Nicola Seal
@nicolaseal.bsky.social
Prehistoric nerd, experimental archaeology/pissing about with flint, Scottish 🏴 potter and sculptor, former ecologist, lefty, ally 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️, ADHD, Ehlers-Danlos, mum, wife, bit of a hippy twat.
Mesolithic workshop went brilliantly well! Flint knapper and paleo expert, Dr Will Mills came along and knapped for us, these blades are ones he made. I got a ‘@prof_alice_roberts tan’ ie sunburn due to wearing vest top and being too obsessed with archaeology to clock the sun 😂
June 28, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Mesolithic workshop went brilliantly well! Flint knapper and paleo expert, Dr Will Mills came along and knapped for us, these blades are ones he made. I got a ‘@prof_alice_roberts tan’ ie sunburn due to wearing vest top and being too obsessed with archaeology to clock the sun 😂
Especially pleased with my serrated flakes, they are excellent for sawing wood with and great for making nocks in arrows. Flint knapping
June 27, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Especially pleased with my serrated flakes, they are excellent for sawing wood with and great for making nocks in arrows. Flint knapping
My fourth Mesolithic arrow done! Improved my fletching. I’ve written a whole set of instructions for these for a workshop I’m running tomorrow. I am not at all an expert but it’s free and I think folk will have fun. Being hands on and learning what flint can do is informative. @archaeology
June 27, 2025 at 10:15 AM
My fourth Mesolithic arrow done! Improved my fletching. I’ve written a whole set of instructions for these for a workshop I’m running tomorrow. I am not at all an expert but it’s free and I think folk will have fun. Being hands on and learning what flint can do is informative. @archaeology
Just back from Potfest Scotland. Had the BEST time, sold tons of pots, met fantastic people, loved every exhausting minute. Met a tall, gentle greyhound who stole my heart. Thank you, Scottish potters association volunteers for giving me toilet breaks!
June 9, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Just back from Potfest Scotland. Had the BEST time, sold tons of pots, met fantastic people, loved every exhausting minute. Met a tall, gentle greyhound who stole my heart. Thank you, Scottish potters association volunteers for giving me toilet breaks!
It’s my tribute to the legend @keithbrymerjones.bsky.social I bloody love Keith and his emotional reactions to contestants pots on @potterythrow . So I made him into a Seal, of course! He’s giving the ‘Seal of Approval’ - by crying, and saying his standard, choked up, “Absolutely brilliant, mate”
June 4, 2025 at 8:18 PM
It’s my tribute to the legend @keithbrymerjones.bsky.social I bloody love Keith and his emotional reactions to contestants pots on @potterythrow . So I made him into a Seal, of course! He’s giving the ‘Seal of Approval’ - by crying, and saying his standard, choked up, “Absolutely brilliant, mate”
@potfest.co.uk Scotland is coming up very soon! This coming Friday to Sunday, at Scone palace. Around 100 potters with their work, demos and Raku firing, peacocks and food. It’s a great day out and includes entry to the gardens. I’ll be there and I have a fun competition piece this year!
June 1, 2025 at 10:37 AM
@potfest.co.uk Scotland is coming up very soon! This coming Friday to Sunday, at Scone palace. Around 100 potters with their work, demos and Raku firing, peacocks and food. It’s a great day out and includes entry to the gardens. I’ll be there and I have a fun competition piece this year!
Reposted by Nicola Seal
This was today… Sotally tober… NYT clearly way off base…
May 30, 2025 at 8:19 PM
This was today… Sotally tober… NYT clearly way off base…
In a weeks time, I’ll be sat around a campfire with a load of potters, at Scotland’s biggest pottery show, potfest Scotland at Scone palace. I’m so looking forward to it. Been working like a demon to have a new stand design and lots of pots for folk to take home. #potfest
May 31, 2025 at 9:29 PM
In a weeks time, I’ll be sat around a campfire with a load of potters, at Scotland’s biggest pottery show, potfest Scotland at Scone palace. I’m so looking forward to it. Been working like a demon to have a new stand design and lots of pots for folk to take home. #potfest
Made myself a ranging pole that doubles as a walking stick, quicksand survival stick, sledge propelling stick/paddle, and reaching for stuff stick. I have plans, which may, or may not, involve quicksand. I’m basically living in an 80’s B movie at this point.
