Teaching has been Rosie's
life.
Having completed 3 years
of teachers' training studies at Wall Hall College, gaining a
distinction in her main subject, Art, Rosie
then taught at a large comprehensive school in Camberley, Surrey
covering GCSE and A Levels as well as adult education.
Moving to Luxembourg some
41 years ago with a young family, she started a private studio
teaching multinational and multilingual students with a diverse
range of abilities and artistic backgrounds; from
Japanese to Icelandics, Hungarians to Australians - even
Argentineans - and everyone else in between.
She mounted students’
exhibitions at a variety of venues around the Grand Duchy to promote and
motivate a higher level of achievement. Rosie and her students also visited local
exhibitions in neighbouring countries and in the United Kingdom to see a wide selection of
European potters’ work and ideas.
She was awarded an MBE in the
1996 New Year's Honours for services to the British Community in
Luxembourg,
On returning, she has
found that, sadly, nearly all adult education classes have now
vanished – certainly all ceramics classes - even in schools. As a
result there is a severe lack of 'clay experience' around.
She has had renovated a
lovely south-facing studio out of an old greenhouse with a superb
view of Devon’s rolling hills, which is now a fantastic place for
students to work and marvellous for her in which to teach. Rosie
operates like a school ceramics department working the academic year
with
10 or 11 weeks a term and breaking for half term and school holidays. The
children and adults range in age from 6 to whatever and Rosie covers
all aspects of clay work, including the wheel, using stoneware and
earthenware glazes. Rosie has a wide range of glazes, which she gets
from Bath Potters Supplies and Botz in Germany. She prefers to charge an
all-in price that covers clay, all tools, moulds, glazes, oxides and
firings. That way, students get to use a large variety and choice of
materials and glazes, which they might not otherwise be able to
afford. All Rosie asks them to bring is an apron or an old shirt.
Classes are limited to 10 students, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, both mornings and evenings.
The friendly ambiance
within the studio, working to music and a coffee, enables everyone to
relax and produce of their best. No two people are doing the same
pieces as they follow their own programme, at their own level, with
some guidance and stimulation from a project sheet - or their
own ideas of course.
If you would like to pop
in for a chat, a guided tour and a cup of tea or coffee when you are
near Tiverton, please don't hesitate to call in!
