Blandine Anderson

EAST DART DIPPERS

Shows three Dippers, together with creatures that inhabit the River (Caddis flies, Stone flies and their larvae, and young trout). Also shows the path of the Dart as it winds up into the Moor.

One-off stoneware form. Slab-built and modelled. Max fired to 1240 C. Slips are stencilled, incised and painted.

HARE'S FOOT CROSS

Shows the view from Hare’s Foot Cross, towards Hound Tor. In the past, witches were believed to transform themselves into Hares and were reputed to meet at Moorland cross-roads. Hound Tor is believed to be a group of hounds turned to stone by a witch.

The reverse shows one of the more isolated rock formations of the Tor.

One-off stoneware form. Slab-built and Modelled. Max fired to 1240 C. Slips are stencilled, incised and painted.

THE PANDEMIC EFFECT

Lockdown has had little effect on the way in which I work, as my designs are largely conceived as pictures in my head and my work is increasingly based on memories, so I rely on a semi photographi c memory of places I have visited and creatures that I have seen, summoning images of the distant past and processing them over and over, to eventually come up with the design in my mind’s eye. I stopped working for the first couple of months of Lockdown as no income forced us to prioritize the growing of food. We run a small-holding, so at any time, animal welfare is top priority. Vaccinations, treatments and feeding provided us with a sense of “normal” and a routine, while the News reminded us that the lives of others had changed utterly.

When I was able to resume working, it was technical issues that caused problems, such as two kilns that both just happened to be at a point where professional help was needed. Impossible of course. There will always be a crisis-point at which such things need attention, one can’t plan for it.

Future plans? Don’t spread myself so thinly. Enjoy small pleasures. Keep watching nature.