ON MAKING, PRICING AND MARKETING

FRIDAY, 10TH FEBRUARY, 2015




THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POTTER OR CERAMIC ARTIST IS A LENGTHY LOVE AFFAIR THAT IS DIFFICULT TO CONDENSE AND SPEED UP. ALTHOUGH IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL THING TO DO, IT IS GENERALLY A SLOW PROCESSES, DEVELOPING MANY SKILLS THAT TAKE CONSIDERABLE TIME TO MASTER.  IF YOU GET HOOKED, YOU WOULD BE WELL-ADVISED TO PLAN FOR THE LONG HAUL!


ALL POTTERY IMAGES SHOWN ARE FIRED AT CONE 9 IN OXIDATION AND WERE MADE BETWEEN 1958 AND 1967.

THREE CASSEROLES.


FIRST: COMES THE LEARNING OF ALL THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ENABLE YOU TO MAKE WHAT YOU VISUALIZE AND WISH TO MAKE. THIS INCLUDES THE SKILLS OF MANIPULATING CLAY BY A WIDE RANGE OF METHODS FROM HAND-BUILDING TO THROWING TO SLIP-CASTING OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY FINISHING THE RAW PRODUCT AND THEN ITS COMPLETION BY FIRING IN ONE OF THE UMPTEEN VARIABLES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR EXPLORATION. THIS IS ALL THE PRACTICAL, MANIPULATIVE PROCESSES OR FOUNDATIONS OF THE MEDIUM.

SECOND:  IS THE GENERAL DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT PROCESSES BEHIND THE WORK. THIS IS THE REALM OF IDEAS. DECIDING ON WHAT SORT OF WORK YOU WANT TO DO - IS IT TO BE SIMPLE-FUNCTIONAL,  COMPLEX - FUNCTIONAL, OR PRIMARILY SCULPTURAL OR PRIMARILY PAINTERLY. COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS IS WHAT GENERALLY SEPARATES THE  ORIGINAL FROM THE CLONE. THESE SKILLS USUALLY COME FROM TWO-DIMENSIONAL ART PROCESSES SUCH AS DRAWING, PAINTING, PRINTMAKING AND FOLLOWS THROUGH THREE -DIMENSIONALLY WITH POTTERY AND SCULPTURAL FORM IN DIVERSE MEDIA.

THIRD: IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE IDEAS INTO ACTUAL OBJECTS FOR CONTEMPLATION OR USE. WHAT ARE YOU CAPABLE OF?                                  












SAUCE BOATS









      GENERAL PURPOSE BOWLS

FOURTH:  IS PUTTING A PRICE ON IT! HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH A VALUE ON WORK THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ACTUAL TIME IT TOOK TO MAKE BECAUSE IT WAS MADE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IN AT LEAST SIXTEEN SEPARATE STEPS. YOU DON'T ACCURATELY KNOW WHAT THE MATERIAL AND FIRING COSTS WERE AND LOGICAL PRICING JUST DOESN'T EXIST.

THE METHOD THAT WORKED FOR ME AT MY FIRST STUDIO IN ENGLAND AND WAS FOLLOWED IN CANADA SEVERAL YEARS LATER WAS THIS.  MAKE A GRAPH OF THE WORK AND PRICES OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS WHO MIGHT BE MAKING A RANGE OF SIMILAR OBJECTS TO WHAT YOU MIGHT  PRODUCE. YOU CAN GET THIS SORT OF INFORMATION BY VISITING GALLERIES AND GALLERIES OR THESE DAYS FROM SOME WEBSITES, I KNEW THE ARTISTS AND WHAT THEY MADE IN ENGLAND.

DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GRAPH, I PUT THE NAMES OF A DOZEN, OR SO, ARTISTS, INCLUDING BERNARD LEACH, DAVID LEACH, MICHAEL LEACH, ALAN CAIGER-SMITH, JOHN LEACH, RAY FINCH, HARRY DAVIS, MICHAEL CARDEW, EMANUEL COOPER, LUCIE RIE, BRIGLIN POTTERY, MAUND POTTERY. ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE GRAPH I WROTE THE RANGE OF WORK, SUCH AS: LARGE MUG, SMALL MUG, CUP AND SAUCER, TEAPOT, CREAM AND SUGAR, COFFEE POT, SMALL CASSEROLE, LARGE CASSEROLE, EGG BAKERS, SOUP BOWL, ONION SOUP BOWL, DESSERT BOWL, LARGE SALAD BOWL, INDIVIDUAL GENERAL PURPOSE BOWL, GOBLET, CHALICE, ETC.  THEY WERE SEPARATED BY VERTICAL LINES.  SINCE I WAS TOTAL NEOPHYTE AT PRICING CERAMICS, I TOOK THE GRAPH AROUND A FEW CRAFT STORES OR GALLERIES AND FILLED IN ALL THE SPACES WITH THE RELEVANT PRICE FOR EACH OBJECT. I HAD ALL THE PRICES RELEVANT TO A VARIETY OF SIMILAR OBJECTS, MADE BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS. I AVERAGED THE PRICES AND ESTABLISHED MY RETAIL PRICE AT THAT AVERAGE. THAT WAY I DIDN'T OVER-PRICE,  NOR UNDER-PRICE MY WORK. IT WORKED FOR ME IN 1961 AND IT HAS WORKED FOR ME EVERY TIME I HAVE NEEDED TO ESTABLISH VALUE IN A DIFFERENT AREA. YOU CAN'T GO FAR WRONG. ONE-OF-A-KIND WORK IS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH VALUE THIS WAY, BUT IT WILL USUALLY GET A BALL-PARK EVALUATION TO GIVE YOU A START.  IN MOST CASES, PEOPLE WHO START TO EVALUATE THEIR WORK USUALLY TEND TOWARD OVER-PRICING, , SUCH A "MY TEACHER PRICES IT THIS WAY!" OR THAT IS WHAT I FEEL I'M WORTH! I HAVE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING AND SELLING HANDMADE THINGS FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS AND HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED A LOGICAL, FOOL-PROOF WAY YET. IF SOMEONE OUT THERE IN BLOGGER-LAND HAS ONE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

TEAPOT, CUP AND SAUCER -  WAX RESIST ON GREENWARE FOLLOWED BY A BRUSHING OF CROCUS MARTIS, BISQUE-FIRING AND WHITE CONE 9 GLAZE




MONDAY: FROM PRICING TO MARKETING

FINDING A MARKET FOR MY WORK

THURSDAY, 9TH MARCH 2012

MORE PROBLEMS WITH COMPUTER, CAMERA AND CRANIUM TODAY, MAINLY THE LAST ON THE LIST. SO I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH A GROUP OF MORE IMAGES FOR FUNCTIONAL WORK  DESIGNED AND MADE DURING MY FINAL YEAR AT CROYDON COLLEGE OF ART. THESE WERE DONE AFTER HAVING ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH USERS OF DOMESTIC POTTERY, TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT POSSIBLY NEED TO BE INCLUDED OR CONSIDERED IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE GREATEST NUMBER OF USERS.

COFFEE POT

BUTTER DISH

RAMEKINS

DESIGNING A LINE OF DOMESTIC POTTERY

WEDNESDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY, 2012

IMAGINE THAT IT IS 1959. YOU HAVE BEEN IN ART SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS SO FAR, LEARNING BOTH POTTERY-MAKING SKILLS AND THE MANY ASPECTS OF GRAPHIC SKILLS THAT WILL GIVE YOUR WORK A DIFFERENT EDGE TO OTHERS ABOUT TO GRADUATE. YOU ARE ABOUT TO LAUNCH YOURSELF INTO THE REAL WORLD AND HAVE A YEAR OF SCHOOLING YET TO GO. YOU REALLY WANT TO JUST MAKE ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTWORK IN CLAY BUT YOU REALIZE THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT A NAME, OR REPUTATION. WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU CAN TEACH IF YOU HAVE THE CORRECT PAPERWORK; YOU CAN MAKE YOUR LIVING BY MAKING A LINE OF DOMESTIC POTTERY; OR YOU CAN QUIT, DO SOMETHING ELSE, BECOME A KNOWLEDGEABLE CONSUMER OR BECOME BITTER THAT YOU HADN'T THOUGHT IT ALL THROUGH MORE COMPLETELY EARLIER. FORTUNATELY, ENGLISH EDUCATION WAS FREE AT THAT TIME, SO I DIDN'T STACK UP A HUGE STUDENT LOAN DEBT BUT IF IT WAS NOW IN THE U.S. I WOULD LIKELY BE WELL OVER $60,000 IN DEBT AND MORE TO COME FOR THE FINAL YEAR OF TERTIARY EDUCATION.

