Burnished ware
Red earthenware clay is usually used to throw or coil build vessels, although Ivanhoe stoneware clay may be used on occasions. Coloured slip is sometimes applied just before leatherhard stage. At leatherhard the pot is burnished with the back of a spoon, a smooth pebble or similar tool to smooth the surface. It is important to get the timing right. Too early and the burnishing tool will leave marks on the surface, too late and it is difficult to obtain a very smooth surface. The pot is allowed to dry a little more, the sheen obtained from the first burnishing diminishing somewhat. The surface is burnished again to regain the shine. The pot is allowed to dry out completely and the surface is coated with corn oil (ordinary cooking stuff) which is allowed to soak in to give a dry surface. This stage is a bit disconcerting the first time you do it as the shine disappears completely. Never fear! The pot is then burnished for the last time and a deep lustrous shine is developed which is brought to its final finish by rubbing gently with the hand or fingers. The pots are biscuit fired in an electric kiln to about 850 degrees C. This is high enough to turn the clay into 'pottery' but low enough to retain the shine. After cooling, the pots are smoked in a sawdust kiln to develop subtle colours. These colours depend on the type of sawdust, how tightly the sawdust is packed and on the weather! Firing on still, damp days gives darker, more subdued effects than dry, breezy days. The outside of the pot is finished with a beeswax polish and the inside is coated with a matt or satin acrylic varnish to seal it.
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Raku ware
For Raku we use Ivanhoe stoneware clay. The work is biscuit fired to 1000 degrees C, which leaves the clay 'open' enough to withstand the thermal stresses of the Raku process. The work is glazed by dipping, pouring, trailing and brushing with high alkaline glazes of our own making. When the glazed pots have dried, often by putting them on top of the raku kiln while the previous load is firing, they are fired in a propane 'top hat' fibre kiln until the glazes melt and smooth out, although sometimes ware is deliberately under or over-fired to obtain textured or cratered surfaces. The kiln is then lifted and using gauntlets and tongs the work is transferred to a reduction chamber containing combustible materials, which is then covered. After a time, which varies according to the amount of reduction required but is usually around 20 minutes, the work is taken from the reduction chamber and plunged into cold water. When cool enough to handle the pots are scrubbed to remove the carbon deposits and reveal the bright colours, metallic effects and crackle finish typical of the Raku process
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Glazed ware
Studio white clay body from Potclays is used to slab-build, coil or throw a variety of forms. These are decorated with coloured slips and underglaze colours. They are biscuit fired to 1100 degrees C. in an electric kiln. They are then sprayed with a clear, general purpose, lead free glaze also from Potclays of Stoke on Trent and fired to 1040 degrees C.
We also make domestic stoneware items. These are thrown from Ivanhoe body, biscuit fired to 1000 degrees C, glazed with a tenmoku or dry oatmeal glaze and fired to 1260 degrees C.
Ann makes a particularly popular range of wall hangers. These are formed from thin slabs of Studio white clay with the edges pinched out very thinly and waved. After biscuit firing these are glazed with Mayco crystal glazes or with a white tin glaze with copper oxide decoration.
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Etched ware
Bottle, vase and bowl forms are thrown from white earthenware clay or from porcelain. When completely dry a design is masked out using an acrylic varnish and the unprotected areas are etched away to a depth of about a millimetre using a damp sponge.Further areas are masked and etched to develop the design often giving three or four different layers. The earthenware items are glazed with a thin transparent glaze after decorating with oxides or underglaze colours and bisque firing. Porcelain items are usually left unglazed and fired to maturity at 1260 degrees C. to give translucency in the etched areas.
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