Category: Out and about

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Emmanuel Cooper Glazes book and exhibition

Emmanuel Cooper Glazes, by Linda Bloomfield

After three years researching his private glaze archive, I have written a book on Emmanuel Cooper’s previously unpublished glaze recipes. To accompany the book there will be a touring exhibition starting in London and travelling around the UK to Farnham, Aberystwyth and Barnsley. The exhibition will include Emmanuel Cooper’s test tiles, papers and pots from his partner David Horbury’s collection, the Emmanuel Cooper Estate. The iteration at the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham will also include some Lucie Rie pots and work by Emmanuel’s students at the Royal College of Art. Emmanuel was influenced by Lucie Rie, whose glaze notebooks I have also researched and included in the book.

Lava-glazed conical bowl by Emmanuel Cooper from the Crafts Study Centre
Lava-glazed bowl, Emmanuel Cooper, Crafts Study Centre

Emmanuel Cooper’s ambition was to develop an electric kiln aesthetic. He made brightly coloured glazes inspired by the bright lights and built environment he encountered while riding his motorbike around the streets of London. He made bright yellows, pinks, vivid blue and turquoise glazes. He also developed combinations of slips and glazes that resulted in rich volcanic effects.

Exhibition dates

12-23 January 2027 Contemporary Ceramics 63 Great Russell Street, London

2 March -30 October 2027 The Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, Surrey

November-December 2027 Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales

January 2028 Barnsley Museum The Cooper Gallery

Yellow jug by Emmanuel Cooper from The Craft Study Centre
Yellow jug with gold lustre dots by Emmanuel Cooper, Crafts Study Centre

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Glaze workshop dates 2027

Glaze tests
Glaze tests
Glaze tests with added colouring oxides

I will be teaching a number of glaze workshops in 2027 on colour in glazes, special effects glazes and using slips with glazes. I explain what each glaze material contributes to the glaze and how they interact to melt the glaze in the kiln, how to make glossy, matt and special effect glazes, and how to make food safe glazes.

In January my new book Emmanuel Cooper Glazes will be published, together with a touring exhibition of his pots, glaze tests and some of his students’ work. The exhibition will start at Contemporary Ceramics London on 12-23 January and tour to the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham in March-October, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Barnsley Museum.

In late January I will be taking part in an exhibition, Sintered: Ceramics, Art and Science with the coauthor of our book Material Matters, Linda Swanson in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. We will include geological samples of glaze and clay materials, clay body and glaze tests.

Glaze workshops 2027

29-30 January 2027 Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University, USA

13-14 March Upland Clay Cumbria

April El Taller de Ceramica Malaga, slips and glazes

19-22 April Guldagergaard, Skaelskor, Denmark, clays and glazes with Linda Swanson

1-2 May Coombe Farm Studios, Dittisham, Devon

22-23 May La Mine Céramique Paris

12-13 June The Ceramic Garden Carshalton

20-22 August Craquele, Leuven, Belgium

11-12 September County Hall Pottery, London

14-18 October Ceramicaza, Rhodes, Greece

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Glaze workshop dates 2026

Glaze test colour blend
Oilspot glaze

I will be teaching workshops around Europe and the UK

17-18 January Stable Yard Pottery, Wood Green, London

21-22 February Keramia Studio Hungary

14-15 March Mie Ghesquiere, Belgium

21-22 March La Mine Céramique Paris Cancelled

10-12 April El Taller de Ceramica Malaga

25-26 April Turning Earth, Highgate, London

9-10 May, Coombe Farm Studios, Devon

22-25 May with Linda Swanson, Guldagergaard, Skaelskor, Denmark

13-14 June The Ceramic Garden Carshalton

1-2 August The Farnham Pottery, Farnham, Surrey

15-16 August London Potters, Stoke Newington Cancelled

12-13 September County Hall Pottery, London

3-4 October Forest Row School of Ceramics, Bridport

11-12 October Studio Pottery London

30 Oct -1 Nov The Waldron Studio, East Sussex

14-15 November Nottingham Ceramics School

Glaze test colour blend

I will be travelling to various studios around the UK and Europe to teach ceramic glaze workshops which expand on my books, Colour in Glazes and Special Effect Glazes. The two-day workshops are suitable for intermediate potters who would like to learn more about glaze chemistry, what each glaze material contributes to the glaze and how to adjust glazes to correct any defects or make special effects such as craters, crystals or crackle. Contact the studios directly to book a place. These courses are popular; if you find the workshop you want to attend is full, I sometimes come back to the same studio in following years so don’t give up!

