Adopt a Potter

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Simona - June to September

Here, I am back on the blog... Not sure where the time has gone... I'll try to sum up my pottery experiences since my last appearance in May. A few things have changed.

In the summer I moved in South Wales to work with Joanna Howells. This has been a great opportunity for me. Before going to Joanna I had a very fun time at Rufford helping the Adopt a Potter stand with the Tombola.
While in Rufford I met Margaret Gardiner who invited me to visit her studio and assist her with firing, just before Art in Action...

Margaret putting salt into the kiln

Me putting salt into the kiln

Firing ended - Fast cooling

Enjoying a magic moment and the silent of the night. The action did not stop here, the morning became young and we carried on with other magic tricks...

As I had a great fun at Rufford, I was off to Art in Action helping with the Adopt a Potter stand on the Tombola!! Another great time raising funding for Adopt a Potter... Thank you for all the people that have made their contribution by buying a Tombola ticket. I would also like to Thank all the potters who have donated their pieces for the Tombola. It was another successful time...
WITH GRATITUDE for making our (apprentices) dream coming true....

After my days in Art in Action I moved to Wales to do my next six months with Joanna Howells. Joanna works with porcelain and stoneware

Please see Joanna website

www.joannahowells.co.uk/

Joanna has lots of experience with glazes (other magic potion going on) and above all Joanna likes to throw large pieces...

Joanna "all'opera"...

Helping with the "opera"

August

It was a very interesting month, adjusting to a new studio and planning for future projects... It was very exciting!!! What a lovely summer..

View from the pottery.....

Inside the pottery.....

Practising handles

Learning faceting

Finishing a small jug

September

I was practising those little cream jugs and faceting, then few firing going on while starting to work on my own projects.
Lots of glazes to mix. Very interesting to know, a little bit more about the chemistry behind it. I experienced first hand how an ingredient can change the end result. We had a few problems with a new "Feldspar", essential element for one of Joanna's glaze.. Well, problem resolved, when finally after endless phone calls to potter suppliers, Joanna has found the "right" Feldspar. A small sample was sent and tested with magnificent result!!! Ppphhhffff......

It was also, time to give a good clean to the studio and preparing for a workshop on throwing big pots....So, lots of pugging and more to do.

Throwing Large Pots Workshop

Joanna demonstrating

My first 5 Kilos

Workshops are also an opportunity to taste some of this lovely food served on Joanna's beautiful pots.

The fruits of the workshop....

Sunday, 2 November 2014

October

This month had been another busy one, filling orders for SeaSalt and other galleries.
At the start of the month a new apprentice arrived, from California. Drake Bialecki, so production has increased even more. We have 7 team members now, all throwing the standard ware.

I have had a chance to try out some different shapes, including tiny milk jugs, small jugs, medium and small bowls.

The tiny milk jugs/pourers are very fiddly to throw, but I got in to a rhythm and enjoyed those forms.
The small jug was also tricky because you can't fit your hand inside the form, so the bottom has to be right before you bring the clay up for the neck. They will then have a pulled handle.

This month we have also had Jeff Oestrich,a former apprentice at the Leach and now a potter in Minnesota, working in the old studio. It has been great hearing old stories about the Leach and learning all about his techniques and processes.

I have focused on my own work alongside the studio ware. I completed my first firing, which mostly consisted of glaze tests. It was quite successful, I now have 3 more glazes which I will be using in my next firing. I also spent a few days making tea pots, which was a challenge.
I chose 3 that I was happy with to keep and this one was the one I chose not to keep! I decided to cut it open and have a look at the thickness. I thought it looked really interesting, seeing a different perspective. I will post pictures of the successful teapots when they are finished!

Sunday, 12 October 2014

September

This month has been pretty busy, with the St Ives September Festival and the Cornwall Ceramics Trail. Both of these events brought more visitors up to the Leach.
We also had some Heritage Open Days which involved demos on the kick wheel as well as free tours and have a go sessions on the kick wheel. I was lucky enough to have a day throwing in the old pottery, which was a great experience.

I have also moved on to throwing some new forms from the standard ware range. This started with small bowls, then medium bowls and plates. I really enjoyed throwing some different forms and also learning to do a rolled rim on the bowls.

Britta Wengler, one of the production potters in the studio did a kiln opening of her own work as part of the ceramics trail. It is always interesting to see the personal work of colleagues.

Philip Leach came to the pottery to make his own work for a few weeks. It is good to see that the Leach family still get involved with the Pottery.

Ashley Howard and Risa Ohgi were featured in our gallery this month. They undertook a collaborative project where Ashley threw the pieces and Risa decorated them. The pieces were beautiful and the talk was interesting to see how it all began.

