Friends, Firing and Filming

One of the stills from last week’s filming. As in the UK it’s been unusually cold, rainy & cloudy here in Aveyron. But for filming day Mother Nature decided to put on a show for us!

Hello all you gorgeous people,

Firstly, let’s get the admin out the way, if you have received this newsletter in error, or you are suffering from Inbox overload just hit the unsubscribe below.

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying some level of freedom again?

Here at The Mill, we have had a busy few weeks with a filming day, lots of studio time & Raku firing, and planning the events programme for the coming months.

I’ll be sending a separate email out shortly with our events schedule including:

Yoga & wellness retreats, week long Raku ceramic courses, and writers ‘Escape the City’ retreats.

Connection

Last newsletter, I asked for your help in spreading the love, and you did. Some of you very kindly came back with contacts for film & production companies and more idea. It was just amazing thank you!

Then strangely, or not, in a world of synchronicities a Paris based production company contacted me out of the blue asking if they could feature The Mill in a short video series about unusual places to stay in France. This was for their client Bricomarche - the French chain of DIY stores...

Looking nervous in the library room, in front of one of the old flour silos

I said yes, and the production team from Intercom Paris arrived last week, stayed overnight and shot everything in one day! It was a really fun experience, apart from the being in front of the camera bit, that I found a challenge! Nerves left me incapable of the ability to speak any French what so ever, so we reverted to plan B - subtitles in the editing process later! The team were super professional and great fun to have around.

So in a strange turn of events we now have a little video to present to other production companies and film makers and various channels to pitch the idea for a film about how to become a European Micro Hydro Electric producer. Funny how things turn out! Click here to see the video!

Creativity

Close up of some of the Raku Earth Goddesses

As you know, last year I boldly stated that I was committing to making, in total, 555 Sculptures in The Goddess Series: Spirit Earth Air Fire Water 111 of each element.

The first in the series – 111 Spirit Goddesses - I completed before Christmas. Many of you purchased one. The remaining sculptures continue to sell, both locally here in France, and you lovely people keep purchasing them as gifts for friends and family, which makes me so happy. A massive thank you to you all.

I am proud to announce that I have now completed the next 111 Earth (raku fired) Goddesses. Pictured below Ensemble.

I have submitted this edition of 111 Earth Goddesses in to The Summer Exhibition at The Royal Academy of Art in London. To be sold as an entire collection. Hitting the deadline for entry meant some tense days with consecutive raku firings over 3 days, as we can only fire 9-10 Goddesses at a time in the gas fired Kiln. There was a satisfaction in working to a deadline & hitting the target! There is real alchemy in the Raku firing process.

Also a lot of smoke, hence the uber sexy ‘Breaking Bad’ look for Poppy and I below!

I have decided to create a second edition of each Element going forward. Yes, doubling the quantity, one Series per year. Allowing me time to work on other projects as well. Therefore an 111 Sculptures of each series will be sold as a tribe and another 111 will be made available individually. If accepted by The RA theses individual Goddesses will be sold through the RA. You can however, pre order your Earth Raku Goddess and purchase direct from me ahead of the exhibition.

Click here to email me to place your order now.

Get your own Raku groove on!

I am happy to announce that I will be running 2 beginners Raku firing courses:

Friday 23rd July - Friday 30th July

Tuesday 24th August – Tuesday 31st August

For more information email me here

Other events to be announced next week.

Community

The local community has, as always remained super encouraging, friendly and helpful.

I asked for help – those that know me well will know, that is not an easy thing for me to do. But I did.

I asked for help with clearing the back canal. It’s been blocked with wood and the canal banks were totally over grown. Turns out it needs to be trimmed back at least every couple of years. Who knew! Not this North London Gal for sure! Argh the joys of Mill Life! The previous owner confirmed that he had not done it for a few years prior to the sale of The Mill, so not tackled for over 5 years!

So my friends, Vincent, Sandrine and their children, and Martin & Shelly, came and we did our damnedest!

On a glorious day, I provided school holidays fun for the kids. We all pitched in, shovelled mud, Chain-sawed trees, dragged logs & branches out of the canal. And we had a big old BBQ early evening to celebrate our achievements. It was a really heart-warming day... Jon (11), Vincent’s eldest, asked his mother to translate as they packed up to go home (unfortunately before the 7pm Curfew) with a trunk full of wet muddy clothes. ‘Please tell her & Poppy, this has been the best day of our holidays, thank you’ and they were doing me the favour! Yes… I did get a bit teary.

We came down here and shovelled out mud! — We came down here and shovelled out mud!

There is still tons of silt left down there. We are devising a way to haul it up to ground level and utilise it in our soon to be veggie patch... Or face packs perhaps!