piece, preferably holding the dirty stain wash I have developed so that it can add to the overall aesthetic of the piece.  I have work to do here.  I think it could add to my style and I’m not yet there with what makes me happy.  I intend to do some further testing in this area so that I can explore possibilities and find myself some processes that work for me.  It remains elusive presently.  Expect further updates in my March analysis in this area.

I have been looking into lustres this month and have got as far as purchasing one to try.  I’m awaiting the results from the kiln this week to see how they work in a matte style.  Again, further updates on this will follow next month.

To research artists and ceramicists who use narrative as a core element of their practice, developing a comparative framework

I’m aware that I need to find my place in contemporary ceramics and have been researching artists who use narratives.  New to me this month are Kimiko and End Times Pottery Club, both discovered whilst going down a rabbit hole on social media.  Both of their work is very narrative, both have excellent surface designs, and both are highly accomplished ceramic artists.  The detailing on End Times Pottery Club is a joy and is definitely an example of what I have been trying to achieve in my own work.  I’m nowhere near this standard, but it’s satisfying to know that it is possible.  Kimico very much has developed her own style too, again the levels of detail are what have drawn me to her work.  Additionally, she seems to have developed a great method of working social media algorithms to get her work out there to the masses.  Something to think about.

Rob suggested Ben Fosker and Harm van der Zeeuw as artists I may enjoy.  He was right. Again, they are very established, and their work holds great depth.  It’s easy to see how years of practice evolve ones work to improve the aesthetic.  I think this may be something I need to recognise for myself.  Time will move on my skills, understanding, processes and achievements against my aims and objectives, and I should be patient with myself.  Rome wasn’t built in a day Maxipoppins!!

To explore the historical role of ceramics as a medium for storytelling, situating my work in relation to this

I have finally found the time to do some historical research on ceramics.  I’ve been reading about majolica, the Mesopotamians, ancient Greeks, Islamic lustreware and much more besides.  My focus was on how ceramics was used to tell stories of all sorts.  I wrote this as a blog on my website and it was quite informative.  I’ve got to the point where I wonder if there is a difference between narratives and actual storytelling.  I have no conclusions, but it has made me think more about my own work as three-dimensional illustrations rather than ceramic pieces with a hint of narratives.  The jury is firmly still out on this, but I will hopefully find some kind of conclusions at some point.

To bring these strands together, developing a consistent, personal style that balances narrative playfulness with technical skill

I have hinted at where I feel my work has moved on against these objectives.  I feel it has.  As always, I’m only ever as good as my current research which proves tricky with my exceedingly dodgy memory.  I want to get my current pieces through my many stages of firing and then I can make some judgements and conclusions on my emerging processes and overall newfound style.  I think this last section will be a long, drawn-out process of fine tuning and adjustments over the coming months.  It will probably be a constant in my practice for the rest of my days, but by the end of my Masters, I should hopefully be at a finished studying, but starting practicing point which will have some conclusions to share.