Fascinating to follow some of these pots through all the steps of making, decorating, and firing, right up to unloading from the kiln. Love the wood ash jugs! Inspiring stuff. On the bleak winter day, you're just what's needed.
I found your video very helpful and as I am just learning to do these things and understand glazing and firing and the outcome, It is invaluable instruction, thankyou
Lovely pottery! Missed my opportunity to participate in your workshop last June due to a death in the family... Spring of 2016 my nephew will marry his sweetie and Aunt Janice will be in Connecticut to witness the vows and if possible attend a Simon Leach workshop! Watching your videos is always inspiring. Thanks, Janice
Really enjoy seeing you throw, glaze and then the final results! I appreciate seeing the issues you encounter since I have some of the same ones. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for another year of great videos...you continually inspire. I know how much work it all is ... So I wish you a profitable, as well as a happy and healthy 2015.
A couple of things you might try to eliminate the bloating. In the early part of the glaze firing (1200-1700 °F) go slower to allow more time for the gasses to escape. Second thing is to not start any reduction until cone 5 if finishing at Cone 10. This provides more oxygen for the escaping carbon to bond with. It may be that your new kiln is heating up faster than others you have had. Slowing down both bisque and glaze firings should help
I think if it was easy to do everyone would be doing it. What I love about the type of art you do, it leaves it up to God to create the outcome. I used to be in Construction (plasterer) to make a living and my best and most exciting job was creating an interior wall finish which I had very little control over the outcome. It wasn't until the walls dried that you could see the finial finish. Much like a Venetian plaster wall finish. For me it isn't as much as the shape as it is the finish. An old man once told me "you can sell shit if you put it in a pretty bottle" and he was absolutely correct!
Merry Christmas back at you, the best to you and yours. Now this is serious, you must cover the ceramic fibre that are at the top of your kiln, loading and unloading. I know that cough, you are suffering, I get it when working with fiberglass. Not a good sign. Love your work.
Nice clip, and a great kiln load.I also have the bloating prob with my darker clay (aardvark Jamaica)when i go to cone 10.some times the bloat can ad something to a piece in my opinion by creating a more interesting surface, but its all just the luck of the kiln isnt it......alchemy its what i like about stoneware! Merry Christmas,John C
Stunning pitchers! They remind me of birds of paradise - the brightly plumed males and the demure females. I would like to hear your conclusions about the firing after you have considered the results.
Dear Simon, first of all thank you for all your videos and your fantastic book. I would love to see you make that olive oil pitcher with the stopper you unpacked in this video at 7.26. Any chance you'll share a video on that? Grretings from Germany!
Hi Simon! Merry Christmas! What lovely results. I dont get bloating any more but I fire very slowly. Maybe your European Clay has less gas content than north ametican clay? Anyway...a slow climb in the bisque and glaze firing got rid of my ptoblem.
Simon, we were wondering here what was that wonderful glaze you call "white" used on the tea bowls? Would you mind sharing the recipe? Black pitchers are just breathtaking.
