Experiments in paint and glaze

Firing this weekend! It's been a while as I've just not produced enough work over the past few months (see previous post). However, I do now have enough work to fill the kiln and so feel full of anticipation as to what surprises I'm going to have in a few days time. I say surprises because I've tried a few experiments with the decorations. I've included pictures below of the glaze and oxide decorations before the firing, and I hope to show them after firing too. I tried using lots of wax on the designs as well as spattering cold wax and then adding oxides over the top. On the flower design I then scraped away the oxide carefully trying not to remove any of the galze beneath. You can actually see on the flower pot a patch where some of the glaze beneath did flake off - we'll see in the finished pot if this makes a huge impact on the final effect. The salt pig is my first attempt at one of these. I've had a few friends saying that they want one having seen this, so hopefully it'll fire well.

I've also tried to get a bit of painting done recently. I do love apinting, but the limiting factor is always good lighting. I have to paint in daylight to get the colours right. Painting under artificial light, even with daylight bulbs , is never ideal. Anyway I've added some photos of the paintings, so you can comment (bear in mond the photos were also taken under artificial lighting and so tend to be a bit yellow.

Hope you enjoy the work!




(flower design in wax - oxide spattered then scraped back to glaze - see theglaze falked off)

Patience...

Patience, that's what's needed in this game. Making pottery just can't be rushed and when you're limited to an hour a night it really does become a test of endurance. I managed to get an hours bike ride in tonight before an hours glazing and then an hours planning for tomorrow's day at work. It would be easy to resent either one of these activities (particularly the planning!), but in truth they all have their place in my life and all need a certain degree of commitment. So I've come to accept that the production of my pottery is a slow process and in that acceptance I hope to enjoy the time I have, just like I enjoy my time given to cycling or to family or to work. There's no point in resenting any of it, it's just life.

So, my pottery production progresses at a speed akin to continental drift. With that in mind I have to think about where I want to be in several months time. On Sunday we visited Tissington and during this trip we got talking to the owner of a farm tea room. We had quite a positive chat about possibly running a demo day sometime around Easter, where visitors can watch me make pottery and also have the chance of buying it. This means I have to start making the work now. I do have a batch of work which will be ready to be fired on Sunday, but much of that has been made for individuals.
In addition to the work that needs to be made I really want to make more Youtube videos as my previous film has been well received. So, patience is my new mantra!