Coastal Ceramics Project (April - May 2008)

24 Feb 2008

Teena Gould is currently building the email group of people interested in her new costal ceramics project. If you would like to be kept informed of the progress and outcome of the work, share your skills and interests, and/or join the Walk, please email teena@teenagould.com.

Background Information:

She plans to create a new body of ceramic work incorporating and experimenting with site-specific materials collected from the coastline of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. It will celebrate the natural environment of the Welsh coastline, and the elemental nature of clay, earth and fire.

The project is a journey to mark my 60th year. I plan to walk along the West Wales coastal path linking the spiritual centres of St Crannog in Llangrannog to St Anthony's Well in Llansteffan. I will collect and mail back to my studio, natural elements from the cliffs and coastline of 60 places along my path. These will then be incorporated into porcelain and other clays to form the basis of an experimental ceramic exploration. The walk is intended as a meditation on our natural heritage, and the subsequent studio development will mark the beginning of a new body of work.

The walk will cover the coastal paths of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen. Walking during April/May 08, over a period of 30 days, from the spiritual centres of Capel Crannog near my home in Llangrannog (St Crannog was a seafaring saint, Capel Crannog has recently been gifted to be used as a community art centre) to St Anthony's Well (St Anthony who is connected with nature and animals featured in my recent ceramic tile panel for Llansteffan School which was opened by HRH Prince Charles) in Llansteffan. The magical St Nons Well at St David's will be the halfway mark.

People are joining me at convenient places along the walk. These include - artists, my students, ecologists, environmentalists, archaeologists, walkers (I am a member of the Ramblers Association), Tai Chi and Chi Kung players, (I am a member of the Rising Dragon School of Tai Chi) and of course friends. Wheelchair users can join at the accessible areas of the coastal path (I sit on the Executive Committee of Disability Arts Cymru). My "Walking Buddy" is Jon Turner, who will co-ordinate the walk from his studio. Jon is also making a film of the project.

The project attracted initial funding from the Arts Council of Wales, and subsequently from the Gulbenkian Foundation. This has enabled me to concentrate on research and development prior to the Walk.

With thanks and best wishes,

Teena Gould

We wish Tenna great success for her project and hope to be able to publish updates as it progresses next year. We hope some of our visitors will contact Teena Gould and participants at some point in April and May 2008.

Stephen Dee,
Studiopottery.co.uk

The Full Article can be found here