Making a jug for Chelmsford Museum- December updates

Chelmsford Museum- Making a Jug-Update

You may have been aware that I've had quite a task to make a special piece of Raku for Chelmsford Museum in Essex. They have a brand new Studio Ceramics Collection and have asked me to contribute a Jug.

The Jugs date back to some of my earliest pieces- but have evolved over the years into the "streamlined" form with circle or spot motiffs. (see opposite) They're much changed to the original pieces which I sold back in 1998/9 to Selfridges and Co in London.

The only problem (and the reason I don't make many these days!) is that they're notoriously difficult to "fume" with copper matte slips. The larger the piece you make- the more difficult it is to get the copper fuming to spread across the piece. Coupled with the thermal shock from the rapid cooling and reduction process- and you've got cracking to contend with. I think it's enough to turn a Potter's hair white!

Having said that- I now have at least 2- possibly 3 examples which I'm satisfied with. I have four more Jugs to fume. It's a great relief to have made them and got most of them fired. There's always a moment during the process where you think "can I actually do this?"

More on the final Jug contenders later this month!

View the making process on facebook-

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.301745003258779.54427.100002698447610&type=3

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Some more Crater glaze test results

I've been blathering on about Crater and Lava Glaze recipes here and on Facebook too. I suddenly "got the bug" as well as a commission- (more on this later) so hence the rather manic activity testing out glazes and destroying kiln shelves in the process with runny, bubbling glazes.

I tested 2 recipes- after first trying the usual recipes from the internet and in various books. As I suspected - few of them gave satisfactory results- either it was "pilot error" or the glaze authors just happen to neglect to tell you that vital missing ingredient, kiln temperature or soak time etc! (Know the type of thing?)

Anyway I resorted to testing 2 standard glaze recipes which I've had for years. A turquoise matte and a Lucy Rie white stoneware. The jury is still out on the turquoise variant- but the white is rather nice. A little suggestion from Potter Jan Lewin Cadogan http://www.janlewin-cadogancontemporaryceramics.co.uk/
put me right by suggesting to mix the glaze …

New work at Online Galleries part 1

Lots of new work is now up and online at #Artintheheart. This is a great site founded by Dawn Birch James, and has an eclectic mix of British arts and crafts. She's looking for new talent and especially Potters!

Have a look at my store for decorative Chawans and bowls.

https://www.artintheheart.co.uk/marketplace/store/raku-ceramics-by-shaun-hall/

Mo Jupp

My connection to Mo was as a student at Middlesex University in the dog days of the ceramics course during the 90's. He was my personal tutor for four years. Diminutive of stature and blinking in the funny way he did, we all came to love him as a tutor.
Middlesex then, had a reputation for slip casting and mold making, and I was awful at both! Instead I had more of an interest in sculpture rather than functional tableware. Mo seemed to take an interest in my progress. He was very perceptive of individual students' abilities and offered guidance without ever dominating the discussion. He could be critical of course, but in such a way that was constructive and not "dead ended."
At times he played down his reputation ,when we first year students twigged what a great artist he really was. He simply claimed that he was a big fish in a small pond unlike his heroes - Giacometti or Modigliani. Modestly he said his income nearly all came from teaching. Yet here was a g…

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