Blog - Page 16 of 36 - Marian Williams Pottery

How To Make Mugs All The Same Size!

Creation How To's Mugs Studio and Equipment Tools Tools and Equipment Tutorials

I received an order for 18 mugs. Geez! Shouldn’t be a hard ask! But I NEVER make anything the same twice! I used to…so they want more…damn!

Anyway, after taking Malcolm Greenwood’s class, I now know how to get mugs consistently the same size with little pain! Firstly, you need to use the same amount of clay – Check out the previous post on how to determine how much clay you need for various pots – Click Here!

Tombo, pottery, malcolm greenwood, pottery tools — Tombo in a bowl.

Then you need a measurement device. The Tombo, originally created and used in Japan, is the niftiest tool ever! And I made my own, thanks to Malcolm’s class! All you need is a little bamboo, a drill and a wooden skewer- all set!

Tombo-Malcolm Greenwood-pottery — Malcolm Greenwood – demonstrating how to make a tomb.

tombo-malcolm greenwood-pottery tools — Cutting the bamboo for the tomb.

Easy Peasy! Mine wasn’t as pretty as his, but worked well all the same! Give it a go!

Happy Potting!

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French Butter Keeper

Creation Tutorials

French Butter Keepers - Bisqued — French Butter Keepers – Bisqued

French Butter Keepers-Glaze-Stoney Matt Blue

Butter! Is there anything better?! Australia and New Zealand, I my humble opinion, have taken butter and dairy products, in general, to a whole new level! They are awesome!

I used to make French Butter Keepers/Bells eons ago and had kind of forgotten about them. But I’ve decided to let them “resurface” into my pottery inventory as they are always good sellers!

A French Butter Bell works to keep your butter fresh and soft without the need of refrigeration! Wonderful for all us butter-lovers out there!

Here is how it works!

If you would like to find out a bit more about the French Butter Keeper/Bell, here is a link explaining all about the French Butter Bell.

I prefer a design with NO knob on the lid as it sits nicer on the table. Here are some excellent examples.

French Butter Keeper - Cascadia Stoneware — French Butter Keeper – Cascadia Stoneware

French Butter Keeper - Page Pottery — French Butter Keeper – Page Pottery

French Butter Keeper - Amy Manson Pottery — French Butter Keeper – Amy Manson Pottery

dark stoneware, drippy glazes, rustic rainbow drip tumblers

How To Figure Out How Much Clay You Need ….

Creation How To's Projects Tutorials

I generally “guess” how much clay I need to make a mug, bowl, or plate. But as I’m trying to become a better potter and more productively consistent in my work, I decided that I needed to figure out a way to get the right amount of clay before starting! What a novel idea!

Anywho…found this great website page that gives the weights of clay needed for making various pots! Most helpful!

Have a look HERE at Lakeside Pottery. They have heaps of other great stuff too!

No.	Finished Item After Firing *	Clay’s weight lbs./oz.	Height inches **	Width inches **
1	6 oz. coffee mug	10 oz.	3.0	3.0
2	8 oz. coffee mug	14 oz.	5.0	3.0
3	14 oz. beer mug	1 lb. 5 oz.	7.0	3.5
4	Saucer	13 oz.	1.0	5.5
5	Large dinner plate	4 lb.	1.25	11.5
6	Medium dinner plate	3 lb.	1.0	10.0
7	Side plate	2 lb. 3 oz.	1.0	8.0
8	Bread and butter plate	1 lb. 5 oz.	.75	6.5
9	Large bowl	5 lb. 12 oz.	6.0	12.0
10	Medium bowl	4 lb.	4.5	10.0
11	Small bowl	1 lb. 6 oz.	3.0	6.0
12	Large mixing bowl	4 lb.	4.5	10.0
13	4 quart casserole	5 lb. 12 oz.	8.0	12.0
14	2 quart casserole	4 lb.	4.5	8.5
15	1 quart casserole	2 lb. 3 oz.	4.0	6.5
16	cream pitcher	14 oz.	5.0	3.0
17	1 pint pitcher	1 lb. 8 oz.	6.5	4.0
18	4 pint pitcher	5 lb. 12 oz.	14.0	6.0
19	Large teapot	4 lb. 6 oz.	8.0	8.0
20	Medium teapot	3 lb. 6 oz.	6.0	6.0
21	Small teapot	2 lb. 3 oz.	4.5	5.0
22	1 liter wine decanter	4 lb. 6 oz.	12.0	6.0
23	Small wine decanter	2 lb. 11 oz.	8.0	5.0
24	Large storage jar	5 lb.	12.0	5.0
25	Medium storage jar	3 lb. 6 oz.	10.0	4.0

* “Finished Item” assumes Clay’s total shrinkage is 11-12%

** Height and width are to be measured on the freshly thrown pot.

(as seen on website)

Weigh away, clayers!

