The process
Clay
It all starts with a ball of clay. The clay is wedged, weighed and prepared to be hand thrown on the wheel.Thrown with a flecked, speckled or iron rich stoneware. Many pieces parts of the raw clay body are left exposed for the senses and aesthetic purposes.
Once thrown the pots are left to dry until they reach the leather hard stage. Where they are trimmed on the wheel, foot rings added and handles attached. Here they become their final form and are left until they are bone dry and ready for their bisque firing which reaches temperatures up the 1000 degrees.
Trimming/turning
Glazing
All glazes are mixed and sieved, glazes recipes have been carefully formulated and tested. Then each pot is dipped by hand. Each piece is individual and unique due to how the glazes interact with the clay body during a gas firing.
Firing
Two separate firings occur to reach the final product. The bisque firing being the first and the glaze firing the second. The glaze firing predominately a gas firing, involves a twelve hour shift, constantly monitoring the temperature and reduction by increasing and decreasing the gas and air that’s in the kiln. This firing we aim to reach between 1280-1300 degrees. Then we say a little prayer to the kiln gods and wait patiently for the kiln to cool down ready to unload the pots.
