I've been busy making this week but also doing more photography, I'm hoping to build up my skills in this area to get the website looking a bit better. I'm planning to do the individual shots this week and clarify the glaze finishes too, up to now I've been playing really - have a look!

 
Cross section with lots of different shapes and glazes, I like the comparision of the glazed surfaces and myself I have a real miss - match of glazes in my pottery larder.



 
From large ceramic trays to individual sauce pots and they come in different shapes, over time we'll see which shapes and glazes are most popular.


 
I've put together condiment sets before but I like the idea of using the tray so whilst all your dips are invessels your bread sticks or crackers, carrot sticks etc can sit losely in the tray, wrapping around the dishes, that could look really effective, I'll try that out myself!
 


Set of three milk jugs, again playing with shapes but I do love this blue glaze.
And as I already said I like the contrasts, as evident below.

 
Whilst some people like sets!


Like I said, been busy throwing this week!


I've sort of had a day off today, in that I didn't do any throwing! 

I did however do a whole load of glazing, enough for the next two kiln loads as I have a load of little jug examples to sort and a load of breakfast bowls. I'm also testing two new glazes. This is always a bit difficult as it's the thickness of the glaze that matters and this does differ glaze to glaze and on vertical or horizontal surfaces.


I spent some time today playing with photographs, trying to get a few images to add to the web site. There's new products to add and I just need to get better at this as I'm relying on other people's photo's a lot, not good!


I like the little jugs above, the blue glaze came out a little darker than expected but the overall finish is good, I do pot bellied ones too, hopefully more photo's to follow.


Here's a few more, comparisons of glazes and below, shapes, sizes and textures. 


With everything, this is showing me more practise needed! I've left the light tent up so I can practise more regularly. I'll make it my aim to photo every time I empty the glaze kiln, that should help and get me photographing two to three times a week.

Glaze kiln firing samples now for a restaurant I'm really looking forward to visiting!

So, after just a year of thinking about throwing full time, making a business from it, it seems to be moving ahead. It's great to have full days to throw and amzing to see how much can be achieved when your not stopping and starting for other jobs etc. It amazes me how quickly the days go but I know part of that is the day dreaming I'm doing whilst throwing and if not that the books that are being read to me from my kindle. That said, I love throwing!


Practising techniques continues, here a lidded jar, I love the pot bellied shape, just got to get my proportions right on the lid and the level it sits in. Next step is teapots, I'm doing research to figure out shapes I like and how I want them to look.


This is the kiln's control panel, it monitors the kiln for me, I'm testing the pyometer at the moment to see how accurate it is as I think sometimes it over fires, to do that you use 'cones' which will curl over at a given temperture, so you do lower, on and above 'cones'.



I've been asked what's behind me in the pottery and it's one of my favourite paintings that Jon completed, 'Snow on the Long Myund'. It's a large oil painting. There's been a lot of snow recently and we ran up the Myund yestarday. If you don't know it the Long Myund is a high area of undualting hills, they locally call it 'Little Swizterland'.


And below, the melted cones, the first set are from a biscuit firing and that looks spot on but the second set are from a glaze firing and I think the kiln is firing too high, I've changed the setting, refired over nite so we'll see when I open it if it makes much difference!