Herefordshire Art Week: h.Art

by Sarah Monk | Aug 28, 2025 | Exhibitions, News, Pottery Studio Life

Eastnor Pottery Open Studios

It’s not to go until artists and makers all over the county open their doors for Herefordshire Art Week 2025. This marvellous Open Studios event takes place 6 – 14 September and involves 428 artists exhibiting in 138 venues and Eastnor Pottery is proud to be taking part once more!

What will I be exhibiting?

I’m making lots of slipware pieces inspired by nature, ceramic history and the softness of clay.

Wheel thrown cups, plates and bowls. Large flower bricks, aswell as some miniature ones too! They are constructed from soft slabs of terracotta clay.

Slips and colourful underglazes are brushed and splattered on my surfaces, building layers of decoration and colour. Sgraffito flowers are freely etched into the clay, making pieces pleasingly tactile.

In a nutshell – I make little pieces of art for the home, to use and cherish.

Who else will be exhibiting?

Jon Williams (aka my husband and fellow potter) will also be showing his interactive and decorative one offs constructed entirely from sections made on the potter’s wheel. Some pieces are intended to live outside, others are designed to be handled, shaken, tapped or submersed in water.

If there was a common thread through both of our work it would be the notion of playfulness, both in creation and fired outcome.

Inside the studio at Eastnor Pottery. To the front of the photo there are some freshly thrown cups and saucers made by Sarah Monk.

Large fresh pink peonies diplayed in an oval flower brick made by Sarah Monk. The flower brick is cream with bold painted blue flowers.

h.Art Opening times at Eastnor Pottery

We’re open 11am – 5pm throughout – come join us for a complementary cuppa and peruse our pots.

Introduction to the Potter’s Wheel Classes

Each morning at 11am, we’ll be running one of our very popular and entertaining Introduction to the Potter’s Wheel Classes. If you are interested in booking please tap the link!

We look forward to seeing you!

Sarah x

Shelves at Eastnor Pottery filled with the work of Sarah Monk Ceramics. A pottery mug hangs on a hook in the forefront, it's teal with drawn flower motifs, green handle and cream and brown inside. Set behind the mug there's an oval flower brick thats cream with flowers etched on the outside. It contains a display of small fresh flowers. There's a shelf above which contains from left to right, a large teal plant pot with big brown dots, a small green cereal bowl with small brown dots, next to this there's 2 cereal bowls; 1 yellow with etched flowers and the other white with etched flowers. on the edge of the picture there's a corner of a teal flower brick withy etched flowers.

A distant view of Eastnor Pottery as seen from Eastnor Triangle, in the centre of the village.

Craft Festival Cheltenham March 2025

by Sarah Monk | Mar 14, 2025 | Exhibitions, News

A busy start to 2025!

I got straight back to the studio in January, getting new designs underway for Craft Festival Cheltenham! I’ve been making some cups & saucers, juicers, jugs and of course, some of her very popular flower bricks!

I’m paricularly excited about a new idea I’m going to trial too…. which are kind of flower frog teapots. So I’m interested to trial the response!

Who will be at Craft festival Cheltenham?

100 professional crafts exhibitors selected for quality by Craft Festival. See exhibitors here!

Plus an interesting lineup of speakers:

Kate Humble – Broadcaster and writer
Sarah Bayliss – Registered nutritionist
Katy Bevan – Publisher and editor

These will be engaging discussions that will inspire, inform and celebrate the intersection of creativity and well-being.

Flower frog teapot by Sarah Monk in yellow with sgraffito flower design and polka dot handle, spout and lid.

Clay fower frog teapot in the wet cly making stage. It has a lid with holes pierced in to hold flowers. The teapot is on the worktable in Eastnor Pottery, the studio of Sarah Monk Ceramics

Tickets

Craft Festival takes place at Cheltenham Town Hall from Friday 21st March – Sunday 23rd March 2025 and advance tickets can be purchased online for £7 or on the door for £9. Children go free plus there are also some free family activities too!

