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.

Whats in a mark?

I made a plaster mark for my mug handles a few weeks ago, just something plain and simple. I have a mark coming from America from a company called Clay Stamps I am getting one with my mark on and another with a bobble head red fox for my wife's work. When they arrive I will get some pictures of them and maybe some of Anthea's work too. My mark is simply my initials as I feel the same about marking pots as I do about marking paintings, the mark should try to be as unobtrusive as possible and a full signature is too much like ego.


These are three of the four mug designs I threw to go with my bowls, not happy with these. I threw one today which is a lot shorter and seems to fit the family a little better. I really need to get better at these handles as they just aren't seeming to sit right with me, but I don't know the minimum thickness of handles to go on mugs of any size, looks like a day of pulling handles is going to be coming up in the next month.

These are the bowls from the 12 before 12 challenge I put handles on all of them, they are extruded coils, eventually I would like to roll them out by hand but there is never enough room in the clay room when I am working on these, whenever I am throwing the place is dead, I want to make handles and I have all the second year students watching me. the biscuit ware on the top shelf is all mine from before Christmas and is ever so patiently waiting for me to get some glazing done, especially as another kiln of biscuit ware came out today and now I filled not only my space for work but Anthea's too and she isn't pleased as her foxes are now surrounded by stacks of bowls and mugs.


Isn't it surprising what you find on the camera when you get home, I left my camera on the wheel next to me and Anthea picked it up and started taking pictures of my work and hers and in fact all the pictures taken today are by her. What I didn't realise as she took photos was that she caught this shot of me looking awkward over such a small amount of clay, a mere 400 grams (about 0.9 pounds) I reduced the amount of clay to see if that worked better but I might just go back to around 500 grams.