Shaun Hall's Raku Ceramics Blogspot

A good friend and colleague set me a challenge recently to make a series of Neolithic bucket pots for a Primary school teaching initiative which she is setting up. She is collating some resource materials to send to schools- and asked for a replica pot based on the finds from White Colne in Essex. Not too far away from here I live in Halstead, interestingly.  With nothing but a jpeg drawing to go on, I have imagined this replica pot- constructed from coils. This was a good laugh to do as I 'm not normally known for my coiling technique. In fact I'm pretty awful so I have a lot of respect for these Neolithic Essex potters.  Anyway, because I live in a built up area I am going to saggar fire them in my Raku kiln with wood shavings and straw to try and replicate the wood fired finish of the originals. Albeit in a more modern manner!

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 g...

July updates.... Well I had a very nice trip back up to Southwold over the weekend to resupply Buckenham Gallery manager, Becky Munting- with some small sculptures and lots of lovely new Raku bowls!  It was very hot at Southwold beach- too hot for me- and you'd think by now I'd be used to "frying" over a hot kiln...So  after visiting the Gallery I cooled off with a pint of Adnams real ale up at the Pier! Well someone's got to....and after all it is brewed in Southwold.  Have a look at Buckenham Galleries web page for more details http://www.buckenhamgalleries.co.uk/ Ok- I've also been busy restocking my Folksy Gallery on the internet with some little nice pieces- going quite a bit cheaper than normal. The main reason is to clear some studio space and yes - buy some some more clay with the proceeds.(You read my mind again...) This time there's sculptures I want to work on- and there's that Crater glaze to experiment with.... ...

Lava, Crater and Froth Glazes Investigating unknown territory! As  you probably are aware by now- this is a blog all about my Raku work. Well, a long time ago -when starting out at Uni,  I first began my work in clay using  stoneware electric kiln firing. This was way before "getting the bug" for Raku in my final year. I've dabbled a bit with lava glaze effects in the  Raku kiln more recently, and that went fairly well- so I've been doing a spot of research into higher temperature firing with lava glazes and slips. No harm in that I thought. About 30 glaze tests later and umpteen fired test bowls, it's been "Interesting" to say the least. I quite like the fact that the results are so tactile and yes just like Raku- so unpredictable. The silicon carbide in the glaze and slip- also add a slight element of Reduction-very subtly -albeit nothing like working with Raku. Some of the crater glazes produce huge bubbles which can be rubbed down with a...

I've been firing up some raku bowls to send out to my local Gallery stockists. It's nice to return to throwing now and again, and anyway it's very therapeutic and I don't have to think about it too much! It's also equally nice to get to play with fire again! These are some of the early results- I'm about halfway through this current batch of firing. There's some nice crackle going on and copper lustres. It was a good day for Raku-ing- calm and still-  so good conditions for the burn!    

Venue Magazine Pottery is a precarious way to earn a living even in "good times", but these are difficult conditions in which to operate a small business. Suffice to say, it's been  hard going  to make a profit from my work. Rather than get too depressed about it, I've hunkered down in the studio. It's a actually a good time to take stock- see what's not working and try out something new. There's nothing to lose! Consequently  I've fired up the kiln a few times and been busy testing out some stoneware lava glaze recipes, which I hope will be be used in conjunction with some outside - sculptural pieces. (For which Raku is less durable) I see them as very much a bridgehead between my Raku work and firing in an electric kiln- indoors.  More on this I am sure as it progresses.  I was quite pleased though with this little feature in the current issue of  Venue Magazine.   It's primarily circulated in the East of England and profiles the ...

All about Urns.... Whilst I probably focus more on sculptural work and hand built forms these days, I do like to return to the wheel "to brush up" occasionally. And whilst I am no great shakes as a traditional Potter- I find it immensely enjoyable and theraputic.  I throw on an old fashioned style kick wheel, it's not particularly old in that sense, but was handed down by my Mother and Brother who both started Pottery making back in the '70s. It lay Mothballed- along with an old Olympic kiln until I got the Pottery bug in the '90's.  Anyway, I mainly throw bowls and dishes, but occasionally I take the plunge and attempt something different. I especially like making Urns- or "Churns" - little angular pots with coiled attached lugs. They have  a vaguely ancient feel- being loosely based on Bronze and Iron  age vessels. Ok- here a few of my old favourites anyway...