Simona Stollo - Mike Goddard 2014

Hello Everyone

I started my apprenticeship with Mike Goddard on the 7th January 2014, for

the next 12 months. Mike lives between England, Bequia and France.  It has

been a full month of learning ... throwing, wedging, glazing, firing, tile

making and much more... I am enjoying every part of it!!! Mike and Maggie

are both very good teachers and there is a lot to learn!!! How exciting!!

On the first day, I started with packing a stoneware biscuit firing,

following the firing... Keeping an eye on the kiln temperature, making sure

that it followed a certain graph and, above all, checking that temperature

was going up and not down.

In the first week I Helped pack a rail kiln, gas fired.

During this week I was also assigned my first project, making 6 mugs,

decorated with sgraffito techniques.... mission accomplished!!  Hummm...

not sure about pulling handles, so I used a different method, and kept

practising every day... it's getting better...

By the second week my project was designing a beaker...set of 6 beakers with a jug.

Well.. mission accomplished.

Third week, tile making, trittico!! (a triptych) Well I managed to do a

trittico and a set of 4 tiles. I have now decided that I will make a tile

border for it, I think it will look much better!! Mission is accomplished in

part as a new idea has developed.

For my fourth week I have to create a clock,  mixing the techniques of

throwing and hand building..let's see how will go...

I have not just concentrated on my projects, but helped in the pottery with

all sort of tasks, from recycling clay, making glazes, waxing, and

improving my throwing. I am also learning repetitive throwing with GP

bowls.. It is not a Gran Prix bowl but a General Purpose!! :-)

I would like to thank you all, Adopt a Potter's organiser and you,

the donator, for creating such a wonderful opportunity!!

With Gratitude

Simona

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