May 21, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Made myself a ranging pole that doubles as a walking stick, quicksand survival stick, sledge propelling stick/paddle, and reaching for stuff stick. I have plans, which may, or may not, involve quicksand. I’m basically living in an 80’s B movie at this point.
Installing my tribute to my dad in Aberdeen art gallery. My dad died not long ago. The sculpture is called sleepy Mike. Mike is meant to be nocturnal but falls asleep whenever the lights are dimmed. He once fell asleep at a Diana Ross concert. Mike is going in a gallery with dimmed lighting.
May 16, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Installing my tribute to my dad in Aberdeen art gallery. My dad died not long ago. The sculpture is called sleepy Mike. Mike is meant to be nocturnal but falls asleep whenever the lights are dimmed. He once fell asleep at a Diana Ross concert. Mike is going in a gallery with dimmed lighting.
Putting together a mobile kit for handling and education- schools and events. Mesolithic mostly but other prehistory. I made all this apart from the hammer stone which is genuine. The flints are stuck on with blu tac so you can pick them up. The painting is my interpretation of milltimber.
May 15, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Putting together a mobile kit for handling and education- schools and events. Mesolithic mostly but other prehistory. I made all this apart from the hammer stone which is genuine. The flints are stuck on with blu tac so you can pick them up. The painting is my interpretation of milltimber.
A motley selection of flint tools I knapped today. Realised a folded chamois leather helps my rubber Ehlers Danlos fingers to grip the flint. They’re going to be part of a handling collection for my community archaeology group.
May 14, 2025 at 9:28 PM
A motley selection of flint tools I knapped today. Realised a folded chamois leather helps my rubber Ehlers Danlos fingers to grip the flint. They’re going to be part of a handling collection for my community archaeology group.
Wore my Star Carr pendant for a swim in the River Dee. The Dee was a real centre of Mesolithic activity. It looks better than when I made it! Very comfortable to wear. I etched the lines with slate. My opinion is they don’t represent anything in particular, it’s just a cool pattern.
May 12, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Wore my Star Carr pendant for a swim in the River Dee. The Dee was a real centre of Mesolithic activity. It looks better than when I made it! Very comfortable to wear. I etched the lines with slate. My opinion is they don’t represent anything in particular, it’s just a cool pattern.
Third arrow done! I’m running a Mesolithic makes workshop in June so I thought I’d document the arrow making so I can make an instruction sheet. Taking photos while making is not easy! projectile point not very Mesolithic but I’m very much a beginner knapper. Mesolithic blu tac to help fletch.
May 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Third arrow done! I’m running a Mesolithic makes workshop in June so I thought I’d document the arrow making so I can make an instruction sheet. Taking photos while making is not easy! projectile point not very Mesolithic but I’m very much a beginner knapper. Mesolithic blu tac to help fletch.
Saturday evening star carr pendant. Watching telly with husband. He says to me, “you’re not like the other kids, are you?”.
No, I am not. 😂
No, I am not. 😂
May 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Saturday evening star carr pendant. Watching telly with husband. He says to me, “you’re not like the other kids, are you?”.
No, I am not. 😂
No, I am not. 😂
Finished the modern end of my prehistoric timeline. Chuffed with my reindeer!
May 10, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Finished the modern end of my prehistoric timeline. Chuffed with my reindeer!
Spent the day making this. A timeline of Homo sapiens. For my Scottish Mesolithic archaeology group for public outreach and schools. Basically saying look how long we have been hunter gatherers using stone tools.
May 9, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Spent the day making this. A timeline of Homo sapiens. For my Scottish Mesolithic archaeology group for public outreach and schools. Basically saying look how long we have been hunter gatherers using stone tools.
So, a few episodes into rewatching The Handmaids tale. So many parallels with the dystopian nightmare in the US.
1)Government becomes filled with religious fundamentalists who use the threat of a fictitious ‘enemy’ to gain support.
HT- enemy is ‘terrorists’ T- enemy is ‘immigrants’
1)Government becomes filled with religious fundamentalists who use the threat of a fictitious ‘enemy’ to gain support.
