Les Parrott died in December 2024 after a short illness.
Below is an extract from the obituary by fellow member Margaret Tatton-Brown, published in issue 52, Winter 2024, of the Guild Newsletter and below that the words Les wrote to accompany his gallery entry.
“Many of you will remember Les’ impressive stand at the Kingsbury Barn exhibition in St Albans.
Les trained originally as a civil engineer and worked for the Cement & Concrete Association.
In 2003 he retired, moved to Uxbridge and bought a house with two large wooden sheds. Here he built a studio with a small propane gas kiln. It was typical of Les’ ingenuity that he used the remains of the gas in the cylinders to heat his studio in the winter. He also bought one of Mervyn Fitzwilliam’s wheels. Almost all his pots were thrown on this wheel using porcelain or stoneware clay. He was interested in giving texture to his work before glazing with wonderful, vibrant, reduction oriental style glazes. These pots were generally small tableware, bowls, vases and mugs.
He was impressively successful when it came to selling pots and for many years organized an annual exhibition at St Bernard’s School, Slough in aid of local charities.
He was liked and respected in the various pottery groups where he was a member. This summer he gave a talk to West Forest Potters on his copper red glazes.”
w: www.lesparrott.me.uk
i: @lesparrott
I have been a maker since early childhood initially using wood for models, musical instruments, and furniture but, after some pottery evening classes and seeing early Chinese pottery, I decided to focus on ceramics. I was also intrigued by the sumptupous glazes of Ruskin wares and the fact that glaze and firing records had been destroyed. After a previous research career in cement and concrete, here was a new area for investigation: reduction fired porcelain and stoneware to create exciting high temperature glazes.
I now make bowls, vases, mugs and other items that are fired to cone 12 in a propane-fuelled kiln. Contact and collaboration is maintained via membership of the DCPG, Society of Designer Craftsmen, London Potters, West Forest Potters and The Oriental Ceramics Society.
Images
8202 Stoneware jar with bamboo handle
8726 Blue porcelain butter dish
8763 Red porcelain bowl
8777 Turquoise and red porcelain dish
8915 Stoneware box with wood handle