Glaze Firing Results – There Is A Silver Lining!

Cone 10 Firings Firing Glazes Glazes and Glazing Results Top Slid

I really like to think that clouds have silver linings, but when I peeked in the kiln and saw the horrible dripping of copper red glaze off of 30 mugs, I threw a fit (literally!).

Opening the kiln - it was apparent that there was alot of dripping! — Opening the kiln – it was apparent that there was alot of dripping!

It’s embarrassing. That’s why I don’t actually like for anyone to be around when I first open the kiln. Opening the kiln is sort of a ritual. It is very personal with me. ANY comments from by-standers can be taken offensively – even if they were not meant to be so by the offender. So it is best that I’m alone when I open the kiln.

The red glaze just ran off the white base glaze! But I did get reds!

The results were ridiculous! I know better! But I did get good reduction and great reds!

But…..

There was a silver lining!

Copper Red with Rutile Blue - sprayed. — Copper Red with Rutile Blue – sprayed.

After all the horrors of the stupid application mistakes that I had made:

Mixing new glazes batches of tried and true glazes
Mixing and using totally new glazes
Trying new combinations
Trying new application techniques

A jewel – a success – emerged! Copper Red (2 different recipes) sprayed one on top of the other) and Rutile Blue sprayed over wax on PB103 clay. Simple. Why has this taken me so freakin’ long! Now to replicate!

So what did I do with all those mugs? You got it! Binned them!

In the bin- no refiring or saving was possible! Best to start again!

The great news is that it is just clay. Just glaze. Just time.

It isn’t cancer or death or anything life threatening.

So I must quit my bitching, be thankful for my life and all the good things! Like Ronnie and Sam and Liz (who I will see soon!! in Texas!)!

My firing buddies! Ronnie, my husband, and Samantha Scout wait patiently for me to finish firing the kiln. I think it has something to do with hunger and cooking!

Peace out!

Marian

Gary Hambleton

Amazing Potters Copper Reds Glazes Inspiration

Thanks so much to Anna of Anna’s Ceramics for clueing me into this Gary’s work!

Gary Hambleton, of Western Australia, is a master potter and his glaze work is unbelievable!

I am absolutely transfixed by his glazes – on his masterfully created clay works!! Wow!

I’m so jealous of his copper reds, chuns, and the overlaps! This is what I aspire to!

So there isn’t much out there on the web about Gary Hambleton except his Facebook page. You can see more of Gary’s work on his Facebook Page.

So I did what any good facebooker would do, I DM’d him and asked for his bio. He graciously emailed me back and this is what he said:

Gary Hambleton Studio Potter

Born in London UK 1958 and immigrated to Australia in 1973

“I started at Courtland’s pottery in 1974 where I was taught by Barry and Grenville Courtland. Courtland’s produced a large range of Terracotta Garden Pottery in its earlier years and salt glazed stoneware early last century. A family business with skills past down over the last 160 years in Australia. I was lucky to get my training there!.

In 1979 I started work at Austware pottery making stoneware being paid by the piece “piece work” until September 1985 when I was asked to be the resident potter at the Old Cheese Factory in Balingup. Over the next three years developing my own style of work. I built The Old Stables Pottery “My own pottery” in 1989 where I made a wide range of domestic stoneware and one off pieces until 2004, when I sold up and moved to Nepal to live with my wife Tara and son James. In Nepal I spent time working with potters in remote villages learning how pots have been made with primitive technology for thousands of years, “Amazing”.

On one of our trips back to Australia I spent a summer working at Happs Pottery. In 2010 I moved back to Australia with two more kids Jason and Isha to start again.

I now am working from a small studio at home in Bunbury.

“Inspiration” comes easily from a rich history of form, texture and colour, and from just about every culture on earth plus a love and passion for what I do. After all these years I am still like a little kid at Christmas waiting to see the results and surprised from the next kiln load.

