Tagged: stoneware

New glazed pots

Its been a long eight weeks getting the movement back into my arm. I suppose the recent cold weather has been a blessing, in that its given me an excuse to why I was not throwing. I did try to throw with my fractured elbow, but found it too painful. Good job then  that I had just completed some small and medium stoneware  jugs, which were ready for glazing. Down too May at Glossop Craft Center where they were biscuit fired and then fired again with the Honey Glaze take from the book The potters Book of Glaze, by Emmanuel Cooper.    Don`t usually sell things but this book is worth a look, especially for a newbie potter such as me. Here is a brief description; Emmanuel Cooper provides potters with an introductory section on glaze materials, coloring, mixing, and the application of glazes, as well as information on health and safety issues. It has over 400 recipes ranging from opaque, matte, and transparent glazes to crystalline and black iron glazes, organized according to their varying temperature ranges. Well I have gone on and on over the twelve weeks about these pots, so here they are. Next project is to build a Gas fired Kiln and more throwing of pots.

Honey Glaze

Honey Glaze

Big and Small Fat and Tall

Big and Small Fat and Tall

Feeding time these pots are hungry.Feeding time these pots are hungry
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Jugs big and small

Have started throwing bigger jugs of recent using two pounds of clay. It has taken a bit of time to adjust to the new weight of clay as far as centring and shaping is concern. To be honest a lot of my trouble is concentrating on what I am doing, and sticking to it!! I am all over the place at the moment trying to put ever thing I have learnt into practice on the wheel. I forget little simple things like sticking to how far I pull the clay out after centring. This is not such a bad thing as I have found myself ending up creating a pot I would never of never set out to form. In going with the flow of the clay has resulted in a possible vase taking shape or maybe even a honey jar. I suppose its in my nature to-day dream, have a play and not be too serious. please if you read this post, please leave a comment as its great to get some feed back.

a bigger pot

a bigger pot

pots of all shapes and sizes

pots of all shapes and sizes

The new wheel has arrived

After six months the new wheel has arrived and the new work space is up and ready. All I needed was my clay. So I drove down to Stoke on Trent to buy my clay from Valentine Clays Ltd www.valentineclays.co.uk. Well worth the drive down as the staff were very friendly and helpful in helping you buy the right clay for your work. So no more pontificating now about when and how! Time to start getting down to throwing some pots with my new white stoneware clay. I must at this point give a big shout to Jim Simpson who’s wheel it is and which he has kindly given me the loan of. Jim has been very supportive in getting me up and running in my ceramic pursuit. Do have look at Jim’s website    www.handmadestudiopottery.com    because he is a very interesting fellow, free  spirit  and very experienced  potter. So what have i been doing besides drinking tea and eating biscuits in the workshop? Well I have gone back to basics of creating cylinders and small jugs. But I am off on holiday soon so everything is back on hold, but only for a week this time.