Artists Statement

My one-off work is very much process-led. My current investigations explore paper cutting methods, and how these can be applied to porcelain. The walls of thrown pieces are thus opened in different ways allowing in light. Texture is also created providing intriguing interplays between inside and outside.

Current Work

Finely thrown porcelain bowls and bottles. Domesticware in terracotta with 2 finishes- a cool blue, and partially glazed honey with black and white striped slip areas.

I sell mostly through my own studio/gallery from stock or to commission, but am also constantly marketing elsewhere. I have an active Web presence at www.richardbaxter.com which has brought me new teaching opportunities teaching and sales, and also worldwide contacts.

Current Work Available from:
Old Leigh Studios, 61 High St, Leigh on Sea, Essex.
Round House Gallery, Foston, Derbyshire.
Brook Street Pottery, Hay on Wye, Heref.
Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery Shop
Purple Gallery, Bourneville, Birmingham.
Dolphin Gallery, Lower Upnor, Kent
Sunflower Framing, Beaconsfield, Bucks
Cooper’s Gallery, Mistley Quay, Mistley, Manningtree, Essex.
Hathersage Craft Shop and Gallery, Derbyshire.
Toe In The Water Gallery, Fowey, Cornwall.
Westerham Green Furniture, Kent.
Art Café, Colchester, Essex
Galerij pi kwadraat, Dorpstraat 75, 9420 Erpe, Belgium (very near Brussels) ph 0032 053801412
Dartington Cider Press Centre, Devon
Catto Gallery,100 Heath St, London NW3 1DP 02074356660
Courtauld Gallery Shop, Somerset House, London
Number Four Gallery, St Abbs, Near Eyemouth, Berwickshire,TD14 5QF. 01890 771111
New Design Work 2008
1. Richard has also just started making thrown porcelain finials for very smart curtain pole ends for The Bradley Collection who sell through John Lewis as well as many other outlets here and in the United States.

2. Stella McCartney Limited in Paris - I have produced a commission for Stella McCartney Limited to make some large scale porcelain pieces for her new flagship store in Paris. These are being used for displaying shoes, bags etc. in! Opened in December 2008. See details and images on News Page

3. I have just made 3 coiled vases which will appear on the Christmas Day episode of Eastenders. They had to look as though they could have been made by an elderly man who had had a stroke (so nothing like my normal work!) What a joy it is to have a website that attracts interesting challenges.

Technical Information

I fire in an electric kiln to around 1220 Celcius, and use a variety of glazes I have developed and tested for their beautiful and interesting effects and colours. I have bright turquoises, white with bright blue halos, strange mauvy-pinks etc.

History

Graduated from Loughborough College of Art & Design with First Honours in Ceramics in 1981. Awarded Crafts Council Setting-Up Grant. I have been a professional potter ever since, selling widely in UK and abroad via my website www.richardbaxter.com . I regularly get invited to go out to teach in schools, colleges and for community groups (eg mental health centre, hospice).

I have been a Professional Member of the Craft Potters Association since 1990, and a Selected Member of the East Anglian Potters Association since 1987 .

Also represented on Crafts Council index and AXIS database.

2002 Awards For All Lottery Grant. Involved in successful application for Leigh Art Trail book project.

Employment:

1981 - present, Potter Self Employed
2006 - Artist in Residence for short projects Barons Court Infant Sch, Westcliff, Essex.
2004 - present, Artist in Residence for short projects Cornelius Vermuyden Sch, Canvey Island.
1981 - 1993, Part- time Lecturer in Ceramics School of Art and Design, Southend and History of Art.
1981 - 1987, Part-time Lecturer in Ceramics South East Essex VI Form College.

Exhibition History

2006 Victoria and Albert Museum, AV guide to Leonardo da Vinci exhibition ceramic percussion instruments
2006 Art in Clay, Farnham
2006 Baker’s Dozen at Roundhouse Gallery, Foston, Derbyshire.
2006 Pi Quadraat Gallerie, Erpe, Belgium.
2006 Art In Action, Waterperry, Oxford.
2006 Ceramics South-East Potters Fair, The Friars, Aylesford, Kent
2006 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2006 Anglian Potters at Blackthorpe Barn, Suffolk.
2005 Bank Of England, London. Guest artist of B of E Art & Photographic Soc.
2005 Great House Gallery, Midgley, Halifax, Yorks.
2005 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2005 Ceramics South-East Potters Fair, The Friars, Aylesford, Kent
2005 Art in Clay, Hatfield House.
2005 East Anglian Potters, All Saints, Jesus Lane, Cambridge. June and Dec.
2004 Sopot, Poland. First Sopot Art Avenue (based on Leigh Art Trail which I started).
2004East Anglian Potters, All Saints, Jesus Lane, Cambridge. Dec.
2004 Art in Clay, Hatfield House with East Anglian Potters.
2004 The Long Curve Gallery, Chipping Campden
2004 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2004 Sculpture Street, Leigh on Sea, garden installation ‘Point’ (2000 visitors in 2 days).
2003 Making It East, FirstSite, Colchester. Part of Crafts Council touring show celebrating 25 years of Setting Up Awards.
2003 OM Gallery, New Orleans, USA
2003 Beatrice Royal Gallery, Petersfield Hants
2003 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2003 Atelier Gallery, Leigh on Sea, Essex.
2002 Artclimbers Gallery, Manningtree, Essex
2002 Gildenborough Gallery, Peterborough
2002 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2001 Over The Moon Gallery, St Agnes, Cornwall
2001 Collections of Harpenden, Herts
2001 Southend Arts Festival
2001 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2000 Blackthorn Galleries, Birkenhead, Merseyside
2000 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
2000 Inspired and Fired CPA Millennium Exhibition, Metropole Arts Centre, Folkestone, Kent
1999 Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen.
1999 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
1999 Cusp Gallery, Burghley House, Stamford, Lincs
1998 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
1997 Leigh Art Trail contemporary art open studios event
1996 Terracotta, The Collection Gallery, Ledbury, Herefordshire.
1995 Andrew Lamont Gallery, London
1995 Contemporary Ceramics, London.In The Window.

