I have a new workshop !! AND A NEW EXHIBITION

On Friday, I took the forms to Rory at Createspace for a standing order and contract for my new shared space. It is in Wembley, on the 11th floor of a 21 storey tower. Here it is :

So, this is a new beginning for me. I have been procrastinating all summer, not quite knowing what to start on, how to promote my forthcoming exhibition at the Ice House in Holland Park.

ONLY 2 WEEKS TO GO !!

There is a kiln, so I am relieved as I have quite a few of my lights waiting to be fired. I booked a firing for October 8th.  I am getting rather nervous. What if the firing goes all wrong ? I want to show at least 8 of my porcelain lamps :

I'll also show my small (but tasty) jewellery collection. I made a nice presenter this weekend.

And a few paintings. I hope to see you there !!

SOLO SHOW

ANNE MUSSO

THE ICE HOUSE GALLERY, HOLLAND PARK W8 6LU

OCTOBER 14-28TH 2015

11-6pm

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

Somehow, I felt the carnival was quieter this year. It was pouring down with rain to start with.  But then, I took some really nice pictures

And also the Notting Hill Copnival :

 The Mike Sarne whose film THE PUNK AND THE PRINCESS was entirely shot in Notting Hill.

And also the Notting Bin Carnival

However this time, I really missed the Fox carnival, going with the float  of Fox primary school. Such good memories !!

WHITE BOWL, BLACK BOWL, A CELEBRATION OF CHERRY TOMATOES

I made this white bowl, then I made a rough copy in black.
I liked them. I put cherry tomatoes in them.




I made this square dish. I liked it. I put cherry tomatoes in it.

I have been obsessing about this shape for a pendant for three months, and was making slow progress in Kelvin Birk's casting class at Mary ward centre. The bowl on the right is by artist Nicolas Rena.

In my kitchen and laboratory, which is the theatre of many of my experiments, there was an egg shell in the bin. Cherry tomatoes in the fridge.

I thought I could achieve my shape with  the combined help of the egg and the tomato.

 Eggshell, cherry tomato on a skewer and small pan for melting wax, bit of oil on shell and tomato, let's go !










My results were interesting, but as usual, not quite what I was aiming for ! Here we go : wax models

And off to Just Casting and a couple of finished pieces in bronze :

These pendants need polishing, but I really like the one with the dove flying under the moon.

Ten years ago, I had drawn these doves at a workshop at the V & A.

So strange that they landed on my pendant !!

A REALLY F-----UP DAY,

In the morning, I wrote my list of things to do
 -Tennis
- Hatton Gardens
- Card to the Bulgarian Ambassador
- Alexander  Mc Queen show at the V & A
- Central library

Tennis was out of the way by 11 . Suddenly the phone rang. It was the KCC librarian asking me to bring back 2 books I had overdue.

I was going to Hatton Gardens but decided to go first to KCC to bring back the books and thought I could take the Hammersmith and City line to Farrington afterwards.

Arriving at Wornington Road, I suddenly felt hungry. I had forgotten my lunch ! I went into the Lisboa. They didn't have my favourite rissole. I had something else instead.

I gave back my books, but suddenly realised I had forgotten to file a small asperity in the piece I wanted to make a mould of.

I headed back home on a 52. Filed. That took another half hour !

Took the Central line to Chancery Lane, Hatton Gardens. Delivered  my piece for casting.

Then took a 243 to Holborn. In Holborn, I thought I'd go directly to South Kensington for the Alexander Mc Queen show at the V & A on the tube. I arrived, looked at my watch. It was  4.15... a bit late if they close at 5.30...

Suddenly, I remembered I had forgotten to do what was on my yesterday list : go to Masbro and Macbeth centres to find a ceramic workshop for next term ! Duh!

In a panic, I left the V & A.

I wanted to head to Hammersmith for Macbeth.

But I still had the card for the Bulgarian Ambassador. I decided to walk and deliver it by hand . When I arrived, the lights were on !  I panicked at the idea of going in and finding someone, so I decided to post it instead.  But I didn't have a stamp, so I'd have to go back to the post office in Notting Hill on the 52.

