Some pictures from the last firing

I keep hoping I will get a chance at another firing soon but it is looking unlikely until I get my own studio. I have started remaking enquiries again and I am seeing the business advisor this week too. I have also finished all my applications for events in the fall, then in the fall I have to start making applications for next year, I should have more stock by then.

Twelve days left until the degree show opening, and I still haven't managed to get a hold of my old tutor yet. I do have a lead at finding him as one of my ex tutors lives around the corner from my parents but I have avoided asking him as it isn't the done thing. MY old tutor is retired 5 years now, he retired half way through my National diploma in Illustration.

Anyways here are a few pots from the last firing.

There were a lot of teacups and saucers but this was the only coffee cup and I have already had a few offers to buy, so I had to turn people down, will have to sell it after the degree show as it is tied up there until the 18th now.

This is my mark on the bottom of one my platters I really do like how it looks.
This is the largest of my platters and is about 40 cm in diameter, I can't really fit anything much bigger in the kiln as it would go over the edge of the shelf and melt like one of my other platters did.
This really was a firing for platters as I had so many, so many in fact that I still have some left over unglazed.
This is a tea set I made from "Porcelain White" Stoneware (from Valentine Clays) it is supposed to look like porcelain but isn't as translucent. I am hoping to try porcelain itself but I haven't had chance as one of our fellow students urgently needed a bag so we sold her ours. I did try and make tea cups but the handles split in half whilst drying. As a clay it is very different to what I am used to, it resisted being formed, it is like throwing wet plaster scraps. I do like the contrast it provides to my usual range.

If there is anything from the firing that anyone wants to see just ask.

In a day or two I will post some images of the jugs I made using different clays.

12 Before 12 and 24 by 12.45

It happened on Tuesday, I was told I could only work one day and even then I might not get fired as everyone has already left Uni, but I decided to throw anyways as I had come all the way into Uni to do something else. I got in after 10am as I always do because of the bus I catch. My aim was to throw as much as I could in the day, but I only stayed till 2.

So here are my twelve, I left them as tumblers when I went in yesterday, as I liked the way they held without a handle and of all the things I have to sell so far I don't have tumblers to go with my jugs

The other 12 I threw are basic tea cups, I wasn't happy with some I already had. These tea cups all had handles added yesterday when I went in. I also threw 2 sugar bowls, two teapot bodies, two spouts and four lids, unfortunately I dropped one of the teapot bodies yesterday.


I still don't feel happy that I have enough things to sell until I can arrange my studio space, but I don't have any option now unless I do a throwing course somewhere.

Kiln Opening

Just a quick posting

I unloaded my kiln on Monday, and I have been busy ever since as my degree show is due this Friday and things are more than a little hectic around here so just the one picture right now, hopefully Friday Evening I can settle down to a real post.

Leach Pottery and a Sneak Peek

Well I managed to get the kiln loaded in a single day on Tuesday, it got fired on Wednesday and when I got in on Friday it was still too hot to unload, I did mange to get a sneak peek into the kiln though, it looks like a good firing, but I won't know until I manage to unload everything which is on Monday now.


On another note we had a visiting lecturer for the day, all the way from St Ives. the lecturer in question was Jack Doherty who is lead potter at the restored Leach Pottery in St Ives and is the retired Chairman of the Craft Potters Association here in the UK. So we got to handle pieces from their standard range that they are producing, they are very nice pieces to handle, we also got to handle his personal work. The though the whole lot is soda fired, his work tries to avoid the "orange peel" affects that is the signature of soda firing. His work also has subtle blue colours throughout, as it was explained that he plays about with the slips to resist the soda and alter the colours.

He also did some demonstrations for us in porcelain, showing us the Leach pottery porcelain range of work and also how to make his own, which used 3 piles of clay and then coils. All the work was made on the wheel, though the first stage of his work he beat it into centre with a mallet that belonged to the pottery and with his fists. It gave me some ideas on what to do for some bigger pieces.

I also got to speak to him one on one about my work, as my tutor wanted me to ask about doing a pottery start up down there in St Ives, but it is a little far from anyone I know to help out with the little one. He was definitely an amazing potter to talk to.

Back in the Glazing Room

Back glazing again, I am using the same Kiln as last time that took me 2 and half days to fill and I only have tomorrow to do it in order that everyone gets there turn, it is going to be so crazy and I will probably have to stay late at Uni if things don't go according to plan. Anthea will be helping me fill it with my work, could do with a work force when it comes to glazing by hand, but I am lucky enough that Anthea will help me dip them.

I mixed up a new batch of matt titanium white glaze on Thursday and started on the process but the kiln was in the middle of a firing so I filled all the shelf space I could find.

Also definitely going to London for the Press Day and first day of New Designers this year, as I booked my hotel and train tickets. So I will be in London from June 29th to July 1st going up a day before the press day to set up my allotted space.

NPA- Northern Potters

I finally got around to joining the NPA and got my card through this week, hopefully this will help me along the way.





I have been busy making but none of it has reached the kiln for a bisque firing as the 1st and second years get priority over the kilns until they have finished so I just have to be patient and wait my turn, they leave this week I think then I have pretty much got to get all my glazing done, set out the show and then get back to making so then I can have enough stock s then I have a head start.

Anthea is on an Annie Peaker course yesterday and today, so I spent the day touring the Lake District and managed to get to 4 galleries and 4 potters studios. I really enjoyed talking to James Hake who is an amazing young potter from Cumbria who gave me some amazing advice, definitely someone I will visit again and when I have enough money I would buy some of his work for the studio.

Setting off again soon to see how much more we can see today