HT- enemy is ‘terrorists’ T- enemy is ‘immigrants’
May 7, 2025 at 9:39 PM
So, a few episodes into rewatching The Handmaids tale. So many parallels with the dystopian nightmare in the US.
1)Government becomes filled with religious fundamentalists who use the threat of a fictitious ‘enemy’ to gain support.
HT- enemy is ‘terrorists’ T- enemy is ‘immigrants’
1)Government becomes filled with religious fundamentalists who use the threat of a fictitious ‘enemy’ to gain support.
HT- enemy is ‘terrorists’ T- enemy is ‘immigrants’
Happy 3rd wedding anniversary to my lovely husband, John Hunter. I loved our small, low budget, low key wedding. Miss my dad but glad he could be there to ‘give me away’ even though we all know it’s nonsense. Our humanist celebrant was ace. Photographer was Calum Riddell.
April 30, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Happy 3rd wedding anniversary to my lovely husband, John Hunter. I loved our small, low budget, low key wedding. Miss my dad but glad he could be there to ‘give me away’ even though we all know it’s nonsense. Our humanist celebrant was ace. Photographer was Calum Riddell.
Coming to @clay_north.east this weekend. I’ve got three of these hanging planters, some Bud vases, and a few absolute niche nerd - diatom vases! (Geologist/ecologist/biologist/geek!). Plus fossil/seashell vases and doggy paw print one. And going in the kiln today, a diatom windowsill planter.
April 25, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Coming to @clay_north.east this weekend. I’ve got three of these hanging planters, some Bud vases, and a few absolute niche nerd - diatom vases! (Geologist/ecologist/biologist/geek!). Plus fossil/seashell vases and doggy paw print one. And going in the kiln today, a diatom windowsill planter.
Made myself a button to wear at my fair this weekend. I want to be a visible ally. Must be a scary time to be trans, non binary or anything other than cis. Sending you all love. Apart from the bigoted twats. They can fuck off.
April 24, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Made myself a button to wear at my fair this weekend. I want to be a visible ally. Must be a scary time to be trans, non binary or anything other than cis. Sending you all love. Apart from the bigoted twats. They can fuck off.
Some smoke fired seals to brighten your day! These are coming with me, along with lots of other things to @clay_north.east this weekend, sat and sun, 10.30-5, the Barn, Banchory. Free entry. Loads of workshops, demos, ceramicists and even a tombola and competition in aid of the Archie foundation.
April 24, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Some smoke fired seals to brighten your day! These are coming with me, along with lots of other things to @clay_north.east this weekend, sat and sun, 10.30-5, the Barn, Banchory. Free entry. Loads of workshops, demos, ceramicists and even a tombola and competition in aid of the Archie foundation.
This weekend! The only ceramics festival in the NE of Scotland. Workshops, demos, over 40 Scottish Ceramics makers, tombola, competition in aid of the Archie Foundation. Bistro on site. Free entry, 10.30-5, Sat 26th and Sun 27th April.
April 23, 2025 at 8:46 AM
This weekend! The only ceramics festival in the NE of Scotland. Workshops, demos, over 40 Scottish Ceramics makers, tombola, competition in aid of the Archie Foundation. Bistro on site. Free entry, 10.30-5, Sat 26th and Sun 27th April.
This foil has made me feel extremely stabby, @aldiuk . I hear that ‘foil-induced rage’ is not a defence admissible in court. Perhaps on the box, @aldiuk could have a wee warning- not to be used by perilously hormonal women who have JUST ABOUT HAD ENOUGH OF EVERYONES SHIT TODAY.
April 22, 2025 at 8:55 PM
This foil has made me feel extremely stabby, @aldiuk . I hear that ‘foil-induced rage’ is not a defence admissible in court. Perhaps on the box, @aldiuk could have a wee warning- not to be used by perilously hormonal women who have JUST ABOUT HAD ENOUGH OF EVERYONES SHIT TODAY.
Duck jerky I cold smoked for 2 days in an experiment to see if Mesolithic pits could smoke food and skins. It produced absolutely delicious jerky that seems safe to eat and has lasted weeks. Video editing in progress.
April 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Duck jerky I cold smoked for 2 days in an experiment to see if Mesolithic pits could smoke food and skins. It produced absolutely delicious jerky that seems safe to eat and has lasted weeks. Video editing in progress.