But the 9 came first. Direction Hammersmith. I thought, Oh well, I might as well get the Hammersmith  and Macbeth out of the way. So I boarded the 9. Raising my eyes from a difficult sudoku, I spotted a post office in High Street Ken! In a haste, I got off the bus and went into the post office for a stamp. There was a queue. I wasted 20 mins.

Still determined to make it to Hammersmith, I wanted a 27.  I got another 9 ! !

The naughty 9 dropped me at Hammersmith tube station where I had to wait another 10 mins for a 27. I made it to Macbeth at 5.45 !!

They didn't have their brochure for 2015-2016 !! They don't even have a ceramic workshop! It's somewhere else!

 I managed to get a 27 back to Notting Hill, got off for the Central library.

They didn't have the books I wanted. I had to order them.

Back to Notting Hill on the 328.

Hopefully tomorrow won't be like today ...

MAGIC MUSHROOM

A while ago, I found a small piece of mushroom.  Dry and 6cm high.  I picked it up and kept it.

Few months later, I did this tonal drawing of it  :

Again, months later, at printing, I needed a drawing to use for a linocut project. I decided to use my drawing of the piece of mushroom.

I cut a lino plate like this :

I enjoy the fluidity of the lines you can achieve in this way. You can use needles of different thickness and shapes to get a variety of lines.  

I have been printing this plate with vibrant colours.

Yellow on purple

purple on yellow

Red on yellow on black. Printed 3 times.

Black and orange printed on another print.

You never know when a small piece of mushroom might come in handy .

TOY STORY 2 : 3 snakes and no ladder

Here, I am going to present you with  a few more fun toys from my "under the bed" collection.

 1-Three snake cubes, games of manipulation of shapes.

2 - The next one is a cube. It is red and white, then black and white. You can fold it and fold it and fold it and suddenly, see what appears ! Two 3D stars completely independent and separate, green and yellow and red. MAGIC. This wonderful toy is the first I bought nearly 30 years ago. I am very proud of having it. It is my top favourite. It was designed by Naomi Yoshimoto and you can view the demonstration here.

3 - a magnetic puzzle. I cannot brag that I have ever solved it but here it is, looking beautiful !!

4 - 4 small Chinese masks, 8 cms high:

Just stunning ! I think they are for a mini Chinese finger puppet theatre.

I have also acquired a few Noddy bits and pieces :

Two cars and a figurine.

Well if you ask me why I would collect small toys, I'll say, well because I can, because they are well designed , they work and they look gorgeous. Would you agree ?

To go to my website

TOY STORY 1. So, what do YOU collect ?

Thirty years ago, I started to randomly collect small toys.   The criteria was, they had to be :

- small (they live in a drawer under my bed)
- unusual
- quirky
- attractive (shape/colour)
- useless
- funny
- cheap
- or iconic

You can wind that one up with the red key and it turns around in circles while making sparks on the flat round part. That always makes me laugh !!

Another toy I enjoy is  that sort of snake, yellow and pink. You can twist it in all kinds of shapes :

Hours of fun !!

I want to show you this 12 seconds video of a horse, which I find particularly hilarious: Here it is :

I find my collection an endless source of inspiration. 

a multimedia artist : bio

Hello, my name is Anne Musso.

 I established my ceramic studio at Great Western Studios in 1994.

After 25 years practice as a potter, I came to painting , printing and drawing with a sense of freedom and excitement.

It was like rediscovering a friend one hasn't seen for many years. As a teenager, I had a workshop in an attic and I used to paint using the palette knife, influenced by the painter Nicholas de Staehl. 

In my ceramic workshop, at Great Western Studios,  I borrowed  glazes and techniques from the great ceramic artist Lucie Rie and developed my own style. Following the advice she gave me,I adopted once-firing. This method enables the potter to PAINT the glaze onto the raw pot instead of dipping and pouring,  and layer the glazes one after the other, adding oxides and working on textures. 

This method has stayed with me in my painting and printmaking. I like to explore colour and texture, being strongly attracted to form in nature. I am also very influenced by Gerhard Richter's work and his use of scraping the paint.

Being ever so curious, I also ventured into jewellery. However,  although techniques might differ, I find that the practice is all the same.

I have had 7 solo shows as a potter and 5 mixed shows as a painter and printmaker.

Two squared off stoneware vases exhibited at the Ice House Gallery. 

For more examples of my work, visit Anne Musso website