These workshops cover the fundamentals of what makes up a ceramic glaze and the role played by each ingredient. Participants on the workshop will create and test their own glaze (often based on an existing recipe) during the workshop, fire the glazes overnight, and receive feedback on their results. They will leave with a better understanding of how a glaze is developed and tested and with the knowledge to enable them to create and refine glazes on their own.

I recognise that not everyone will be able to attend one of these courses. There is a lot to be gained from being in a practical workshop with others, but if you cannot attend one of my workshops and would still like to learn about glazes, I have some short online courses available (https://lindabloomfield.co.uk/membership-account/membership-levels/) which cover some of the same content.

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Glaze workshop dates 2025

Glaze workshop colour test tiles

I will be teaching glaze workshops once or twice a month in 2025.

Glaze workshop dates 2025

18-19 January Forest Row School of Ceramics, Bridport, Dorset

8-9 February Mie Ghesquiere Tussenin Belgium

1-2 March The Clay Garden, Hammersmith, London

22-23 March La Mine Céramique Paris

28-30 March and 11-13 April El Taller de Ceramica Malaga

5-6 April DA studio Madrid

3-4 May Coombe Farm Studios Dittisham, Devon

23-26 May Guldagergaard, Skaelskor, Denmark

7-8 June, Create CIC, Camborne, Cornwall

28-29 June RAMP workshop Silverton, Devon

9-10 August London Potters at Cernamic studio, London

16-17 August Forest Row School of Ceramics, Bridport

7-8 September Studio Pottery London

27&29 September Perth Studio Potters

28&30 September ClayMake Studio Perth

11-12 October Melbourne Clay Studio

20-21 October Sydney Claypool

1-2 November The Waldron, East Sussex

I will be travelling to various studios around the UK and Europe to teach ceramic glaze workshops which expand on my books, Colour in Glazes and Special Effect Glazes. The two-day workshops are suitable for intermediate potters who would like to learn more about glaze chemistry, what each glaze material contributes to the glaze and how to adjust glazes to correct any defects or make special effects such as craters, crystals or crackle. Contact the studios directly to book a place. These courses are popular; if you find the workshop you want to attend is full, I sometimes come back to the same studio in following years so don’t give up!

These workshops cover the fundamentals of what makes up a ceramic glaze and the role played by each ingredient. Participants on the workshop will create and test their own glaze (often based on an existing recipe) during the workshop, fire the glazes overnight, and receive feedback on their results. They will leave with a better understanding of how a glaze is developed and tested and with the knowledge to enable them to create and refine glazes on their own.

I recognise that not everyone will be able to attend one of these courses. There is a lot to be gained from being in a practical workshop with others, but if you cannot attend one of my workshops and would still like to learn about glazes, I have some short online courses available (https://lindabloomfield.co.uk/membership-account/membership-levels/) which cover some of the same content.

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Plates with Purpose, Messums West

Plates with Purpose Messums

Plates with Purpose is an exhibition at Messums West to raise funds for two charities, The David Nott Foundation and Hope and Homes for Children, both charities helping people whose lives have been affected by wars. 40% of sales will be divided between the two charities. The opening was on 1 March and the exhibition runs until 29 April 2024.

Plates with Purpose Messums

I attended the opening at Messums West in Tisbury, Wiltshire. It was lovely to meet so many of the other exhibitors, Loraine Rutt, Francesca Silverton and Mirka Golden-Hann. I bought a Chesil Beach Muted plate (image above, bottom left) by James Kay. The plates I exhibited (image above, bottom centre and images below) were covered in lichen effect glazes. I recycled plates from restaurant orders that had cracked in the biscuit firing. Lichens are indicators of clean air and are affected by air pollution. I hope in my work to bring attention to the loss of lichen biodiversity caused by burning fossil fuels. I was very happy to see at the opening that all my plates had sold.

