https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal
daily
0.75
2026-06-01
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/space-to-play
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Playing with those coloured slips I made in May…
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Layered underglazes
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Studio Journal - Space to play - More scritchy scratchy with coloured slip
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Four collages made in 2019
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Layered book pages, paint, oil pastel, pencil. 2021
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Love Letters in clay
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Adventure Time
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Studio Journal - Space to play - Doing everything perfectly all the time is impossible: Spotted in London way back in 2022
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/laughing-at-myself
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - Laughing at myself… - The last time I shared any studio notes, I was busy making slab built mugs. That was on the 5th of March. I planned to do a bisque firing mid-March. Ha! HAHAHAHA! Oh how I cackled at myself when I read that plan. In total I did make 10 mugs, complete with handles, but a few days ago I started crushing them up to make slip.
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Studio Journal - Laughing at myself… - So back to crushing mugs.
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Studio Journal - Laughing at myself… - Coloured slips in progress
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Studio Journal - Laughing at myself… - 10% CACTUS looks promising…
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Studio Journal - Laughing at myself… - <— I snapped this tangled spiky arrangement outside a cafe in Gosport
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/an-amateurs-reinvention
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - Underglaze painting on pots I’ve been making since 2022…
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - Slab built vessels in progress
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - I also have a new favourite tool. I used to cut the 45° angle for the bevelled joins using a ruler and blade. It took some time and wasn’t very accurate, but it got the job done. This bevel cutter tool is a game changer for that step of the process!
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - Crocuses in the park
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - Left: Saggar fired trinket trays | Right: Ancient Joy, playing with colour & texture
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Studio Journal - An amateur’s reinvention - I’ve driven past this abandoned monitor for months now. A few weeks ago we had quite a bit of rain, and nature collaborated with tech to create this.
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/im-not-sure-what-im-doing-here
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - I’m not sure what I’m doing here… - Ugh, I love it. Collaborative public collage in Camden, June 2024
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Studio Journal - I’m not sure what I’m doing here… - A cup from the past, something to scratch into
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/striving-for-imperfection
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/digging-deeper-into-why
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - Digging deeper into "Why?" - Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/body-vessel-clay
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Ladi Kwali.
Stoneware vessels.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - FRONT: Danlami Aliyu. Bottle with stopper. 1952-2012. Stoneware.
BACK: Ladi Kwali. Bowl. 1975. Stoneware & slip glaze.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Ladi Kwali. Dish. 1950-1979. Stoneware.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Danlami Aliyu. Plate. 1952-2012. Stoneware.
Aliyu illustrated this plate with depictions of the kiln and drying room at the Abuja Pottery Training Centre in Nigeria. (Excuse the over-exposed image)
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - A hand drawn map of northern Africa by Michael Cardew.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - A leaflet for African Craftsmen in America, a tour of demonstrations and lectures by Ladi Kwali, Kofi Athey and Michael Cardew.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Ladi Kwali looking fierce
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Ladi Kwali. Water vessel. 1950-1979. Stoneware.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Some of Dame Magdalene Odundo's early vessels.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Magdalene Odundo.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Magdalene Odundo.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Magdalene Odundo.
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Studio Journal - Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art - Nupe or Gwari vessel. Nigeria. 1900-1970.
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/weber-braai-smoke-firing
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Learning is one of my favourite things to do (nerd alert!). I love refreshing my skills and understanding new things to apply in my creative work and business.
So of course, I jumped at the opportunity to join a smoke firing workshop run by Colin Smith and Angela Rivett-Carnac at Giverny Country Studios in Curry's Post.
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Angela demonstrating her process to us...
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - I used "Swamp Juice" for the first time!
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - First pot dressed in Swamp Juice, a ferrous sulphate solution, coir soaked in a weak cobalt solution, and copper wire, and ready to be wrapped in a foil saggar...
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Second pot prepared with Swamp Juice, banana peel around the neck, and slices of lemon tied around the belly with copper wire. When I use lemon slices as an additive in future, I'll definitely slice them thinner and dry them out a bit before applying them, as the surface of my pot exploded where the lemon was placed!
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Our second pots in their paper bag saggars, ready for the fire.
You can upcycle any paper bag for this!
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Angela and Colin firing things up
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - A pot freshly pulled from the fire
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - When the pots are still hot from the fire they're sprayed with Ferric Chloride- check those fumes!
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Sprayed pots cooling down for a wash. You can see a very powerful result from a lemon slice on the centre pot!
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Time to scrub up gently with a soft brush and warm water
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - My double exploded pot in all its glory...
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Studio Journal - Weber braai smoke firing - Giverny Country Studios is owned and managed by Hermine Spies-Coleman and Gillian Coleman. Find them here.
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/21-things-i-learnt-in-2021
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/the-rhea-bowl
monthly
0.5
2026-05-31
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/saggar-firing-the-old-process
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
https://www.jessicamerle.co.uk/studio-journal/head-hands-heart-craft
monthly
0.5
2026-06-01
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2026-06-01
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