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.
At the moment it is the children’s summer holidays which means I have to wear my Dad hat a lot more. We went away to a camping barn and the children had fun staying in “a little house” as my youngest put it. Oddly while I was away some interesting things happened. For one we had the first piece of writing for the lending Library this is mug 17 that was given away to a member of my writing group. I love the connections other people make that I never would have found by myself. The second thing that happened…
This is an extract from a talk first given at the Material Matters Seminar at Manchester Metropolitan University on 10th December 2014. It was presented with the following Svend Bayer YouTube video in the playing Background. It was originally published on my research blog. In my early twenties I started searching for my own identity, I was stuck 200miles away from home studying the most hands on of all the classical science degrees, chemistry. Though as hands on as chemistry was there is something very hands-off about concentrated Hydrochloric acid that had a permanent place on my workbench. My…
I didn’t know it at the time but James Hake gave the best advice to me when as an art student and I told him I wanted to be a Potter. His advice was simply that you should start off small, making only a small variety of objects, at most five or six. Those objects should be developed to the highest quality you can make before adding more objects to the range. I have to admit I didn’t listen having a whole shop to fill and I was too busy listening to the voices of potential customers, make this make…
I have wanted to be a story teller since not long after I discovered that I liked to write poetry a over decade ago. I love listening to poets perform their poetry, like Michael Rosen, Simon Armitage or Ian McMillan. It really brings the poems to life, listening to them uniquely reciting their work.
Last night was the Nurph chat,thank you for everyone that came out live and watched. It was an amazing time talking to Adam Field, Paul Blais, Carole Epp and Michael Kline. There is a recording in the projects section of the website here. There will be another chat: Sunday 26th July at 9pm GMT, 5PM nurph.com/redfoxpottery The chat will be on “The Scale of Production” Guests are Amanda Barr, Corey Johnson, Joseph Travis. I hope you can come out and watch live and ask questions.
I really believe everyone should have and use a sketchbook, I don’t mean an expensive sketchbook like a Moleskine where you are afraid to crease a page. More like the Seawhite of Brighton starter sketchbook, the paper quality is nice but they aren’t too expensive and can be quicker to fill to give you a sense of accomplishment. This sort of cheaper sketchbook should be a good all rounder with pen, pencils or watercolours. There is no need to be afraid of making a mistake; a sketchbook is a working document. You don’t need to share it with anyone so…