Linda Bloomfield Plates with Purpose Messums West
Plates with Purpose Messums West March 2024
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Stone Lane Sculpture Exhibition

Lichen-effect ceramic forms in a woodland garden with autumn leaves

In summer 2023 I took part in a sculpture exhibition in Stone Lane Gardens near Chagford on the edge of Dartmoor. The garden is found at the end of a narrow country lane and has a stream, several ponds and a national collection of birch and alder trees. I set up my series of lichen-effect ceramic forms at the end of May 2023 and they remained in place until the end of October 2023.

It was interesting to see how the work changed appearance with the changing seasons. A local photographer, Liz Mary Photography, took some beautiful photos in the autumn, when the leaf colours really set off the green forms. Thirty other artists took part, with sculptures made from granite, metal, plaster and ceramics. I was very happy to be a runner up in the public vote.

The forms rolled around over time and became slightly muddy, but they all survived. They are made of porcelain so can even survive frosts outdoors. I collected them the day after Storm Ciarán arrived in southern England, so I spent much of the day driving though downpours and seeing rainbows. The rain cleared just in time for me to pack up my ceramics. I am looking forward to taking part in more sculpture trails in 2024.

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Oeiras Ceramic Art exhibition, Lisbon, Portugal

Lichen effect vase by Linda Bloomfield
Oeiras Ceramic art exhibition, work by Philippa Mollet
Luciana Cravo, Philippa Mollet and Linda Bloomfield at Oeiras Ceramic Art, Lisbon

I had a week in Portugal in October 2023, teaching glaze workshops and visiting Oeiras Ceramic Art exhibition. I was invited to be an ambassador for the exhibition, together with other ceramic artists including Alberto Bustos and Yola Vale. We attended the opening night of the exhibition and gave a series of workshops and talks in Oeiras.

Glaze workshop at Ceramist shop atelier Oeiras
Glaze workshop at Ceramista shop atelier Oeiras

I was invited by ceramicist Luciana Cravo and business owner and exhibition organiser Catia Fernandes to teach two glaze workshops, one at Luciana’s studio and the other at Catia’s Ceramista shop and atelier. We spent the first day making glaze tests and then fired overnight and discussed the results the next day.

Lava glaze test tiles
Barium lava glaze with added cobalt, copper, chromium, iron and zirconium.

The kilns fired to a higher temperature than expected (cone 10 and above 1300C) but there were some great results with lava glazes and crawl glazes. The students also made glossy, matt, satin matt and crackle glazes. Each student made a base glaze and added various colouring oxides.

Crawl glaze tests with various colouring oxides
Zinc crawl glaze by Mariana Figueiredo with added chromium, manganese, tin, nickel and copper

Some of the students from the glaze workshops were also at Oeiras ceramic art exhibition. I met Catherine Portal, Philippa Mollet and Leonora Lockhart, who I had met previously when she attended my book launch in London.

Luciana Cravo at Oeiras Ceramic Art exhibition
Leonora Lockhart, Luciana Cravo and Catherine Portal at Oeiras Ceramic Art

Luciana Cravo makes lava-glazed sculptures inspired by weathered rocks found on the beach. She was extremely welcoming and looked after me throughout my stay in Portugal, taking me for delicious lunches of bacalhau, pasteis de nata and also showing me around the national museum of tiles (azulejos) in Lisbon. We also visited the workshop on the top floor of the museum where tile panels are restored. Thank you for inviting me Luciana and Catia!

Azulejo museum in Lisbon
Tile panel, National Azulejo museum, Lisbon
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Glaze workshops 2024

I will be teaching a number of ceramic glaze workshops during 2024

Set of glaze test tiles from a ceramic glaze workshop, showing a colour blend between five colouring oxides and the effects that can be achieved

I will be travelling to various studios around the UK and Europe to teach ceramic glaze workshops which expand on my books, Colour in Glazes and Special Effect Glazes. The two-day workshops are suitable for intermediate potters who would like to learn more about glaze chemistry, what each glaze material contributes to the glaze and how to adjust glazes to correct any defects or make special effects such as craters, crystals or crackle. Contact the studios directly to book a place. These courses are popular; if you find the workshop you want to attend is full, I sometimes come back to the same studio in following years so don’t give up!

