Pots and Paintings

Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Here are some of the pots from the last firing of the year (22nd December). I used very little rutile in the decoration this time as I felt a bit overwhelmed with the spectrum of colours on the jugs from the previous firing and wanted to learn how to control the colours of rutile better.

Well, in the space of 4 months I’ve got back into throwing pots and have learned a lot from each of the firings I’ve done in my gas kiln. I’ve had a lot of reject pots but also had some pots that I’ve really been pleased with. Thank you to Carisbrooke Priory for providing me with the perfect pottery workshop and a place to display and sell my pottery. Thank you also to all the kind people who have bought my pots and helped to spread the word!
Next year I will start up my drawing and painting again, so will need to manage my time between the art and the pottery. I’ve certainly felt a lot more relaxed since I stopped the design work to pursue the pottery and I’m looking forward to more creativity and greater success and sales in 2012.

Thursday was a glaze firing day which caused me a bit of stress. I saw the temperature climb to just over 1200′C and then the pressure began to drop, and the very thing I was not looking forward to happened…  the gas cylinder needed changing over. In the couple of minutes it took me to change cylinders the temperature dropped back to about 1140′C. To cut my story short I finally got the kiln to 1280′C followed by a 50 minute soak, however neither sets of cones were bending as I had hoped, but as I have to vacate the premises at 4pm I turned off the gas to end the firing and went home feeling somewhat negative about the results of the firing.

The good thing is that the glazes have a wide maturing range from 1260′C to 1280′C. I’d prayed for good results before the firing and…  well I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. The range of colours is quite remarkable, and the use of rutile has produced some stunning autumnal colours! I used the word raving for the title which can mean wild and out of control!

The colours of rutile!

Closeups of two of the jugs.

The slides below show more of the jugs and the amazing range of colours achievable with the same glazes (chun/tenmoku over reactive slip; chun/tenmoku over red taggs yard).

I thought I’d show you what I’ve been throwing since last weeks firing. I need to fill up the kiln for a bisque firing this coming week, then get on with some more glazing for another run of glaze firings. I’ve ordered more glaze but in the long run I want to mix my own glaze by making use of wood ash and local iron-rich clay.

Some 2lb Jugs.
I decided to go for 2lb clay as an intermediate size to what I’d already made, so I began with some jugs.
The first few were thrown with st. thomas clay. Now I’m using a buff stoneware which is more challenging to throw with, but that has pushed me to improve my technique so that I’m fussing much less and making each pot much quicker, which is good.

Above: one of the first 2lb jugs thrown. The latter ones have a slightly taller form to them. Looking at the handles already done I think I need to attach the remainder higher up so they spring out from the rim itself.


It’s interesting that the jugs at the front are taller than those behind, even though they are all thrown with 2lb clay. Either the shape has changed or I’m simply getting more out of the clay.

2lb Storage Jars
Staying with the 2lb lumps of clay I moved on to throwing some more storage jars. 

The more I’m throwing, the more uniform they are getting, almost identical heights and widths of rim. Also I’m throwing much quicker now, so maybe it’s time for another video to show my progress.

The mugs I threw the other week got their handles added. Larger mugs hold more coffee (or tea, or drinking chocolate..) so a one finger handle is not really sufficient.


That’s all for now. After the storage jars I want to try something different, like mixing bowls with a pouring lip, or soup dishes or candlestick holders. And I eventually want to return to doing some slip trailing on plates!

I wanted to make some small  pots that could double up as glaze tests, and rather than choose to throw lots of mugs I decided to throw some small versions of my lidded storage jars. Well soon after I got started I wanted to give up and go back to throwing 3lb jars, these 1lb jars are so fiddly. My bamboo rib has lost its definition so can’t cope with the angle needed for the rim of the jar, so  I’ve been relying on my little finger to shape the rim, mmm… I need to make some new throwing ribs! Still, I decided to press on and not give up, persuading myself that soon enough I would improve and find them easy, or easier at least…

Yesterday I did a bisque firing so I now have more pots waiting to be glazed. I think tomorrow and Friday will be glazing days, in between throwing lids for my fiddly jars!

I thought I’d post a few photos to show you where my pottery is situated…

The garden at Carisbrooke Priory, the pottery is just to the left.

Inside the pottery workshop
The bars at the window remain from when nuns used to live here!

Me throwing a jug

Another view of the Priory garden

The view opposite the Priory: Carisbrooke Castle

I’ve decided to replace my previous website with a blog in response to my change of direction from design work to painting and making pots.  As the pottery is what I’ve immersed myself in first this blog will have more pottery posts. I hope you enjoy seeing what I’m up to and following my progress.