I am often asked about how I make my work, the journey from idea to finished piece is a slow process, clay certainly doesn't like to be rushed. I've lost many pieces through impatience, trying to rush to the next step. Working slowly and intentionally is a wonderful antidote to todays fast paced existence.

 

I work predominantly with hand building, mainly coils. This is an ancient form of hand building and involves rolling coils of clay, and placing them on top of each other, blending the clay together and shaping your piece as you go. If you build too fast, the walls can collapse and bow, so patience and time is needed. 

 

I tend to work with either black Vulcan stoneware clay and red clays. I love the colours and the atmosphere these clays create. 

 

Once I've made my piece, it must be allowed to dry completely for a couple of weeks, before it is ready for its first fire. The first fire is called a 'bisque' fire. This process lasts for around 24 hours. By this stage the piece is no longer raw clay, its sturdy enough for the next stage of the process 

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During the glazing stage, different glazes are applied to create the final 'look' to the piece. Glazes are made from finely ground minerals that melt and fuse during the firing process. This stage is like alchemy, you never truly know how a piece will emerge from the kiln. The glaze firing process takes around two days.

 

Not all pieces will survive each stage of the process, there are so many things that can go wrong, and many of my pieces will sadly end up in my pottery graveyard (my back garden) , repurposed as bird feeders or insect homes . Some work will never reach the firing stage. I am constantly learning and being reminded to slow down, and be patient with the process.  When a piece survives from idea, to finished item, its like Christmas morning, its magic.