Work in Progress

I've decided to put a few pictures up of my work in progress.

This series will show the making of the Ash Glaze

I'm not sure where the time has gone this week,

It dosn't feel like I have achieved a great deal.

I've put these pictures up of work in progress mainly as a reminder to myself.

Fresh slipped Bowls
a Nice big jug to slip today

a Harvest jug that I had cut the tail off 3 times before I hade one I was happy with.

And because it was half term week I made up a few heads from grey clay
so that kids could buy a small 2lb bag of clay and make them at home.

I think my main time has gone into playing around with this Local clay
some batches mix up great and others come up short of the mark.
These two pots are made from on the left my clay and on the right the Local clay.
but they fire the same colour !

On a slightly better note I have a shop owner who wants to stock my work

so I have a meeting with them on Saturday morning.

I can feel some late nights coming on.

Guess Who Came Into My Workshop Today ?

Ivan Bingham, came into my workshop Today.

What A Guy !

He was great and he liked my pots.

He's going to come back to see me. I'm so excited.

Here he is in a picture from my Ceramic Review Magazine Nuber 67

January /February 1981

Which was when I was a full time potter the first time around.

To Have a guy like this come in and love my pots makes me feel so good.

Before and After Shots

I was sorting some pictures out this morning and came across

these two Bread Crocks That had just been thrown.

and the Final Piece.

I've tried another shape lid on this one which I think will look better

so I'm making a new lid now.

It's strange how just a small subtle change can have such an impact

on the finished pot.

and this baby seemed enormous when I threw it but in fact

it's not that big at all.

I've sold this one all ready.

Bank Holiday weekend sales are going well today I'm at the workshop

from 12 noon until 5pm.

The weather yesterday was scorching Hot, but today is damp and Dull.

But isn't that what we love about the British Weather.

More from Mr Leach.

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Well I tried to upload it from You tube but it looks like it came up twice.
No It's OK I just deleted one of them.


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Local Clay Trials and other new pots

OK I'm quite excited about these local clay trials.

This first picture shows at the top a 50/50 mix Local clay with my standard clay

and at the bottom is 100% local clay

both fired to 1095 0c.

Both strips were 6" long when I made them and both are very strong.

and this jug is made with a 50/50 mix

My slip and glaze both seem to work well, giving me much reason to celebrate.

At my source of supply which I am going to keep secret, the land owner tells me there is at least a Ton that I can collect.

And if a day needs to get any better, then these pots also came out of the same firing this morning.

a second Bread Crock

a Nice bowl about 12" wide.

a 9" serving dish.

and a Harvest Jug ordered by Mr & Mrs McDonald

who are great supporters of local potters.

and a little selection of small jugs.

Off to put my wellies on and go and dig some clay.

This being a full time Potter lark is feeling pretty dam good at the moment.

Big Boys Toys...

Some days are just filled with big boys toys.

More info on what Nathan was doing with the camera later.
This looks just like a big toy.

I want one of these.

More new pots from the kiln tomorrow,
The Local clay came through the biscuit firing with excellent results.
I have two samples, one 100% local clay and one mixed 50/50
with my red clay, and I also have a jug thrown using

the mixed clay50/50 in the glaze firing .
So that should be interesting to see the final colour of the clay.

Slipware Bread Crock

My third attempt at making a bread bin. I finally got two through the biscuit firing

with a combination of

1. a better thrown pot

2. a slower heat up of the biscuit firing

3. a longer drying out period prior to firing.

This one is just under 15" tall and has spurred me on to making more of them.

I managed to pop down to Doug's place yesterday afternoon for an Hour

we sat and drank Tea on the bench overlooking the fields and we talked about our plans for the months ahead.

Sounds to me like were going to be busy chaps Doug !

and Thanks for the throwing Batts

there going to be put to use right away.

( Once I've cleaned them ).

Off to the the workshop again now having been inspired by

Mr Fitch yet again.

He really has got some stunning pots on those shelves.

Local Clay from them there Hills.

