Shaun Hall's Raku Ceramics Blogspot

My website is back up live! It needs a bit of tweaking to bring it up to date, but thanks to my good friend and chief designer - Bergy it is live. He did a great job for me. Have a look and hopefully it will get updated as we go. That's my aim anyhow in between making pots....and teaching....if I get a chance! http://www.shaun-hall-raku.com/

A big thanks to Dr Badar Al Malmari of Sultan Quboos University. I picked up my package posted all the way from Oman, and lo and behold is my copy of "Ceramics and Glaze"- just about the only book on the subject written fully in Arabic! Ok, my Arabic is not that good- but I am featured in the Raku section- next to David Roberts. Pretty good eh?! Anyway if this carries on- I am going to need to put up another another bookshelf. Fifth book now- now I just need to sell some bloody pots....

You may remember my last disastrous attempt at building a Raku box type kiln. Suffice to say it didn't work- and the temperature stacked at 800 degrees c. This time I've recycled the fibre and mesh and reverted to the tried and trusted barrel type kiln- and dug out my old raku kiln given to me by a fellow potter. Essentially I've made a top hat to fit on the kiln base- and I am firing tommorow to check it reaches temperature.. It better bloody had I am doing a Raku firing demo on Saturday as part of the Braintree Arts Festival in Essex. I'll be stuffed if it doesn't work!

I photo'd up some work recently and some of the results can be seen below. These are the last of a batch of pots I've making since around Christmas- yes it does take me that long to get work together these days! One of the pots is already sold to a customer at   Pell Stevens Architects literally the day after it first appeared on Facebook.

It was time to visit Southwold again this weekend and a visit to   Buckenham Galleries , to resupply them with pots. This is a  lovely gallery showing Fine Arts, sculpture and painting- as well as ceramics, including pots by Robin Welch.  I have  been dealing with them  since  2006/7 and it's always been a successful place to show and sell work. It was nice to meet new people at the gallery, although much missed is Becky Munting,  the former gallery manager- now focusing on her painting career. Her work can be seen here: http://www.beckymuntingart.co.uk/ Below: Some of the work now on show at Buckenham Galleries, Southwold, Suffolk

A very nice surprise indeed at the weekend. I was contacted by Dr Badar Al Malmari from Oman to confirm that he'd just published his book- "Ceramic Glaze". I'm in the section on Raku. (There's my "Nuclear Jug" in copper matte at the bottom of the page.)  I believe this to be the first book on the subject to be published in the Middle East. I'll let you know when I receive my copy although I doubt I will be able to translate it!

I finally got my hands on the "State of Art" book which arrived this morning. It's primarily a "fine art" book,  focusing on sculptors and those working in 3d/craft. I would say that my entry sits somewhat incongruously in there- but there a couple of other makers  featured who also work with clay. Anyhow I am really pleased to have received my copy. This is the 4th book I have been featured in since 2009, and I have 3 pages devoted to my work which is really good.