I love my work and hope you do to!”

And we DO love your work!! And I want to hear more about your time in Nepal – so interesting!

I’m requesting a glaze/throwing workshop! Are you in?! He has said “yes” if the situation is right!

So, go check out his FB page, like him, and see more of his totally WOW!! work!

Jealousy Yours,

Marian

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Why Aren’t Potters Credited In Magazine Photos?

Amazing Potters Inspiration Musings Top Slid

I was recently reading the Australian Gourmet Traveler magazine, when I noticed that the bowls used in an article were those of Malcolm Greenwood’s, potter extraordinaire of Sydney.

When I asked him if they were indeed his bowls, he said, “Yes, they are my bowls!! no doubt there was no mention of the maker. Rockpool is using my plates and bowls for all of their mains now,”

That is so true! Why don’t they credit the artist of the pottery in the photo? Often times, it will say, “Props property of food stylist” or some such, but they SHOULD have to give credit to the potter for the plate or bowl which the food sits upon!

Here are some examples of his work! Fabulous!

In a previous blog post, I talked about the “slow food” movement and the resultant effect should also be the “slow pottery” movement.

By the way, congrats to Malcolm Greenwood! That is so awesome that your pots are so gorgeous and that they are being used in a famous restaurant!

For more information on Malcolm Greenwood’s work, check out his website by clicking HERE.

Here is a great blog post on Malcolm and his work.

This is also a great article about Malcolm’s work with a cafe and his innovative design of functional pottery.

Another great web article about Malcolm is HERE,

I recently attended a workshop that he did at the Gold Coast Potters Association (see blog post about that here) and it was fantastic! Learned so much and my pottery is improving based on techniques that he taught!

We are talking about him doing a workshop here at my studio! So if you are interested in attending, be sure to let me know as places will be limited.

Peace out!

Marian

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Fireborn’s Oriental Glazes!

Amazing Potters

I LOVE Oriental glazes! They are just so colourful and yum and difficult and sensuous and they are what I strive for! Daniel Vito and Donna Hetrick’s Fireborn Studios in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a studio, gallery, and classroom!

Their website has some great info and great pics of the glazes I would kill for! Luv to all you potters out there!

Computerizing Your Glaze Recipes: HyperGlaze

Glazes Glazes and Glazing Recipes Top Slid

Glazing! It can be your passion, but also your nemesis!

HyperGlaze.

Here is the verbage straight from their website as to what it will do for you as a potter:

What is HyperGlaze X?

“HyperGlaze X(tm) (version 10)is easy-to-use glaze software designed for artists who use ceramic materials, HyperGlaze can be used as a database to store clay and glaze recipes and to list raw materials and their analyses. It also has many powerful tools for glaze calculation.

It’s frustrating when you can’t find a certain glaze recipe among all your notes and papers. Or when want to mix up a batch of 18 pounds instead of the 500 grams the recipe yields in your notebook. Or when you want to substitute an ingredient. You can spend all your time sifting through notebooks and old magazines, and you can sit down with a pencil and do a lot of tedious recalculation.
Or you can let HyperGlaze do the calcuations for you!

No more lost recipes! Searching is easy and fast. HyperGlaze is an easy-to-use glaze notebook, a sophisticated glaze calculator, and an invaluable teaching tool — all in one!

Accurate glaze mixing! Automatically figures ingredient amounts for a batch of any size. Converts grams to pounds and vice versa.

Fix glaze problems! No Albany Slip? Gerstley borate gone again? No problem –recalculate your favorite glaze with new ingredients. Unwanted crazing? Make a few adjustments to the thermal expansion! You can even create a new glaze from scratch. The well-written help stack guides you through these steps.

HyperGlaze is simple enough for anyone to use, but its powerful features satisfy even the most demanding glaze chemist.”

Sounds great! But it would require some serious computer time! But…I think I’ll give it a try!

Here are some of the screen shots so that you can see what the software looks like. HyperGlaze Screen Shots

Let me know if you have used it (or other software) and what you think!

How To Add a Shopping Link to Your Facebook Page!

Events Uncategorized

As a potter, we are always looking for good ways to market our pots. Thanks to Lori Watts at Fine Mess Pottery for the great blog post on how to add the Shop button to your Facebook page!

Here is the link to that post! Thanks, Lori!

Click Here!