My friend Jordan came in to see us working and he took some pictures of us at work.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlaurencejackson

This was the unpacking of one of our kilns containing some pots for SeaSalt and some for our shop at the Leach.

The rolling of the rim took a a bit of getting used to, but it makes the rims much stronger and durable, as they are meant for every day use.

Photo:Jordan Jackson

Photo: Jordan Jackson

We are working towards another order for SeaSalt, so we are doing lots of firings and making lots of mugs!

I have also spent some more time thinking about my own work this month. I have made a batch of plates, as they are something I have always avoided making. Mugs are also something I have been neglecting, as I have made so many during work hours. So I have put in some time developing my own mugs.

Now I need to spend some time figuring out my glazes! Which is the exciting part, but also the scary part.

Friday, 5 September 2014

August

This month was very busy! We had to make, glaze, fire, package and tag all of the pots for orders, which we managed in time. Working towards an order is really good practise because you have to plan ahead for all of the stages and make sure there will be enough pieces to account for any losses. We made 1000 tiles to put in to the floor of new shops that open, so that involved a lot of cutting out and glazing very small tiles.

We had a production line for the packing of pots, to make sure we didn't miss any stages.

We fired the soda kiln this month because somebody had ordered some soda fired pots. I managed to put some pieces in the firing, which was good to see how soda would work with my designs.

Cornwall Deign Fair was also this month and the Leach Pottery had their own marquee with lots going on. We did raku firings, throwing demos, children's workshops and selling pots. The event went well and it was good to see some other makers, some local and some visitors.

Now we have had the next orders through, which will keep us busy for the whole of September, so we have all started working on those pieces. I am about to start making a different shape, the small bowls.

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

July

This month we received a large order from Sea Salt which included lots of mugs, tiles, large jugs and statement pieces. We have all been given areas to focus on, mine is the mugs. So I have been making lots of mugs. The order requires 250, but we need spare just in case.

The first few days of the week were spent throwing, then the end of the week was spent attaching handles and putting the stamps on the mugs. Now they have to dry before they can be glazed and fired. Then we wax the bases so that we can dip them in the gaze and the base won't need wiping.

Lots of the mugs have already been glazed and are ready to package. We have been doing 4 firings a week to make sure it all gets through in time!

I also fond some time to make some of my own work. I am trying out a new technique of carving right through the pot and making pieces that are decorative. Going back to throwing my own shapes really makes me see how my throwing has improved.

Sunday, 27 July 2014

June at The Leach

I moved to the Leach after a week camping nearby and getting to know the local area.
The weather was perfect all week!

There is a team of 7 currently working at the Leach. 3 permanent members of staff and 4 apprentices from various countries.

My first day involved health and safety, observation, waxing bottoms and glazing pots.

Then on the second day I moved on to throwing mugs, which I continued to do for the rest of June! The shape is really subtle and takes everybody a while to get right, I was told at least 100 mugs. After a week they were good enough to keep and put handles on, so then I spent a few days getting the handles right.

These are the Leach Standard ware mugs, which are sold in the shop, in galleries and through Seasalt, the Cornish clothing company, so half of the mugs I make I stamp with the Seasalt stamp. They have their own range of mugs that they sell through their catalogue and in their shops.

This is my wheel and work area. The practise and repetition of throwing and maintaining the same shape is the best way to improve my throwing skills.

Once a week we do a studio clean to keep the dust away and make sure tools etc are returned.

Various potters from around the world come to the Leach and run workshops and do talks. This month Yoh Tanimoto http://www.gallerygen.com/art/tanimoto-y.html came in and demonstrated his throwing technique and talked about his work. All of the apprentices are invited to attend these talks.

Thursday, 5 June 2014

Simona - April and May

April

....Brrrrr back in the UK, well Kent to be precise.

The first week of April was a shock, back to the cold and rain!!! Then a new studio (for me) to explore and clean, lots of clay to recycle that also means wedge and above all a new wheel... I always find a bit tricky to adjust to a wheel. Sometime, I feel as a wheel is part of me, an extension of my own body, it has to fit... Philosophy a part, April it has been a month for adjustments. A bit of throwing and handle practising...getting better. I am starting to be pleased with my handles. Not perfection reached yet, but content!! One day I will show my handles too..

Garlic greater and Lemon Squeezers - April throwing

May

It was a bit warmer especially with all the firing, I have been doing. Mike has a small gas fire kiln which I have packed (biscuit), and fired. I have also done a glaze oxidation firing and earthenware firing... I have also been busy with hand building: boxes and candles holders.

Some of the hand building