This was My view today while I took Caddy for his walk.

and this is clay that came from them there Hills, all I have done is wash it down to a slip run it through a kitchen flour sieve, and dry it out on a plaster batt.
I have wedged it up and have made a 6 inch strip 1 inch wide
so I can measure how much it will shrink when its fired.

I wanted to throw a pot with it but it felt as if it would not throw to well

so I mixed it 50/50 with my red clay and it threw pretty well.

but I will try the test piece in the kiln first later in the week.

I've loaded a Glaze firing today as well so more new big pots out on Thursday.

I'm quite excited about these ones.

Which is a nice feeling.

New Ash Glaze Pots

I had some new pots out of the kiln on Saturday, with the Ash Glaze I have made

when they cut down the Chestnut trees at Barrington Court.

I've had the stamp made
and this is the first pot with the Ash glaze and the Stamp.

and this is all that is left of the avenue of trees.

I Have decided I am going to make 100 of each

Lidded pots , Jugs and a Bowl

which can be purchased either as a set or as individual Items.

They will all be numbered on the base ie: 1/100

Each Item will cost £20 so a set of all three for £60.

If I don't make it as a potter I could always turn my hand to Furniture restoration.

I picked this rather scruffy looking table up from a local Antique shop for a snip of a price.

Got my sander to it and painted the legs and Hey Presto !

I've got to put some small extensions to the front legs but apart from that

it looks a treat.

The legs are cream by the way,

the picture makes them look white.

Not Quite a Shimpo

Shimpo's slogan for the T whisper

" it's so quiet you can actually hear yourself thinking".

Well this is what My wheel sounds like.

Now you can understand why I had been contemplating buying a Shimpo.

Advice Required on two fronts Please

A customer brought this jug back today

to show me what has happened to it.

It looks to me like salt deposits that can be scraped off if you try very hard.

The lady has had flowers in it for the past two weeks, and she says there

was a small pool of water

under the jug when she moved it.
It was fired in my Gas Kiln late last year.
So I'm thinking it was not fired high enough.
I am going to make them another one but I wanted to know
if anyone else has seen this before.

On a more up beat Note I'm considering buying a new Wheel
and am thinking about getting a Shimpo Whisper T
any thoughts
would be welcome.

What's a Cretan Urn - Not Enough !

Anyone in the South West of England would of heard of a place called Trago Mills

Marion was there yesterday doing some business with them, She supplied the Turf for the new Garden Centre. But she also took these shots of these huge Cretan Urns

all Hand Thrown in Crete and frost proof.

So how much does a Cretan Urn ?

Judging by these prices not enough.
How much does a British Potter earn ?

Well this small half Pint jug sells for £12.50 minus the flowers,

well I say minus the flowers, but I do say to customers if they want the flowers

they are more than welcome.

In Yesterday's Banking Rant I referred to my Pottery as My Business

More on this thought later.

Banking Rant !!

These two beautiful calm pictures were taken yesterday morning

when we took Caddy for a walk.

Marion had discovered this bluebell wood in the next village and took me to see it.

Very Calming, and the bird song was out of this world.
and now to the Banking Rant,
I've rattled off a few sparky emails this morning.
My chip and pin machine is still not set up with the loss of even
more sales this Bank Holiday weekend.
I've lost Patience with these people now, they couldn't organise
a drinking session in a brewery ( you know what I mean ).
I asked them to send me some marketing so I can let people know I'm able to accept payment by card and this was all I got in the post.
I applied for this machine on the 11th March and still nothing
despite them sending a representative around to see me, and my bank
can't even send me a bank statement addressed to me at my business address.
They talk to me as if I'm a simpleton when in fact I would not let them
look after my business for one day.
No wonder the Banking world is on it's Knees
lets just hope they are praying while there down there.

Still Here

Bank Holiday weekend

and I'm at the workshop all weekend.

sales are going well and I'm very busy making pots at the moment.

We took Caddy out for a walk this morning up on the hill's

My workshop is down there somewhere.
More Pics of pots later.