PHOTO ENHANCED

I found an old photo of one of my winged covered serving pieces with a large spiral knob recently and the time spent making it and others flooded back as if made yesterday. This one is thrown out of stoneware with a notch cut foot , glazed in Shino and then fired at PSUC  while working with Bill Klock sometime in the late 1990s while I was living in Cleveland. This photo came from a bunch of negatives I recently converted to digital images and the platter was made along with maybe 50 or so pots that were intended for the reduction glaze firing at Plattsburgh State or for Bill's wood kiln and in this case, the piece was dusted with a thin coat of ash prior to firing to enhance the effects. I miss those days of going back to work with Bill at the university and to his studio on the old Jersey Swamp Road, making pots, firing kilns and tending the fire while talking about his time with Bernard Leach and visits to see Michael Cardew. It is amazing that a simple photo can spark a number of memories that are held within, well beyond the image captured.

FIOLE de L'EAU

Beyond being one of the 20th centuries greatest potters, Michael Cardew (1901-1983) was known as a great teacher and this can be seen in his work he did setting up potteries in Nigeria.  Working for the Nigerian Government as the Pottery Officer in the Dept. of Commerce and Industry from 1951 to 1965, Cardew set up a pottery in Abuja and  taught pottery to  the regional Hausa and Gwari. The intent was to establish self-sufficent potteries using local clays and materials and in essence, produce various pottery cottage industry by which local potters could make and sell pottery as an occupation. This  illustrated large water jar with indiginous style decoration is made of stoneware and glazed overall in a temmoku iron glaze. This pot was made by Lami Toto (who came to work at Abuja in 1963 as one of four women potters) and was most likely made just prior to cardew leaving Nigeria. At first glance this pot closely resembles the work of Lady Kwali, but in fact, the water jar shape and design are typical of those produced in the Gwari region of Nigeria.

THE ROCK ON IPTV

For those that have not seen the documentary, THE ROCK OF ST IVES, here it is, in three parts posted up on Youtube. Though certainly not in HD, the grainy video, often with poor sound is still an outstanding testament to Bernard Leach and the movement around him including footage of Hamada Shoji, Michael Cardew and David Leach. Well worth a watch and a great insight into a potter and pottery of the period.

SOMETHING TO WATCH ON IPTV

I realize many of you have most likely seen the attached four videos from Youtube, but in the interest of becoming a multi-media conglomerate, I thought I would post these all in one place. I enjoy watching these videos time and time again and marvel at the simplicity of the various approaches to the task of throwing.

Hamada Shoji Throwing 1


Hamada Shoji Throwing 2


Michael Cardew Throwing


Bernard Leach Throwing

SLIP TRAILING

I first tried my hand at slipware back in 1991. I had always loved the works of the early American redware potters and I especially loved the work of Michael Cardew, so I thought, why not give stoneware a break.

I started testing first earthenware and terra cotta clay bodies and finally found one that suited me. The next step was testing slips to meet up with the terra cotta I was making up. I got a good fit almost right away and set about making some redware style pieces with amber glazes. Though it was working, I was just not that enthused with the look.

What I ended up deciding on was a blending of Cardew and Juan Miro. I opted to use a background of black slip over the terra cotta and then used white sliptrail designs under a nearly crystal clear glaze. Though I didn’t know it,that was the look I was going for. The new slipware became my first body of work the galleries accepted (I had only been making pots for about 18 months) and has continued to be 30% of my sales up until the present day.

I have developed a large group of designs based on both traditional slipware and my own newer style designs. I am forever using the ubiquitous spiral as well as my “landscape men” and a cast of thousands. The real love of slip trailing is that you have one shot, you can’t hesitate or it shows. The designs are instantaneous and in some distant way related to the immediacy of Zen painting. Besides, how can you go wrong with black and white?

WHY POTS?

MUR MY ATH GAR NYNTJES EN OL BYS DHE BAR; "Thou noble pot, I love thee well. In all the world thee has no equal".

A Cornish inscription carved on a Michael Cardew jug from St. Ives, circa 1925.