I've been putting in ridiculously long hours lately, until 11pm some nights this week. I'm trying to get on top of orders and also I'm making pots for a solo exhibiton with Oakwood Ceramics, at The Thoresby Gallery in Notts, which opens on November 11th. I need about seventy five, top quality pieces for the show, so the pressure's really on. I have about fifteen pieces already. Here are some of the things I've been making.
This is one of the big jugs from my previous post, freshly slipped and decorated today.
An 8lb jug with applied decoration - these take ages.
Some more applied decoration. The jug in the foreground is about 12" tall.
More crazy leaf inspired, stuck on stuff.
This jug is too tall for the bisc kiln, so will be raw glazed, which is something I haven't done for a long time. I hope it works, I want to make some really big floor-standing pots which, because of their scale, will demand raw glazing. I used to once-fire all my pots when I first started, then for one reason and another, started to bisc fire everything.
3lb jugs, fat and tapered
1lb jars. I still need to make these in 3lb, 5lb and 10lb, plus some big ones too.
A big bottle. I slipped this today with a single cinquefoil leaf-resist on the front, and a small one beneath the handle.
This is one of the big jugs from my previous post, freshly slipped and decorated today.
An 8lb jug with applied decoration - these take ages.
Some more applied decoration. The jug in the foreground is about 12" tall.
More crazy leaf inspired, stuck on stuff.
This jug is too tall for the bisc kiln, so will be raw glazed, which is something I haven't done for a long time. I hope it works, I want to make some really big floor-standing pots which, because of their scale, will demand raw glazing. I used to once-fire all my pots when I first started, then for one reason and another, started to bisc fire everything.
3lb jugs, fat and tapered
1lb jars. I still need to make these in 3lb, 5lb and 10lb, plus some big ones too.
A big bottle. I slipped this today with a single cinquefoil leaf-resist on the front, and a small one beneath the handle.Firing day is next Sunday, after which I hope to be a very happy and relieved man. It's stressful, working flat out, to produce all this stuff, then to stick it in the kiln and allow the naked flames to do their work. I really need this to be a great firing.
A lot of the pots that I'm making now will go in the subsequent firing, scheduled for a few weeks time - there are busy days and nights ahead.
It took a while to get back in to the groove. Sometimes I never want to make another pot, and sometimes it's the best thing in the World, sometimes my confidence is on the floor, sometimes I'm full of energy and inspiration - I'm glad to be feeling good about it right now.
I'm going to try and upload a short video later, to show you what's been going on, the big jug being decorated and some of the beautiful roses in the workshop garden.
That's it for now, happy weekend all
Gorgeous pots Doug. Best of luck with the firing.
ReplyDeleteWow. Looks really great Doug. I hope this firing is as good as the last one. Hopefully we'll catch up soon depending on your week ahead.
ReplyDelete"It took a while to get back in to the groove. Sometimes I never want to make another pot, and sometimes it's the best thing in the World, sometimes my confidence is on the floor, sometimes I'm full of energy and inspiration - I'm glad to be feeling good about it right now."
ReplyDeleteGood grief I know just how this feels!
We spent some time with Hollis and Dee - they made us feel so at home.
We slept in the "Queen's" room.
lovely stuff,may the fire gods be with you.
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All just beautiful, Doy! I have to say, Hannah may have gone a bit 'DF' on one of her jugs, and your tall raw glazed jug I think has a little bit of Hannah in it with the curves of the lines going down the pot, as well! It is a round potter's world :) Love them all.
ReplyDeleteHey. Glad you are enjoying it. It certainly shows my dear. They look the biz. I could eat em all.
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:-)
ReplyDeleteThanks all, let's see if I can avoid turning them brown and bubbly next weekend. Hollis and Dee are superstars!
I always think your photos really show a sense of perspective at how big your pots are, they're just so big!
ReplyDeleteI must admit some days in the past I've struggled to make pots and sometimes you just think you're never gonna make one every again and then bam your in the zone!
One more thing I was thinking about - as for the confidence thing going up and down... your pots are in demand from the US to Japan and back again. Chin up, Doy :), your c-level should be up in the clouds all the time!
ReplyDelete:-)
ReplyDeleteThank you all. I'm getting on top of things now. I made myself a huge and ambitious making list and it always seems so daunting and impossible right at the start of the make. I'll be hugely relieved to get these pots out of the kiln successfully nest week.