Behind The Scenes

* I enjoy hand moulding each of my items so that they are a one of a kind piece. My passion is in the decorating of each piece. I use many different techniques from using wax to draw a design before glazing , to carving my designs into glaze and or another layer of coloured clay. I also love just experimenting with glazes to try and achieve colours that surround us both above and below the ocean. 

* Firstly I Choose the type of clay I want to use for a particular piece. Different clays give different textures so this also helps capture the essence of the piece.

* Next I cut out and hand mould the clay into a unique form.

* Some of my pieces are  carved into a white slip which is applied after letting the clay dry to leather hard. When at the perfect dryness to carve , I let my imagination go and design the image.

*It then takes approximately 1 week for each item to dry (depending on the weather)

*The first firing is to dry out the clay completely ready for the glaze to be applied. This takes approx 10 hours at around 1000 °c.

* Glaze is applied at this stage and once dry it is returned to the kiln

* The second and final firing takes another  approx 12 hours at 1220 °c upwards

* Once all of these steps are completed I open the kiln and hold your breath.!!!!