SIDE-HANDLED CASSEROLE

High-fired with propane gas reduction. Shape derived from traditional MARMITE forms common throughout France for Boeuf Bourguignon.

DEMITASSE and SAUCER - 1966

First attempts with Porcelain.  Crocus Martis slip and  multilinear sgraffito.

Electric fired to cone 9.

I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO CHANGE MY PLANS AND INITIALLY MAKE MY INCOME BY DOING SOMETHING ELSE OR MAKING A LINE OF FUNCTIONAL WORK. IN MY LAST YEAR IN COLLEGE, I DECIDED TO SPECIALIZE ON DESIGNING AND MAKING A FUNCTIONAL RANGE AS A "BREAD AND BUTTER" LINE AND DO ONE-OF-A KIND WORK AS AN OCCASIONAL TREAT. THE DOMESTIC LINE WOULD INCLUDE:  MUGS IN THREE SIZES, CREAMS AND SUGARS, TEAPOTS, COFFEE POTS, DINNER WARE PLATES IN THREE SIZES, CASSEROLES, PITCHERS, SERVING PLATES, VEGGIE BOWLS, SALAD BOWLS, SOUP BOWLS, DESSERT BOWLS, ONION SOUP BOWLS, GOBLETS, CHALICES, EGG BAKERS, SALT AND PEPPERS, OIL AND VINEGARS.  IN ALL, I DECIDED TO DESIGN APPROXIMATELY 35 DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT I FELT COMFORTABLE IN MAKING AND COULD PRODUCE EFFICIENTLY.  I ALSO DECIDED ON GLAZE AND SURFACE DECORATION VARIATIONS.

ONE-GALLON STONEWARE PITCHER - 1966

Electric fired to cone 9 with Crocus Martis colored slip

and multi-linear sgraffito. 

I DID MY FORM OF MARKET RESEARCH AND GOT TOGETHER A GROUP OF PEOPLE, MAINLY WOMEN, WHO USED FUNCTIONAL POTTERY, TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD LOOK FOR AS THE ULTIMATE ANYTHING FROM MY LIST. I HAD A FEW ROUND TABLE SESSIONS AND CAME UP WITH A LOT OF IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T. THIS WAS MY GUIDE TO DESIGNING AND MAKING.  MUCH LATER IT BECAME PART OF MY SECOND BOOK "FUNCTIONAL POTTERY". SIMPLE ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS LIKE "HOW DO YOU HOLD A COFFEE MUG?" HAD SIX BASIC PREFERENCES - ONE FINGER, TWO FINGERS, WHOLE FIST THROUGH LARGE HANDLE, THUMB THROUGH THE HANDLE WITH HAND HELD UNDERNEATH,  TURN THE HANDLE AWAY FROM YOU AND HOLD THE BODY OF THE MUG UNDERNEATH ON WITH TIP OF FIRST OR SECOND FINGER ON THE FOOTRING WITH THE THUMB ON THE RIM, JAPANESE-STYLE.  I QUICKLY AMASSED A RANGE OF PREFERENCES FOR ALL BASIC DOMESTIC ITEMS THAT BECAME MY GENERAL DESIGN GUIDELINES, BASED ON ACTUAL USE.

STONEWARE TEAPOT - 1967

 Electric fired to cone 9 with propane gas reduction. Oatmeal Glaze 

with wax resist covered with a brushing of Crocus Martis pigment.