Auctions:

Bonhams Contemporary Ceramics and Design 1999
Phillips 1989
2004 Art Auction East at Bury St Edmunds Gallery
2005 Art Auction East at Bury St Edmunds Gallery
2006 Sothebys auction at Flowers East Gallery, London. Fund raising for Ocean by Merce Cunningham dance production at The Roundhouse also featured works by Glynis Barton, Anthony Gormley.

Commissions

Small to large private commissions are constantly being fulfilled as variants on items in regular production.
Victoria & Albert Museum 2006 Leonardo da Vinci audio visual guide film clip- percussion instruments.
Presentation tea tankard for Tony Benn 2005 Chernobyl Children’s Project.
West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, Suffolk. Reproduction pottery.
Liverpool Victoria Assurance Co. Pot for illustrating brochure.
Westcliff Land Cultivation Society. Prize awards.
Southend Museums Service. Replica Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Roman and Iron Age pottery for exhibitions.
Manoly’s Thai Restaurant, Leigh on Sea- lighting features.
Wookey Hole Inn, Avon- lighting features.
St Barnabus Church, Hadleigh, Essex- unusual pantile replacements.
Private house, Hadleigh, Essex- 3 chimneys 1.5m high.
Kevin Mayhew Church Requisites, Suffolk- font bowls 50cm diameter
Romford YMCA, Essex- commemorative mugs
Middlesborough YMCA- commemorative mugs
Greenbelt Arts Festival- commemorative mugs
Brentwood Council, Essex- facimile Victorian glazed tiles for renovation of Hutton Poplars, Shenfield.
Museum of Mankind (British Museum)- Easter Island Heads for museum shop.

Publications

The Ceramics Book 2006 Ceramic Review Books ISBN 0-9523576-7-4
Sopot Ulica Sztuki 2004 ISBN 83-919287-5-6
500 Bowls. Lark Books 2003 ISBN 1-57990-362-2
The Glaze Book. Stephen Murfitt. Krauze 2002 ISBN 0-87349-276-5
Potters Directory of Shape and Form.
From Mud To Music contributor to book including a pottery trumpet. 2006
Potters 12th Edition 2000 Ceramic Review Publishing Ltd
Potters 11th Edition 1997 Ceramic Review Publishing Ltd
Potters 10th Edition 1994 Ceramic Review Publishing Ltd
Potters 9th Edition 1992 Ceramic Review Publishing Ltd
Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery promotional brochure Sept-Dec 2005
Ceramic Musical Instruments:degree thesis 1981.
Daily Mail Sat March 25 2006 gardening page.
Grand Designs Magazine Sept 2006 ISSN 1742-0695
Ceramic Review 217 Jan Feb 2006 ‘Gallery’ ISSN 0144-1825
BBC Good Homes magazine, June 2005 photo p.133
Ceramic Review ‘tips’ 2005 and various older issues
Time Out. June 2004 work and studio pictured.
London Evening Standard. June 2004 Photo and article promoting Leigh Art Trail.
House and Garden magazine Apr 1996 no537 ISSN 0018-6406

Community Art Project

St Bernard’s High School and Arts College 2006 4 day workshops
Leicester Adult Education College staff training day July 20062811
Cornelius Vermuyden High School, Canvey Island regular 6 week projects with Gifted and Talented groups 2004-06
Chiltern & Dacorum Potters Guild. Slide show / demonstration Dec 2005
Baron’s Court Infant School and Nursery, Westcliff on Sea, Essex visiting artist workshops with children 2005-6
Rise / Rethink mental health centre, Rochford Essex a series of 1 day projects with members.
Northwick Prk Junior School, Canvey Island. Short project.2004
Southend Youth PHAB Club for physically handicapped and able bodied children workshops.
Demonstrations for visiting school parties every year at my studio e.g. West Leigh School year 4 class”one of the highlights of my teaching career” Mr G. Lazell. June 2005
Demonstration for children visiting from Chernobyl with cancer.
Shoeburyness High School student project: ceramic mural and pond surround.
Southend Prittlewell Priory Museum: Prehistoric Technology Exhibition demonstrations.
Leigh Art Trail: joint founder (1997) and currently a Director
Demonstration /talk for East Anglian Potters 1995

TV

Coastal Ways -Meridian TV 28th Aug 2003 80 pots shown
The Politics Show -BBC1 5th March 2004 28 pots shown
Houses Behaving Badly-BBC1 May 17th 2004, 18th June 2004, 3rd Aug 2004 70 pots shown
Take A Leaf –Anglia TV 20th May 2002 91 pot shown