Happy new year!

I love days out with friends that I’ve known a long time, especially when it involves looking at art. We both had a great time feasting our eyes on Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s dazzling and vibrant art at Compton Verney.

*reposting with correct info about which shelf my pots are on! * 😅 Chuffed to see my first pots (bottom right) are on the shelves, ready for Open Studios at The Ceramics Studio on Sat 7th! Come along, if you’re near Stratford. There’s two floors of Ceramics to buy. Throwing demos also taking place.

A lovely day yesterday. My first ever mugs left the kiln. 😊 Later, I was at @flashficfestuk.bsky.social where @kathyfish.bsky.social talked about editing for a comp if there’s only one hour left to submit. Brilliant advice! Next Flash Fest is 11 Jan, inc a @sfreligh.bsky.social ws. Can’t wait!

If you’re interested in my visual creativity, here’s my latest #markmaking over on Instagram - part of my 30 day personal challenge to do something that brings me joy. Yesterday, it was a subversive use of a erasure/rubber with Ecoline ink and on Khadi paper.

I had a delicious chocolate and rhubarb cake in The Straw Barn at Whichford Pottery the other day. What a cosy, delightful place it is and I was in heaven drooling over the pottery in the shop. #potterygeek

Tomorrow I’m on my penultimate week of my 10 week ceramic course. I’m glazing for the first time this week. These are the first mugs I’ve made, seen here at the bisque fired stage. They are being dunked tomorrow. The bowls are WIP.

I’m playing around on Instagram with non-tool tools for the joy of it. I’m on Day 16 of 30. Fancy joining in? Today, I used a piece of privet and some ink. #markmaking

The last two images I created for the @natflashfictionday.bsky.social anthology. I’m about to start on this year’s - it will be my sixth one. My first flash was published with NFFD, so it’s always a real joy to create something every year.

Loving connecting with writers on here. FYI, if you’re interested in my art, I’m also over on Instagram @sheppardjeanette. At the moment, I’m playing around with non-tool tools to explore mark-making. No plan, just experimenting for a few mins each day. This was created with a rubber band!

Off to pottery school again today, to learn about the practical/tech side of firing pots. A full day. My brain may be a little addled this evening. Some more of my pots. *The painted tile at the back isn’t mine.

Going to my pottery class today. I started in May, just for the joy of it.

I created these postcards for the lovely @jankaneen1.bsky.social a few weeks ago for her dazzling novella-in-flash. If you like what you see you might be interested in taking a look at my new website launching soon. Original art, giclee prints, and art cards will be in my shop.

@jeanettesheppard.bsky.social This photo doesn’t capture the stunning colours I saw, but look at the amount of light emanating from the Super Blue Moon last night. I stood there for ages soaking in the beauty of it all.