BY THE TIME I GRADUATED, I HAD MY LINE OF DOMESTIC POTTERY DESIGNED AND READY TO GO.  THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A STUDIO OR THE MONEY TO GET ONE. I DIDN'T WANT TO SPONGE ON MY LONG-SUFFERING PARENTS ANY MORE, SO I TOOK ROUTE TWO - A LIFE IN THEATER UNTIL I HAD SAVED ENOUGH MONEY TO MOVE FORWARD. NOBODY TOLD ME THAT YOU COULDN'T MAKE MONEY IN THE THEATER WORLD, SO I ALWAYS DID! THAT WAS FOLLOWED AND MIXED WITH THE LIFE OF A EUROPEAN TRAVEL GUIDE AND THAT MADE MUCH MORE MONEY! I WAS ALWAYS A HARD WORKER, AND IN THE FOLLOWING THREE YEARS I HAD TWO HOUSES, A WIFE AND TWO KIDS, A STUDIO AND AS MUCH POTTERY BUSINESS AS I COULD HANDLE.


I PUT THE POTTERY WORK ON HOLD UNTIL I WAS READY QUIT THE OTHER THINGS IN MY LIFE. IT DIDN'T TAKE TOO LONG BEFORE I COULD SLIDE INTO MY NEW, AND MUCH AWAITED, ROLE OF THE STUDIO POTTER.  I BEGAN TO PRODUCE THE LINE, AND ALSO A RANGE OF WHEEL-THROWN SCULPTURE AND NEW, ONE-OF-A-KIND FORMS TO BE USED FOR PAINTERLY DECORATION.


TOMORROW: MARKETING THE WARES

DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR DOMESTIC POTTERY

TUESDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY, 2012

I HAD PLANNED TO DO THIS BLOG, BUT I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CAMERA, COMPUTER AND BRAIN THAT DON'T WANT TO WORK TODAY. SO I WILL INCLUDE A FEW IMAGES OF WORK THAT I MADE NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO IN MY ENGLISH STUDIO IN THE BERKSHIRE VILLAGE OF KINTBURY.

SORRY, BUT THAT IS THE BEST I CAN DO TODAY,  GRASS

MOVING TO THE COUNTRY

THE FIRST IMAGE IN THIS BLOG IS THE “BEFORE” PICTURE OF THE DILAPIDATED CHAPEL AND TWO EVEN MORE DILAPIDATED COTTAGES THAT SANDWICHED IT. I BOUGHT THE THREE FOR THE HANDSOME PRICE OF $1200, IN THE EARLY 1960’S. IT HAS A PLAQUE ON THE CHAPEL “ZION PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL 1853”. IT HAD A COVENANT ON IT WHICH MEANT THAT BEFORE WE COULD PURCHASE AND ALTER IT, THE LAWYER HAD TO TRACE ANY LIVING RELATIVES OF THE ORIGINAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CHAPEL. THIS WAS 110 YEARS  PREVIOUSLY, IN A SMALL COUNTRY VILLAGE NAMED KINTBURY IN BERKSHIRE. ENGLAND TOOK ABOUT TWO YEARS OF SEARCHING, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY WERE TRACKED DOWN AND WE COULD MAKE THE PURCHASE, FOLLOWED BY DOING THE RENOVATIONS.  I HAD DONE RENOVATION WORK BEFORE ON ANOTHER HOUSE, SO I KNEW WHAT WAS INVOLVED. THIS TIME I HIRED A LOCAL  ARCHITECT, MAINLY TO GET THROUGH THE MANY PAPERWORK HASSLES WITH THE LOCAL COUNCIL.




THE VILLAGE OF KINTBURY HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS. DATING BACK OVER 900 YEARS PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE FIRST SURVEY OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES AND CENSUS OF THE POPULATION, KNOWN AS THE DOMESDAY BOOK.  IT WAS UNDERTAKEN AFTER FRENCH KING WILLIAM THE CONQUERER BEAT ENGLISH KING HAROLD AT THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS ON ENGLAND’S SOUTH COAST.  HAROLD DIED AFTER BEING SHOT IN THE EYE WITH AN ARROW. AT THE TIME, KINTBURY WAS CONSIDERABLY LARGER AND WAS A CENTER OF THE ENGLISH WOOL TRADE.