These workshops cover the fundamentals of what makes up a ceramic glaze and the role played by each ingredient. Participants on the workshop will create and test their own glaze (often based on an existing recipe) during the workshop, fire the glazes overnight, and receive feedback on their results. They will leave with a better understanding of how a glaze is developed and tested and with the knowledge to enable them to create and refine glazes on their own.

27-28 January The Clay Garden, Hammersmith

24-25 February The Clay Garden, Hammersmith

9-10 March La Mine Céramique Paris

23-24 March RAMP Workshop, Silverton, Devon

5-7, 12-14 April El Taller de Ceramica, Malaga

20-21 April Jilly Russell Vessel studio, Special Effect Glazes, Moretonhampstead, Devon

4-5 May Coombe Farm studios, Special Effect Glazes, Dartmouth, Devon

10-11 August London Potters at Cernamic Studios

14-15 September Mud Gang studio, London

21-22 September Muddy Fingers Pottery, Special Effect Glazes, Jarrow

26-27 October Nottingham Ceramics School


I recognise that not everyone will be able to attend one of these courses. There is a lot to be gained from being in a practical workshop with others, but if you cannot attend one of my workshops and would still like to learn about glazes, I have some short online courses available (https://lindabloomfield.co.uk/membership-account/membership-levels/) which cover some of the same content.

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Pathways Art Trail

I recently took part in Pathways Art Trail, Hook Green Wood in Kent. Curated by Jemma Gowland and Jane Sarre, eight artists made art, sculpture and poetry inspired by the woodland. We also held a series of talks and workshops. My talk was about lichens found in the woods and how they can be affected by air pollution. Hook Green Wood has oak moss, evernia prunastri and also ramalina farinacea, both branched lichens which are sensitive to air pollution. We also found grey-green foliose lichen parmelia sulcata and the more pollution-tolerant yellow lichen xanthoria parietina. My ceramic forms were based on algae and fungi and showed the effects of air pollution on lichens. The series started with lichen-covered forms and ended with black and barren forms showing the lack of lichens in our air polluted city centres. Lichen biodiversity is important; birds use lichens in their nests, some animals eat lichen and it is often the first organism to colonise newly formed rocks, both volcanic and man made surfaces.

Photos by Alex Brattell

Hook Green Wood, Lamberhurst, East Sussex UK. Linda Bloomfield, Jack Durling, Miranda Ellis, Saskia Gall, Jemma Gowland, Rachael Nicholson, Jane Sarre, Clare Whistler. Curated by Jane Sarre & Jemma Gowland.
Hook Green Wood, Lamberhurst, East Sussex UK. Linda Bloomfield, Jack Durling, Miranda Ellis, Saskia Gall, Jemma Gowland, Rachael Nicholson, Jane Sarre, Clare Whistler. Curated by Jane Sarre & Jemma Gowland.
Hook Green Wood, Lamberhurst, East Sussex UK. Linda Bloomfield, Jack Durling, Miranda Ellis, Saskia Gall, Jemma Gowland, Rachael Nicholson, Jane Sarre, Clare Whistler. Curated by Jane Sarre & Jemma Gowland.
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Glaze workshop dates 2023

Lava glaze test tiles

Do you want to learn how to make your own glazes and understand what each material does in a glaze?

Lava glaze test tiles
Volcanic glaze test tiles

I will be teaching a number of glaze workshops in 2023. We will be making glaze tests in your chosen base glaze: glossy, matt, crystalline or crater, adding colouring oxides and discussing the fired results as well as learning what each material does in the glaze and how to adjust the glaze and correct defects.

21-22 January The Clay Garden Hammersmith

4-5 February Forest Row School of Ceramics East Sussex

18-19 February The Clay Garden Hammersmith

10-12 March La Mine Atelier Paris

24-25 April Studio Pottery London Victoria, London

5-7 and 12-14 May Cowork Art Centre Malaga, Spain

25-26 May Cultivator Cornwall, Camborne Contemporary Crafts hub, Cornwall

24-25 June RAMP Ceramics Silverton, Devon

12-13 August London Potters Cernamic Studios, Stoke Newington

16-17 September Nottingham Ceramics School Nottingham

9-10 October Atelier Luciana Cravo Lisbon, Portugal

11-12 October Ceramista Shop Oeiras, Portugal

Suitable for beginners, professional potters and ceramic artists. Contact the studios to book a place.