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'It’s 45
years since Lizzie and I started our family pottery
here at Muchelney. Our success and happiness owe an enormous
debt to Nick Rees, who has worked alongside me for 38 years;
to Mark Melbourne who trained here and returned eight years
ago as a full-time Master Potter;
to the inspirational Somerset Levels, and, of
course, to you, our friends and customers.
This
exhibition is an acknowledgement of the journey we potters
have travelled together - with a selection of our recent
signed work complemented by a wonderful new collection of
insightful sketches by Greg Poole portraying life at the Pottery
and on the Somerset Levels (you may remember his exhibition
here two years ago).'
- John Leach, July
2010
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Born in Bristol near the Avon Gorge, Greg took a keen
interest in birds from an early age. It was the easiest form
of wildlife to watch. At 25, the frustration of passively
witnessing wildlife spectacles caused him to look for a
means of actively exploring what he was experiencing.
Drawing, painting and printmaking became familiar toolkits
helping him clarify what he saw and communicate this to
other people.
‘In the field my main way of working is memory drawing -
watching until there is a key posture, or a tipping point in
how much the memory can contain,’ he explains. ‘Then I try
to distil what I have been seeing, using the pent-up
excitement from watching to make drawings.’ In his studio,
with experiences more completely digested, Greg uses
printmaking techniques to explore a theme.
When the possibility was mooted of sketching ‘The Potters of
Muchelney’ at work, he was immediately enthusiastic.
‘Visiting Muchelney means crossing the Somerset Levels and
some of the best wildlife watching opportunities in the
country. Wild creatures moving in big spaces. Then quietly
watching and sketching the potters’ careful handling of clay
and its interactions with water, air & fire.’
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