 

THE DILAPIDATED CHAPEL WAS HALFWAY DOWN THE NARROW MAIN ROAD OR HIGH-STREET. THE FRONT DOOR WAS SET BACK FROM THE ROAD BY ABOUT FIFTEEN FEET, GIVING A 15’ X 30’ FORECOURT WHICH WAS JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR PARKING A SMALL CAR. THE ATTACHED,TINY COTTAGES FACED DIRECTLY ONTO THE ROAD. IT ALSO BECAME A TEMPORARY WORKING STDIO WHEN I WAS BUILDING PROPS FOR THE WEST-END. SHAW’S ”ARMS AND THE MAN”  REQUIRED A COPY OF A 1901 DE DION-BOUTON AUTOMOBILE. PETER PAN NEEDED A NEW FULLY-ARTICULATED 25’ CROCODILE THAT COULD BE DRIVEN FROM INSIDE BY A YOUNG ACTOR LAYING FLAT ON HIS BELLY. MY INDOOR STUDIO WAS TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE PROJECTS, SO EITHER THE CROC OR THE CAR HAD TO BE PARKED ON THE FORECOURT WHILE I WORKED ON THE OTHER. IN A VILLAGE FULL OF ENGLISH ECCENTRICS I QUICKLY DEVELOPED A GREAT REPUTATION FOR ENCOURAGING STRANGE OCCURRENCES. THE PUB ACROSS THE STREET, ONE OF SEVEN IN THE VILLAGE, LOVED IT AS THEY GOT CUSTOMERS COMING TO TEST OUT WHAT THE LATEST THEATER PROJECTS MIGHT BE, SITTING ON OUR FORECOURT.

I HAD BOUGHT A LARGE, FRONT-LOADING ELECTRIC KILN AS THERE WAS NO NATURAL GAS IN THE VILLAGE AND PROPANE KILNS WERE UNHEARD OF AT THE TIME. I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT I ONLY HAD HALF A CERAMICS EDUCATION AND THAT I HADN’T BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY  TO LEARN ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT GLAZE AND COLOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS, APPARENTLY, WAS NOT UNUSUAL THEN, AND IT STILL NOT UNUSUAL NOW. I HAD A FEW STOCK GLAZE RECIPES THAT EVERYONE ELSE ALSO USED. I USED THEM AND ADAPTED THEM TO SUIT MY CURRENT NEEDS AND VOWED TO DO A THOROUGH RESEARCH PROJECT ON GLAZE AND COLOR AS SOON AS I HAD TIME. INCOME WAS STILL COMING FROM WINTER THEATER AND SUMMER TRAVEL.THE SPRING AND AUTUMN WAS WHEN I STARTED TO REBUILD MY POTTERY-MAKING SKILLS AFTER A FEW YEARS ABSENCE, AUGMENTED WITH PROP-MAKING AS JOBS CAME UP.  AS TIME PROGRESSED I WAS ABLE TO QUIT THEATER, TRAVEL AND PROP-MAKING AND JUST CONCENTRATE ON CLAY.

TOMORROW: DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING A PRODUCT RANGE AND FINDING MY MARKET PLACE

GARDEN IMAGES

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH FINDING SOME IMAGES. I ALSO HAVE OTHER COMMITMENTS THAT DON’T  ALLOW ME TIME TO INCLUDE THE STORY I WAS PLANNING. SO I’M LEAVING YOU WITH IMAGES OF OUR MEDITATION GARDEN AT ‘CHOSIN POTTERY ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.

BACK ON MONDAY

 

MUSIC COLUMN - ALL THAT JAZZ

IN YESTERDAY’S POST, I LEFT YOU WITH GOING TO A NEW MAJOR BACKSTAGE THEATER DIRECTOR POSITION AT THE ASHCROFT THEATER AND FAIRFIELD HALLS CONCERT HALL. THE THEATER WAS NAMED AFTER FAMOUS ACTRESS, DAME PEGGY ASHCROFT  1907 - 1991. SHE WAS BORN IN CROYDON AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO MEET HER MANY TIMES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW THEATER’S LIFE. SHE WAS MUCH BELOVED BY THE THEATER COMMUNITY.
  

PEGGY AGE 22 IN 1929

DAME PEGGY IN THE MOVIE “A PASSAGE                                 INDIA”.

                                                       

THE OPENING PRODUCTION AT THE ASHCROFT THEATER WAS “ROYAL GAMBIT”, A PLAY ABOUT THE LIFE AND WIVES OF KING HENRY VIII.