Opening Times:

Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 10am-4pm

This is the third time Sarah I’ve exhibited at this fabulous event and I hope you can join in the fun!

Come and say ‘hello’, I’m in the main hall, stand no. 73.

Yellow sgraffito pottery on the display shelves at Eastnor Pottery made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Sarah Monk holding a board of freshly thrown terracotta pouring bowls.

Trio of hand thrown pottery coffee cups, teal with brown dots, yellow with sgraffito flowers and white with blue dots made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Flower Frogs… this Season’s must have!

by Sarah Monk | Feb 6, 2025 | inspiration, News, Uncategorized

Shown by Kelly Hoppen on breakfast TV in February 2024 and declared this season’s must have, my little flower bricks are still proving popular in 2025! Thanks to one of my lovely customers, Jackie for alerting me to this wonderful news. I was able to watch on catch-up! It was most bazaar to see my little flower frog sat alone , on that enormous table with Dermot and Alison.

Anyway, I shall be making some more flower frogs and bringing them to Craft Festival Cheltenham 2025.

March 23rd – 25th at Cheltenham Town Hall.

Hope to See you there!

Sarah x

Teal round flower frog with sgraffito meadow flowers with four round feet displayed with fresh daffodils and yellow primroses made by sarah Monk Ceramics

Ceramic flower frog i yellow with etched sgraffito flowers and four round feet. Displayed with fresh daffodils and primrose. Made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Flower fog by Sarah Monk Ceramics in white with blue and sgraffito flowers, displayed with fresh michaelmas daisies.

Guest Speaker at Preparing to Sell, Hereford.

by Sarah Monk | Feb 6, 2025 | News

I’ve been invited to Hereford College of Arts, on Thursday 20th February for Preparing to Sell.

This will be a lively and informative day, led by Sarah James MBE, Director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker. It will give makers at all stages of their career, the best possible advice for selling directly to the public.

Suitable for makers at all stages of their career Preparing to Sell is also a great opportunity to network and is also suitable for students who want to get ahead.

Sarah James MBE will be joined by marketing consultant, Susan James, social media specialist, Lou Chudney from Spark_Social and of course, myself!

brown planter and tray with sgraffito daisies made by sarah monk ceramics, corner view

What the day includes:

· How to Apply for Craft Fairs, ideas on stand presentation, sales techniques and tips and the importance of good photography

· How to start your business and how to diversify your practise.

· How to plan and deliver a marketing plan

· Why sell directly to the public? How to Make Your Show a Success

· What are the Do’s and Don’ts when taking part in big events

Price includes tea, coffee, biscuits. Please bring your lunch of choice or alternatively, Hereford College has an on-site café.

The whole day costs just £49. (Hereford College of Arts Students, £29

Venue: Hereford College of Arts
Date: Thursday February 20th 2025
Time: 9.30am till 3pm

Book Preparing to Sell here!

Article for Ceramic Review Jan/Feb 2025

by Sarah Monk | Jan 1, 2025 | News

I have some wonderful news for all pottery enthusiasts! I have written an article for the prestigious bi-monthly magazine, Ceramic Review.

‘Potter’s Secrets’ is a regular feature designed to shed light on selected artist’s making processes. I’m always open to sharing my pottery techniques, so this came easily. We’re all about de-mystifying all things pottery during our classes here at Eastnor Pottery. Me and Jon Williams have been sharing our pottery secrets with our visitors for the past 30 years!

work in progress studio shot of slipware bt Sarah Monk Ceramics

A hand made ceramic flower brick in sun yellow decorated with brown sgraffito flowers flowers. Made by Sarah Monk Ceramics displayed holding fresh white daisies, white chrysanthemum and pink cyclamen.

terracotta clay pots waiting to be decorated with slip in the studio of sarah monk ceramics

I decided to share with the readers, how I make one of my favourite objects, a yellow flower brick. I make these using a method called ‘soft slabbing’, using terracotta clay. The article goes into great detail about my slip decoration, sgraffito and glazing techniques.

The January/February 2025 edition, issue number 331 can be purchased via the Ceramic Review website.

Sarah x