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!

 

I'm getting loads of things finished and ready and teaching myself a few things aswell. I've never really focused before on developing new shapes but having to make jugs and cups has changed all of that, I've tried a few different shapes but for jugs I like the pot belly shapes seen here.  Not too bad to throw but difficult to turn, like everything it's practise, more practise needed! 

Plates prove that, I hadn't thrown a plate for years but taught myself over Xmas and now I'm really pleased with them.

Same goes for cups and saucers, the kiln is firing now with lots of cups, need to sort out what sizes work but I've sorted the shapes.

And here is a close up from a plate of our logo, this is to show chefs how their brand could look on the front of a plate if they want it, lots of tests happened before I got it right but I love this! 

And now we're in a position where the hobby has become the day job! Happy days! 

I'm in the middle of throwing samples for a few people, it's been great as it's forced me to practise certain techniques I  haven't used for a while.  There needs to be a few firings now and then I'll be ready to show them and see what happens. 

 Betty and Bomber have been my constant companions whilst doing all of this, they have the biggest dog bed ever by the wood burner.   They remind me to take breaks, have a stretch and that it's good to stop and chill every now and then!  Going to have more time soon to focus on this soon - happy days! 

Happy christmas and New Year everyone, it's been a while I know but honestly I was caught off guard with the Christmas orders through our online shop , I've been trying to keep everything up to date with the going's on and if you follow me on Twitter @sytchfarm or Facebook/sytchfarmstudios you may well have seen these imagines before but I wanted to say a little more about them.

The image above I asked my Dad to send to me, the reason I was lucky enough to be brought up in Cornwall was because my Dad trained to be a lighthouse keeper, and was for many years. He has some beautiful photos of sunsets and rises from the top of lighthouses and it's easy to imagine how stunning it was to see all of that. In the photo above they were being delivered a Christmas Tree from "Blue Peter", after the filming finished they had to lop off the bottom section as it was too big to fit inside!

My family was based initially in the village of St Agnes. St Agnes is well known now and pretty popular but retains a strong local community. It's from here on the cliff edges just outside the village that I get my clay from, I've been buying clay there for years. I use Doble White Throwing Stoneware which has a grainy quality when throwing and the smoothest surface when thrown. It's super strong too and a beautiful cream/white. 

Here's a photo taken by Stephen Perez of one of my bowls at 'The Coach' Marlow, part of Tom Kerridge's order, the outside of the bowl is unglazed, showing the smoothness and colour of the clay.

Stephen has been great and has put me in contact with Paul Ainsworth who owns two restaurants in Padstow. Paul loves the my work, which is great! and I'm going to be making work for his new venture 'Rooms' along with some pieces for the restaurants. I'm really looking forward to meeting Paul in the New Year and discussing what types of pots he wants. 

I've not had a lot of time off so far this Christmas, we had some late orders which I needed to make and I've been struck down by the dreaded cold that's going around, so it's either throwing or sleeping, not ideal but better now than later I guess.

I've been supplying Marcus Bean with products and he's been great helping us make contact with a few people. We're going to show at the 'Good Food Show's' in Birmingham next year and also at 'Taste' in London. It's forced me to develop my range and after Jon made me a load of batt's I've been throwing lot's of plates.

I'm trying out different styles to see what I like, and different finishes for the same reasons. I brought a flat ammonite for the plates surface which I'm playing with too, no discussions have been made yet on shapes etc but I do know that I'm going to offer three sizes of plate, dinner plate of course, side plate too, but also an in between size which I'll call a 'sandwich plate'. This idea came after talking to one of my customers who find sides plates to small if you want to add crisps/pickles/fruit to a sandwich serving but a dinner plate to big. When I have finished examples I'll load up some images.

I've selected a few more glazes too, the middle bowl is an example of one of them. The kiln is firing today and once that's done I'll experiment with the others.

These three photo's again thanks to Stephen Perez.

And with a week before the Christmas holidays are over I need to sort out the work for Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, they are showing a selection of my work in their display cabinets including hearts for Valentines Day, and make plans for The Big Cake Show in Exeter in March, sounds a long way off but it's only twelve weeks or so. I'm finishing designs for cake stands. It's possible to throw a cake platter in one piece, just need a bit of practise! And once that's sorted, again find a style I like. All busy and all good!

 Experiencing the festive season from a sellers point of view is definitely different. For years right about now has been the time of year for me to go and buy my pressies, why do I leave it so late!

We are having a flurry of sales which is great but trying to meet specific needs is hard when the making process takes a week or so for me, less so for Jon. I'm at the point now though where customers are having to choose from what I've got, no time left to glaze or throw specific styles and sizes, I've set the conservatory out as a 'pop up' to make it easier for customers and me!

 We've been excepted to show at The BBC Good Food Show's, so looking at dates and logistic's right now and also Taste in London.

Right now however, finishing orders and trying to make some work for Shrewsbury Musuem for after Christmas, I will not be working Christmas Day! I'll be reflecting on the amazing year we've had and planning the next and hopefully having a lie-in!