Information

What I make and why it is special

Firing  

All of the work is once fired and soda glazed. It has become an increasingly important part of the making process. This way of firing ceramics introduces an element of risk and unpredictability which is not a part of conventional high temperature glaze firings. When a sodium product, in this case sodium bicarbonate , is mixed with water and then sprayed into the kiln at high temperature the resulting vapour is drawn through the kiln chamber where it reacts with the silica and alumina present in the clay. The pots then have a glaze surface which shows the direction and passing of this vapour.

The soda kiln at Hooks Cottage is the second of its design. The first was built of a home made castable refractory in 1992. The construction details are in Ruthanne Tudball's book 'Soda Glazing'. The present kiln is of the same size and shape but is built from insulating firebricks. It is fired on propane using two Aeromatic Barter FR100 burners.

For further information on soda glazing:

'Soda Glazing' Ruthanne Tudball. A&C Black ISBN 0-7136-3903-2

'Salt Glazing' Phil Rogers. A&C Black ISBN 0-7136-4821-X

'Salt Glaze Ceramics' Rosemary Cochrane.Crowood Press ISBN 1-86126-435-6

Jack's Making Techniques

All of my production work is thrown. I enjoy decorating the pots while they are still fresh and wet on the wheel. I use avariety of tools, often found objects like broken hacksaw blades, dismantled pens, jar lids, to indent, mark and rib the soft clay. I try to allow the decorating to change the form, altering and shaping it, using brave marks to make each piece individual.

The darker pots are thrown with an interior layer of clay which has been stained with copper carbonate. The paler pieces have a thin wash of copper applied to the surface when the pots are dry 

The large plates and dishes are formed from soft pocelain slabs which are drawn on, pierced, stretched and manipulated before being shaped in simple wooden frame molds.

Clays

The majority of my thrown and slab pieces are made from Harry Frazer porcelain. A smaller number of the translucent cups and beakers are of Les Blakebrough's Southern Ice Porcelain.

UK Suppliers

Harry Frazer porcelain (1149)                                                  Southern Ice

Potclays Ltd.                                                                           Potterycrafts Ltd.

Brickkiln Lane                                                                         Campbell Road

Etruria Stoke-on-Trent ST4 4ET                                                Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7BP

01782 219816                                                                         01782 745000

www.potclays.co.uk                                                                 www.potterycrafts.co.uk