Ceramic spoons inspired by David Mellor Cutlery
As a Sheffield based maker I often like to look at the work of other local designers, as living in a city where many other independent artists are based offers a constant source of inspiration.
Being involved in the Art in the Home Exhibition this coming November is giving me the opportunity to display a piece of my work at the David Mellor store in Hathersage alongside other artists work and stand out pieces of furniture curated by Studio 2021.
For those of you that might not know much about David Mellor, it’s a company that was set up by it’s name sake who was a Royal Designer for Industry. Born in Sheffield he originally trained in metalwork and became famous for his cutlery designs - many of which are still in production today in the working factory at the Hathersage location. I remember my parents cutlery setting being the Pride range by David Mellor as a young child - as it always came out for special occasions.
It’s a great place to head when family come to visit - mostly for the exquisite range of homeware they stock along with the great coffee and cake at their café!
So inspired by their homeware and the spoons on display at David Mellor in particular I began playing around with different ideas and ceramic spoon designs which could be used in conjunction with bowls, plates and platters I’m currently developing. Either as part of a set for spooning dips and sauces with - or even as stand alone decorative ceramic items.
I’ve experimented with carving to create almost a metal like texture on some of the smaller spoons and I’m particularly pleased the more minimal measuring type spoon in the picture above which tapers off towards the end.
I’m also toying with the idea of introducing a ceramic spoon making class or workshop in the pottery studio here in Sheffield. I think it’s a nice idea to create a set of ceramic spoons and maybe even ladles which could form the centre piece of an informal dining setting - or even salad servers with a beautifully glazed bowl to match.
If you’re based in or around Sheffield and have ever thought about doing a pottery class or workshop then why not get in touch to find out more? As well as the pottery handbuilding classes currently available to book I’m also busy planning new and interesting pottery classes for 2020 and would be really interested to hear if there is something different or unique you’d like the chance to make.
In the meantime I’m currently underway with some new pieces for the online shop and experimenting with new pigments and glazes which I can’t wait to share.
