Stipple is one of the latest designs to grace our lives. It features key places connected with Bridgewater such as where the shops are based or a selection of English counties.
Stippling is an art technique which the design team have adapted for use with a sponge to give them the same effect as if done by pen or brush. At the moment the collection is just limited to mugs, but perhaps in the future we will see some other shapes appearing in this pattern. Each Emma Bridgewater Stipple mug is a rich royal blue colour, and one of the key elements in this technique is that the same pigment is used in varying degrees and intensity to create a mottled effect. The more intense the stippling the darker the colour appears – that’s why some mugs look deeper in colour than others. Emma Bridgewater calls this an iconic design as the stipple finish was first seen back in 1989 on some of her early pieces.
Now it is used brilliantly in combination with Matthew’s lovely lettering and the name is centred on the mug and stippling is then applied around a clear (so cream like the pottery base) square box which makes the design almost look like sign. A border of heart shapes gives the illusion of pieces of clover before the design makes way for full stippling, growing in intensity.
Starting with the Emma Bridgwater connections – we have a London mug – this is where the flagship store is at Fulham Road, another mug. There is also Marylebone – where she has another high street shop – and Parsons Green is the underground near this shop so that’s why we have a mug of this name. Chiswick is where another shop is based on No 1 Devonshire Road. Edinburgh is also included being another location where Emma B has a retail presence on Dundas Street. Finally of course the mighty Stoke (on Trent) has a mug – where the factory is based in Staffordshire since 1985. So important is she to this town Emma Bridgewater has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate at Staffordshire University and this is the place that she describes as ‘This is a city full of opportunity’. |
Next you can choose from a selection of English counties including a mug for Bucks (Buckinghamshire), Cornwall, Devon, Glos (Gloucestershire), Hampshire, Kent, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Sussex, Surrey, Wiltshire, and Yorkshire. We suspect this is an area which will be added to in the future.
This design is great as a starter collection or to give to somebody who lives in these locations or where the location has a significant meaning – e.g. home county, place where they went to University, place of work, or perhaps a favourite place to holiday. It works well with plain elements of starry skies and red star.
And for all of your Emma Bridgewater true fans why not make a challenge and try to visit each one of these places – you’ll already own the mug of course! |
