casseroles-again

I had hoped to post some better pictures of the pots that came out of the last firing but the natives(three boys) in doors got restless and I had to pack up for the day and go and feed them!!
I am often very critical of my own work and think it is not good enough but I was quite pleased with the casseroles. Also I liked the tiny bowls with feathers! If I can I'll do a better photo of them and some of the others. The boys are home for a week now for half term. I have rather a lot of pots in the damp cupboard under polythene-3 more larger casseroles and 8 plates plus some new shapes I am working on for orders. I am not sure how to plan the week out yet and share the time out between some work and activities with the boys.

Glaze firing

The kiln is working hard at the moment. No sooner is it cooling than I am packing it up to refire. Being a top loader it couldn't be easier!! Here are few pots that came out of the kiln in the last few days. There is another glaze firing on at the moment and I'm looking forward to seeing how the green glaze performs on a pot. One of the tests looked good on the test tiles but it can be different on a pot. I'm working on a batch of plates tomorrow that may go with the colanders. They will need slipping in the morning.

casseroles

I thought I would quickly take a photograph of one of the drying shelves as I was dashing out of the studio this afternoon. Mr. Sainsbury was in his van with my weekly shop and I was heading out to a parent's evening for one of my boys.
These are made from 2kilos of clay so they aren't massive. Biscuit ware is mounting up in the studio -there is now enough for at least 3 glaze firings so I need to get a move on.
As I have 3 boys in school I still work with the rhythm of term times. I hope to get as much glaze firing done by half term so that I can. I will then try to assess what I have done and where I am with my work and plan for the next half term leading up to Christmas.

slips or oxides

Here are some bowls I've been working on today that may illustrate the different decorating materials I use. I first map out the design roughly with food colouring. Next I have painted in some slips. If I use slips I put them on before I sgraffito because they are opaque.
Once the slips are on I can do the sgraffito. In the first picture I think you may just see a corner of a natural history book I am working from. (Fairly freely I must admit so that the fish don't look too rigid).

After I've finished the sgraffito I add another lawyer by applying oxides. (I usually grind these to get them very smooth). Finally I insert little details with the slips!! All in all quite a time consuming process. Here is a finished bowl that came out of the firing on Saturday morning.


This is an old bowl I did some time ago but I was looking around for something I had painted with oxides. The oxides are enjoyable to use and I wash them on in a similar way to using watercolours. I also supplement them with a few underglaze colours. I wash these on after I have done the sgraffito because they are transparent colours. I do this at the leather hard stage which means that mistakes cannot be corrected but on the plus side they get fired on so they do not move when the pot is immersed in the glaze.
One of my students did some of her work using this technique but unlike me she deliberately went out side the lines and it had the effect of making her work look very fresh and spontaneous.
Andrew Gladwell was asking if I have any fairs booked in before Christmas. Unfortunately NO!! I knew that I was going to be spending time with the three boys this summer and thought that I may not have much stock. Of course now I am working away again the shelves are filling up with things to be fired. Even allowing for the slow nature of the work soon I will have more stock. People are very welcome to come and visit if they are near Redhill in Surrey!

Harvest jugs.

One of my favourite forms to make is the jug. For me it provides a wonderful canvas to decorate. So I was very pleased to find a whole gallery of images of traditional Harvest jugs http://www.ceramike.com/HarvestJugs2008/HarvestJugs2008.asp
Have a look it's quite inspirational!

Clay wall

With the recent good weather we have at last been able to sit in the garden and enjoy the sun. Having a cup of coffee in the garden or lunch is a simple thing but such a pleasure.
Here is a glimpse of my shelves! They are starting to fill up now and I had to get a biscuit firing in last night to make some room.More decorating to do today and then tomorrow I will be back to throwing.

Mark and I had a very enjoyable day out in London on Sunday. We went to the market in Brick Lane for lunch. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and everywhere was buzzing with people. There is an exotic array of food stalls in the market all very colourful and enticing. After ferreting around some of the market stalls we explored the little shops down Cheshire Street. We then walked on to see Hannah at Ceramics in the City.
Clay is one of the most wonderful materials. It's great to handle and it's plastic qualities make it a wonderful medium to use. I think I played with mud pies quite a bit as a child.
I find almost everything made out of clay fascinating.
I came across this video of Andy Galsworthy building a clay wall the other day. I so wanted to get my hands on that clay and join in!!
See if you can find it here www.artisancam.org.uk/pages/artists/andy/timelapse.php?mnbtn=2&icn=1

Children's work

I decided that I would not continue the children's class this term so these are a few of the remaining things the children made. They were very disappointed as they have really enjoyed the classes but I need more space for my own work. Also it will mean that I don't have quite as many commitments.
When we were out and about in Reigate on Saturday we noticed signs for Heritage week-end and various buildings that are not generally open to the public were open. One of them was the oldest public lending library in the country having been opened in 1701. Another was the Natural HIstory Club which had a display of the remnants of medieval pots that had been excavated locally. Even in their broken and fragmented state they were very strong and captivating. I would very much have liked to actually handle them. I particularly like the green glaze and have wanted for some time to develope a green glaze. I think it's time for some more glaze testing!