By Bernie Bell

Lotte Glob is a ceramicist and all-round wonder-full person. She lives and works in an old croft near Loch Eriboll, in Sutherland, and produces – wonders.

Lotte sent me information about the current exhibition of her new work, at The Watermill Gallery in Aberfeldy.  Under lockdown, she has been working on bowls and ceramic paintings, which are a representation of her walks in the hills and by the sea.

As previously mentioned in TON,  https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/09/29/bernie-bell-bernie-mikes-road-trip-spring-2017/ , I am a great admirer of Lotte’s work, and I thought I’d share this, for if anyone would like to go to her exhibition – social distancing and mask-wearing,  of course!

The bowl in the first image, reminds me of the ancient pottery found at sites all over ….Orkney, Scotland, Britain….. Europe.

What Lotte writes here, reminds me of how Orkney’s own Harray Potter, Andrew Appleby  https://orkneypottery.co.uk/  described to me how he works, especially when aiming to re-create forms of pottery from the past.  He opens his mind, and lets the inspiration flow as he forms the pot. Sometimes starting with only a general concept, then, sitting down and letting the hand/mind connection do its work.

I think it’s the same with any form of art-work – folk often start with a general idea, go with the flow, sometimes changing direction along the way.  Sometimes learning from mistakes, sometimes  incorporating mistakes – or even, maybe, the mistake, becomes the work!

It’s rare that something ‘comes through’ in its entirety – it does happen, but I believe this to be quite rare.

We called by Fursbreck Pottery one time, when Andrew was emptying his kiln – a few of the pieces had gone a bit awry. Andrew gave them to us, and we have them as a bowl for our garlic ( and a stone egg!), and a dish for bits for the birds… 

They are a bit dodgy, but we like them.  They’re unique, and were given in friendship.

To quote Charles Rennie Mackintosh – “There is hope in honest error, none in the icy perfections of the mere stylist.”