Sue Blair

Sue Blair

INTANGABLE HERITAGE,PEOPLE

Sue Blair is a ceramics maker, creating pottery on the Isle of Lewis.

Born in the 1950s

English

Artisan

125

current,58.41725143548483,-6.435543283322318;

United Kingdom

Sue Blair

https://www.borghpottery.co.uk/index.php/

TEXT

Sue first arrived on the Hebridean islands in 1973 and founded the pottery in Lewis a year later with her partner and husband, Alex, who worked alongside Sue until his death in 2013. She holds a degree in Ceramics from Aberdeen’s Gray’s School of Art. Sue says: "Borgh Pottery as it is now, evolved through and from our partnership."

AAS_PR_01

1068

facebook,https://www.facebook.com/BorghPottery/;

+44 01851 850345

ceramics

Prior tomoving to the Isle of lewis, Sue attended art college and studied Graphic Design. It was through evening classes that she learnt how to throw pots, but never thought she would end up doing it as a career. After running Borgh Pottery for a number of years she returned to study a Ceramics Degree Course at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. She particualry wanted to focus on studying different types of glazes as part of this course. In the 1990s after completing her degree and returning to work full-time at the pottery they mixed all their own glazes.

No. It is something Sue is ware of doing but is keen to do so with people who are serious about pottery as a career, rather than a hobby. Just prior to the interview Sue had received a enquiry about an internship form a student in Germany as part of the ERASMUS programme. She was keen to explore whether this would work and is concious that she does want to share her expereince and knowledge she has acculmulaed over the decades.

Netty Sopata

female

incomer

Extensive. An understanding of the techniques required to shape clay and ability to apply them through thousands of hours of practice. The sequence in which the techniques need to applied and how to mix and apply glazes whilst working to accomplish the highest quality. There is an aesthetic quality to the work Sue creates to meet the demands of the retail market place, but thay are also a functional item used by people to consume food and drink. As such, health and safety considerations have to be taken into account. Sue also has excellent business skills. Her studio and shop continues to run to this day, providing her with an income, despite the number of challenges she has navigated through.

Sue moved to Stornoway in the 1970s. She moved here to be able to be able to work as a potter and afford to live. Along with five others she founded ‘Stornoway Pottery’ in Benside. She had never been to the Isle of Lewis before, but had seen an advert in ‘The Ceramicist’ by the Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB). They were advertising for craftspeople to move to the HIghlands and Islands and set up businesses. Sue and her late husband Alec Balir, then moved to Borve in 1974. By 1978 they had closed down Stornoway Pottery and set up Borve Pottery.

Clay. Predominantly high firing stoneware clay but has also worked in porcelin over the years. The clay comes pre-packed from a supplier in Stoke on Trent – white stoneware clay (AAS_AR_02), the use of this clay and products made from it pays the bills. For one-off pieces, Sue uses different types of clay that are a lot more textured.

full-time paid job

Stoke on Trent, England

Sue has number of ideas about this. At the mommnet she makes one off tiles. This also gives a method of trialing glazes.

Mixing clay by hand and processing it through the 'Pugmill' which forms a long length of clay, sausage like in form. Cutting the clay into sections and 'throwing' them with the potter's wheel. Using wire to 'cut' the partially dried clay from boards. Sue uses a 'pulling the handles' technique to make the handles for mugs (this is expored in more detail in AAS_CP_01). Sue's work is fired twice in a kiln and she has in-depth working knowledge of using both a gas and electric kiln (explored in more detail in AAS_AR_04 and 05). Glazing: The glazes for the pottery Sue makes are made from powdered rock and mixed frm scratch. Sue's work is fired at 'Kiln 9' which is 1260 - 1280 degrees centigrade (known as a yellow heat).

Sue believes her hands are her most valuable tools but also the Potters Wheel (AAS_AR_01), the 'Pug Mill' (AAS_AR_02 and the Kilns (AAS_AR_04)(AAS_AR_05)

Sue's hands do everything: "Well. My hands are my favourite tool …hand thown..hand built… and the potter’s wheel." The kilns also have a meaning attached to them with each one representing the possibilty to apply different glazing techniques.

Gas and electricity

Waste clay is used to create tiles that Sue then uses as test samples to trial glazes on.

Sue's studio / making space and retail space are within one building on the same piece of land as her home. The Pottery is situated just off the main road through the North of Lewis. It is surrounded by a well established garden designed by Sue to create a pleasant environemnt for people when they visit the shop. The Pottery also has sea views.

Lamp bases, plates, mugs, goblets, vases, jugs. A selction of tableware that has been tried and tested on the local and tourist consumer base. This year, mugs have been Sue's most successful item for reatil in her shop. Last year Sue focused on exhbition work as part of a joint show with Fine Artist Dave Greenall. As much as she enjoys pushing her self creatively with this work she acknowledges that it does not pay the bills.

Tableware is for eating and drinking from. Sues exhibiton pieces are for decorative purposes only.

In the Borgh Pottery Shop which forms part of the studio space. This is the only place Borgh Pottery can be bought from.

Sue will work to commission and make full dinner services. She has in the past also made ornamental commssions.

No.

Local members of the community and tourists.

A Borgh Pottery stamp

Yes. Sue has been selling to tourists ever since they started to arrive in the Isle of Lewis. In the 1970s tourism did not exist. Visitors would frequent the island in the summer, but these were people with familial connections, wh came home to vist parents and help o nthe family croft. As the decades passed tourism increased but it was not unitl the 1990s that Sue and her late husband Alec chose to swith from supplying shops on the mainland and sell directly to tourists in Lewis. This tourist trade remained consistent until the covid pandemic, during and after which the 'type' of tourist altered. Tourism has now increased but there is little benefit that Sue sees from the new 'Crusieship Tourism.'

The products Sue designs and makes are honed to the tourist market: " The stuff that pays the bills is domestic stoneware which involves a lot of mugs…people have coffee machines now, so they want expresso cups, latte cups...americano cups, cappuccino cups…all different shapes and sizes of mugs basically. They’ve been a mainstay for the past eight months.....Theres a lot of pleasure in making things that people enjoy using and that that will go in the dishwasher…and we have lovely customers."

Sue is a member of Applied Arts Scotland and attended the AAS RS I held in Borgh in Ocotber 2024. She used to be a member of the Scottish Potter's Association, but can no longer travel easily to the meetings on the mainland so is no longer a member.

The current energy and living costs are challenging, as are the short tourist seasons and restitive transport links to the mainland.

"You can’t sit on your laurels..its tough. Its hard to make a living here..it looks simple and idylic but we have a seven month off-season...at least. It might be busy for a brief time..but that has to carry you through to nothing coming in, and the expense of winter…so its tough. Usually its middle of July before you see the light of day in your accounts....." When asked if Sue would change anything she commented: " You’ve just got to live with what you’ve got, you’ve got to adapt …you’ve got to be pragmatic and adapt as best you can. And I think so far I’ve been lucky because we’ve managed to stick in there. … you’ve got to be clear about what you’re doing…It’s not an easy place to live. Its beautiful, its wonderful, the community is fantastic. People are very supportive. But it’s still not easy….But I just love where I am …I know it would break my heart (is she was to leave)..and if I don’t do what I do I’d have to sell up… because I can't afford to keep a house and this building going..so I have to work…but its not an arm twister..its my decision..but if I chose not to…I'd have make live changing decisions…I can't just sit here ….and live on past successes….you’ve just got to keep going…I’m a thrown fighter. "

Borve Pottery, Borve, Isle of Lewis