Firing day

Collection of bisque pots together with those that had a re-fire.

Colourful inspiration

Catering tins used for saggar firing sit on the steps outside the workshop developing their own delicious patina; lovely rust!

 Sun rise fleeting colour

Coiling Continues

Several days have gone by since I began coiling this group of pots. The photos here are of about 5 days ago. Work can be fairly continuous as long as the shapes hold their shape.Usually find that after a couple of rows of clay on the wider forms work should be halted to allow everything to stiffen up. The narrower, taller forms can be pushed to 4 rows and then left to start work on the next pot in the line.
Many people, especially those of the throwing persuasion will be shouting 'why doesn't she put a lump of clay on the wheel and throw the shape... 5 minutes job done!!!' Have often thought this and indeed have thrown the odd pot or two but you see it is just not the same. I regard much of what I do with the pots/vessels that you see here as being sculpted;  I love and feel more comfortable with this process of adding clay then scraping down the until reaching the required thickness; laborious as it may seem.

Refinement of wall thickness and the curve of the form require constant adjustment.

Work on several pieces together; rotating through the group, allowing each to progressively stiffen as the piece builds. Adding 2-4 rows of coils of clay, joining each to the one below, smoothing and scraping as we go!