Another firing to add to my facebook selling page.

Another firing today. The tea lights are very popular with their pretty colours and warm glow. £8 each or £15 for a pair. The small pasta plates/deep plates are £10 each with very detailed pictures of lavender fields and sunflowers/poppies or the Dorset seaside. Miso bowls and small mugs £7.

A very warm summer's evening in Mons.

The weather has been hot, with the deepest of blue skies this month. I'm really surprised that the wild flowers and butterflies survive in this heat. It is glorious though. I've been painting in the cooler evening out on the terrace and have just finished two small pasta dishes with a scene from beautiful Olagues, the next village along the valley from us in Mons and a scene from the lavender fields of the south of France.

Today I took my breakfast out and walked along the beautiful Jaur from the priory St Julien to the lovely old medieval village of Olargues. The local market was just setting up in Mons as we went through. There is a lovely German gentleman who produces jams and flours from his chestnut trees on the slopes of the Espinouse just above Olagues, a cheese seller with every local cheese under the sun and a fruit grower among other stalls. It's only small but along with the delicious smell from the baker and the buzz of the auberge, Mons La Trivalle was hotting up for a busy day.

We often enjoy meeting up with friends from all over the region. Yesterday we visited some dear friends and I present him with one of my bowls and he gave me some of his wonderful curry pastes. It's always lovely to see someone's delight when they receive a gift that they obviously really like. 

The donkey's decided it was too hot for them in their small field last night and escaped to wander in the village and enjoy the delights of freedom. 

People come from far and wide to walk up the beautiful gorge d'heric and climb the footpaths up the Caroux.

I've been making fig jam today. It's bubbling away nicely in the kitchen of our little stone sheepfold.

Unfired new pieces of mine.

I've just come in from painting in the garden this evening. A magical sunset, the breeze was moving the clouds across the mountains and the bats had just come out as the swallows disappeared for the night. Beautiful out there.

These are the latest pieces that I've been working on. I haven't finished painting them or firing them as they take me many hours to complete. One has a Dorset theme and the other two Languedoc. I'm quite excited to see how they will look when they have been fired.

Painting on the terrace in the twilight

I thought you would all like to see where I like to paint, outside on my terrace with nature all around me.

I've been busy working on quite a few pieces recently and will look forward to firing them. i always enjoy this part as the colours magically change and come alive with such brilliance. I've been out in Southern France for the past few weeks and so most of the designs are of the mountains, flowers, houses, butterflies and summer crops of sunflowers and barley here.

My new Facebook selling page.

I've finally finished making my selling page and it's been lovely to receive requests for purchasing my work.
https://www.facebook.com/pamsmithceramics/

It's been difficult to decide on a price for items as I spend many hours painting and firing them. The bowls take about 4 to 7 hours of painting whereas the smaller items a couple of hours. Before firing I carefull glaze them and then the are in the kiln for just under 20 hours.

Just as a guide
The little bud vases will be £8
The tiny jugs £8
Small jugs £9
Larger, half litre jugs £15
Tiny bowls £8
Small bowls £10
Larger bowls £15

Vases are various prices starting from £10, please PM me if you are interested
I also make Jam pots with lids, Kitchen utensils containers, storage jars. pasta plates(large and small), plates (large and small) and individual christmas decorations.

Summer painting in the Languedoc.

It's very hot here in Mons at the moment but the mountains are cooler and after a day of walking I enjoy painting on a cool terrace once again. I'm working on some small bowls at the moment with poppies, sunflowers, wild flowers and lavender fields. They each have a summer theme of local butterflies, golden harvests, sunsets, blue hazy mountains and medieval buildings. Can't wait to see the when they are fired.