Home Page for Vera Stride

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">As a self taught artist/sculptor I have </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">learnt through personal study and observations of life rather than from</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">structured classes. This has kept my approach to my work free from the academicism that may otherwise have constricted or diverted my ideas.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>My love of drawing governs the way I work with the clay - I explore all the contours throughout a pose like drawing in 3D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I have an innovative and unconventional approach to my work and like to work quickly and direct to ensure freshness of the work. My main interest is to capture the attitude and expression of a subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Each sculpture is completely unique. My work includes figurative, animals and bird forms. I prefer to work from life but also use photographs. I mix my own clay and glazes. I have specialised in Raku and smoke firing techniques for more than 25 years. Surface /texture, colour and glaze effects mishaps are an important part of my work, especially the results of the Raku process. I have undertaken many commissions and exhibited at various venues throughout the southwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>A member of the Westcountry Potters Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 28.4pt 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">Raku</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">- is a Japanese word freely interpreted as "enjoyment". It was an ideograph engraved on a gold seal and given by the emperor HIDEYOSHI in 1598 to CHOJIRO who produced wares of refined simplicity for the Zen Buddhist Tea Ceremony.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Raku thereby became his family title. Chojiro is credited with being the first to produce low-fired glazed pottery by a direct process which involved putting pots into and taking them out of a red hot kiln. In Japan the ware was chiefly used for the tea ceremony. Raku glazes melt at about the red heat of a bonfire (750<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>C) and long tongs and mittens are used for handling the pots.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Reduction</span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Alters colours and creates lustres. Sawdust, chippings, wet straw, grass and leaves all give different results as reduction materials. Placing the hot pot in an airtight container (a metal bin works well ) with combustible materials which ignite, create smoke and the carbon present reduces the oxides to their respective metal forms. Pieces can then be dunked in water to seal the results.</span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Oxidation</span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">- Allowing the pot to be amply supplied with oxygen, which causes the metals in the clay and glazes to give their oxide colours.</span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Note</span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: maroon; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">Raku pots cannot be used for liquids or wet foods as they are not waterproof.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Address<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">     </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Westwards, Hookhills Road, Churston, Paignton, TQ4 7NH</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Tel. No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">     </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">01803 844847</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Email<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">    </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">    </span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><a href="mailto:verastride@hotmail.com">verastride@hotmail.com</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">Websites<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;">    </span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: blue; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;">www.creativetorbay.com </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">                        </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: blue;">www.westcountrypotters.co.uk</span></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">                        </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-font-kerning: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></span>
Contact Details
Email:	Contact Vera Stride
Mobile:
Website:	www.creativetorbay.com

Pictures

Threesome
Smoked ceramics

Homer
Copper Oxide finish

Duke
Raku fired with white crackle glaze

Tyson
Raku fired

Love birds
Raku fired

Hector
Copper Oxide finish

Deisel
Paper clay fired to 1000c. Waxpolished

Hannah in Progress
Terra Cotta

Benn
Welsh mountain pony in mixed media

Life x 3
Pastels

Polo ponies
Charcoal sketch

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