As a production potter, my work area is organized to facilitate the creation of hand-thrown stoneware pottery. Every tool and piece of equipment plays a crucial role in transforming raw clay into beautiful, functional products.
My motto is: "the working potter and pottery that works"
LAYOUT OF A WELL-PLANNED POTTERY SHED
A well-planned pottery shed optimizes workflow, enhances creativity, and ensures safety. Here's how my space is organized:
1. Throwing Area: The pottery wheels are placed near ample natural light, creating a serene working environment. This allows me to monitor the local wildlife consisting of - 34 bird species, kangaroos, lizards, and the occasional tortoise.
2. Trimming and Glazing Area: Adjacent to the throwing area, this space is equipped with sturdy work tables, benches, and racks for drying greenware and holding glazed pottery. The local climate is ideal for drying pottery, often allowing me to make, turn, dry, and fire pieces in Sparky (our electric kiln) on the same day.
3. Kiln Area: The kilns are housed in separate, well-ventilated sections of the shed, with easy access for loading and unloading.
4. Storage Solutions: Shelves, bins, and cupboards are integrated throughout the shed, keeping tools, raw materials, and finished pieces organized and within reach.
This layout maximizes productivity and fosters a harmonious environment where creativity and craftsmanship can thrive.
KILNS: The Backbone of the Pottery
We have three main kilns in two external roofed areas:
1. Hercules & Opal (Gas Kilns): These workhorses offer versatility and control over the firing atmosphere, crucial for achieving specific glaze effects and finishes. They're ideal for reduction firing, which produces unique and varied glazes by restricting oxygen supply.
2. Sparky (Electric Kiln): Our reliable partner for bisque firing and occasional glaze firing. Its precise temperature control ensures uniformity and predictability, for firing and glaze testing.
POTTERY WHEEL: The Heart of Wheel-Thrown Pottery
The wheel is where the magic begins. Each piece starts as a lump of clay, centred and shaped in a rhythmic process that requires a keen sense of touch and timing. Achieving uniformity across a range of products takes time and practice.
The Venco Pottery Wheel shown here is mounted on blocks to serve as a standing wheel.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Our pottery shed is stocked with an array of tools, some handmade, each serving a specific function:
- Ribs and Scrapers: For shaping and smoothing clay
- Trimming Tools: For refining forms and removing excess clay
- Needle Tools: For intricate details and precise cutting
- Sponges: For smoothing surfaces and managing moisture
- Calipers: For ensuring consistency in
dimensions
- Banding Wheel: For applying wax and brushing on slips
- Extruder: For producing handles and coils
- Giffin Grips: For holding custom-made chucks during turning
- Repurposed Credit Cards: Used as ribs in various shapes
- Texture Stamps & Wheels: For creating patterns on damp ware
GLAZING AREA
The glazing station houses buckets of pre-made glazes ranging from earthy tones to vibrant hues. Glazing is both an art and a science, requiring a deep understanding of chemistry and intuition. We mix our glazes and use various application techniques such as pouring, brushing, dipping, spraying, and layering.
DISPLAY & STORAGE
Our shed features well-organized storage for raw materials and works in progress:
- Mobile storage unit for raw materials and glaze ingredients
- Drying racks for bisqued and glazed pottery
- Labeled timber boards for holding glazed pottery before final firing
The pottery shed is more than a workspace; it's a place where creativity flows and ideas come to life. From the hum of the potter's wheel to the roar of the gas kilns, the fighting kangaroos, nervous lizards and hysterical kookaburras this is where clay is transformed into the pottery you love and celebrates the timelessness of hand-thrown pottery.
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