THE FAIRFIELD HALLS WAS COMPRISED OF THEATER, CONCERT HALL AND AN ART GALLERY, NAMED THE ARNHEM GALLERY AFTER THE MANY CROYDON-BASED PARATROOPERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN A WWII AMBUSHED PARACHUTE DROP OVER ARNHEM, HOLLAND.   THE BACKSTAGE OF THE THEATER AND CONCERT HALL WAS MY AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS IN MY EARLY TWENTIES AT THE TIME.






THE JOB AT THE FAIRFIELD HALLS WAS ANOTHER CONTINUUM FROM MY TEENS. FOR 25 YEARS OF CROSS-ATLANTIC BICKERING BY THE AMERICAN AND BRITISH MUSICIANS’ UNIONS WHERE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AMERICAN ARMY SWING BAND UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GLENN MILLER, ALL AMERICAN MUSICIANS WERE BANNED FROM PLAYING IN BRITAIN, AND VICE VERSA.  THEN THEY MADE UP THEIR DIFFERENCES AND ONE AFTER ANOTHER, ALL THE MAJOR STARS AND BANDS OF AMERICAN JAZZ, SWING AND BLUES CAME ON CONCERT TOURS. AMONG THE PEOPLE I SAW FOR ABOUT 50 CENTS A TIME WERE DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE, LIONEL HAMPTON, EARL HINES, STAN KENTON, THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET, LOUIS ARMSTRONG ALL STARS, ELLA FITZGERALD, SARAH VAUGHAN, BILLY ECKSTINE, JOE WILLIAMS, PEGGY LEE AND MANY OTHERS OF SIMILAR STATURE. I SAW AND ENJOYED EVERY ONE.

 COUNT BASIE

DUKE ELLINGTON

 ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA

IT WAS AN ORGY OF THIS TYPE OF MUSIC THAT I HAD FIRST HEARD AND ENJOYED AS A SIX YEAR OLD. THERE WAS A  R+R CENTER FOR INJURED US OFFICERS IN A HUGE MANSION JUST NEAR MY PARENTS’ GROCERY STORE. RECORDED JAZZ AND BLUES MUSIC WAFTED THROUGH OPEN WINDOWS WHILE I SAT IN THE GARDEN, LISTENED AND GOT HOOKED ON THE INFECTIOUS RYTHMS.

WHEN THE FAIRFIELD HALLS OPENED IT BECAME THE VENUE FOR CONTINUING THESE CONCERTS. I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE ON STAGE WITH MANY ACTS BUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT I MOST ENJOYED WAS SITTING IN ON REHEARSALS. MANY MEMBERS OF THE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA HAD BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER FOR 40 YEARS, YET THEY REHEARSED DAILY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH NEW WORK. SUCH PERFECTIONISTS. I HAD LEARNED TO PLAY TRUMPET AND TROMBONE IN SCHOOL, SO THIS WAS “DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN” TIME!.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

ELLA FITZGERALD

I COULD HAVE EASILY STAYED IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT, IT WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING BUT VERY DEMANDING OF TIME AND ENERGY.  I HAD MET AND WORKED WITH SOME AMAZING PEOPLE, THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD.  I FELT VERY BAD ABOUT THE LACK OF TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND THE KIDS WERE GROWING APACE. MY PRIMARY REASON FOR BEING IN THE THEATER WORLD IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS TO MAKE MONEY TO START A CLAY STUDIO.  NOBODY TOLD ME YOU COULDN’T MAKE A GOOD INCOME IN THE THEATER BUSINESS, SO, WITH THE POWER OF POSITIVE

THOUGHT AND ACTION, I ALWAYS DID. WHEN THE RENOVATIONS TO THE HOUSE AND STUDIO WERE DONE.  I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE LIFE AS A SELF-EMPLOYED STUDIO POTTER. I KNEW THAT IF THE STUDIO DIDN’T WORK OUT, I COULD ALWAYS GO BACK TO THEATRE OR WORKING AS A TRAVEL GUIDE.


TOMORROW, MOVING TO A COUNTRY VILLAGE