So these were the original wonky pots that I made out of frustration of wanting to make the sort of work I wanted rather than being a production potter. The idea was to make them with plenty of chunky grog so fine details wouldn’t be possible. The slip was then dribbled down the pots and they were shock to encourage the slip to keep dripping
You may remember my post on Saggars and some of my results. I really want to talk a bit more how these wobbly pots are made.
It was when this wonky pot gained traction on instagram and ended up going to live in Portugal I decided it was time to make some more wonky pots.
Naked wobbly pots awaiting their decoration. They are made from a secret stoneware earthenware blend with some iron oxide added for effect. They were thrown loosely and then treated to a beating with a piece of 2 by 1 that was in the workshop.A stream of porcelain slip launched towards the wonky pots. I fill a cup of slip and fling it as hard and fast as I can.the impact of throwing the slip on the pottery sends it flying off in all directions. this is a different round of throwing slip to the video andthe splash is so violent there are still particles of slip in the air.Another batch of wonky pots all slipped and drying in the garden.Not all my wonky wobbly pots are saggar fired these days, this was fired next to the saggar and has gone to live with the amazing Lighthearts in Brum whom I owe a lot to.
I really love to make these, and I really want to make more, I don’t care about function with this form, I just want to create something different. In fact I want to make them more wobbly, wonky and uncontrolled.
I don’t make anything simply and I need more iron oxide and terracotta to make another batch of wonky pots.
I want to know as an audience if there is anything you want to see more off from my pottery videos or blog articles? Please just let me know in the comments below.
For the last year I have been experimenting with firing inside a saggar inside my electric kiln. From the start I have to say anything fired in this method I wouldn’t sell as food safe and to make certain of that I don’t make functional ware with this method, just things that are purely sculptural, albeit quite small sculptures. So what’s a saggar and what does it do? A saggar is a sacrificial pot that was originally used in industry to keep ceramic glaze free from ash during the firings, especially with coal as this can make the wares quite…
This was originally a talk given at MIRIAD on 28th January 2015, with the Adam Field YouTube video in the background and demonstrating making a pot while talking. THis post was first posted on my research blog. Reviewing all my research so far from observations, interviews and my own practise the main important themes that keep coming through the research are seeing watching talking touching and most importantly making
Wave Marks in the Sand, or Soap Dishes? The answer is soap dishes, I’m making these to take to the Green Loop Eco Makers Market in Lytham St Annes at the end of April. They will be glazed in a wood ash glaze, which is waste from wood stoves, plus a powdered clay and the calcinated seashells from my saggar firings, once they have been used to stop pots sticking together in that firing they turn to powder which can then be used to help flux the glaze. As well as these I will also be making the tools that…
On the 3rd and 4th of December I held my open studio, which people came and had a look around. We had to close early on the Saturday because a storm was brewing and my sails were ready to take off, so we made everything safe and got to sit in a warm house. Thank you to everyone that came, hopefully we can run more events in the New Year and get a warmer space sorted out here
Back in February I was interviewed by Paul Blais on The Potters Cast and it was just released as episode 214. Please have a listen and let me know what you think. Currently I am testing a new Social Media Platform that I quite like, join the mailing list to find out more in the next week or so.
“The waiting game sucks. Let’s play hungry hungry hippos” Homer J Simpson In January I submitted my dissertation for my Master’s research project. I am surprised by how long the process of writing up can take, but a lot of it is editing and re-editing to ensure I said the right things with the right tone. I am glad the writing process is over, but now we are on the worse part of the process, waiting.
