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25.01.2022 Notice the red dot.... that means its SOLD. My first piece in a gallery that someone liked enough to purchase it. Currently, the Townsville Art Society is hosting its annual Townsville Art Awards at the Perc Tucker Gallery (upstairs) until October 28th. I entered this vase and within a few days that magical dot appeared on my display card. I am planning to have my own small exhibition next year in July at the Jezzine Barracks gallery. I hope to start collecting pieces for this display over the next six months. I really havent done any pottery over the past month as I have been working on my pottery studio. extension. That work is nearly done so hopefully I can get back to it!

25.01.2022 I am experimenting with a particular glaze that comes out of the kiln firing quite dull and silvery all over as can be seen in the first photo. If I soak it in a mild acid solution it transforms into the second photo. Im not too fused with the crystals although they do liven up a little... but I just love the emerald green colour where no crystal have grown. Id love to experiment more with this glaze but one of the main ingredients can only be purchased from the USA and it costs over $100 just to send 5kg to Australia... let alone the other $100 it costs to actually buy 5kg of the stuff! I did have a supply that I got from the USA but the bag went under water with the flood so now I will be forced to buy some more!... I would love to see a little colour in those crystals! Thats next years project.

25.01.2022 Here are some completed pieces. I am experimenting incorporating real crystals in some of my pieces. Ive got a couple more pieces in the kiln ready to fire and then Ill pick one or two to enter in the Ceramic Awards if they go ahead. I was going to have an Exhibition in late June with Donna Beningfield at the Jezzine Barracks gallery but I assume that wont happen now. It will happen sometime and Ill display many of these works at our exhibition, perhaps next year. My next project is making table lamps with a crystalline body.

25.01.2022 Heres a load of pottery I am about to fire. I have used crystalline glazes and firing will take nearly 16hrs. I wont be able to open the kiln to check the results for a few days as it takes a while for the kiln to cool down from nearly 1300C to when the pieces are cool enough to touch. Crystalline pottery is so time consuming as each piece needs to sit on its own pedestal inside a glaze catcher. Then I will need to break off that attachment and grind the foot of each piece. Ive made up a couple of new glazes so Im keen to see if they become something special or not. When I open the kiln door in a few days time, it will be like opening pandoras box! . and I will post some photos of what I find. Stay turned!

25.01.2022 My mugs came out of the kiln still looking like mugs! Now I will go into full scale production of mugs! The glazes I use are commercial ones- AMACO Potters Choice. They are designed to be layered usually one glaze over different glaze...so the combinations are endless. I have been experimenting with different combinations and have found some that really work well. Ive got three glazes on their way from NSW in 4lt quantities so I can dip the mugs, rather than having to bru...sh the glazes on. I should have two more glazes coming from the USA so that will give me more combinations. They are quite expensive costing $125 per 4lt quantity. I am planning to have a stall at the Palm Creek Folk festival and hoping to have at least 120 mugs to sell... and hopefully Ill have at least 40 crystalline vases as well. So in between everything else, I need to get to work and see what I can do! My priority though over the next two weeks is to get something ready to submit in the North Queensland Ceramics Awards! See more

24.01.2022 Its been some time since I have found some days to actually get to make some pieces. In between I have also started to do a little glazing as well. Its like starting again as I have had to figure out what works and what doesnt. It pays to keep notes! My kiln was also upgraded to a three phase kiln and now its like a V8 instead of a struggling 4 cylinder when hitting those high temperatures. My aim is to have a stall at this years mega markets being held on Nov 23-24. Ill do some more throwing next week and then it will full steam ahead to have all these pieces fired and glazed. It will be my first market stall for the year! Ill post some finished pieces over the next few weeks. Im hoping to have good collection of mugs with a crystalline glaze.

24.01.2022 Here are the results. Overall, no disasters but I did have one glaze that didn't grow crystals. I'm not sure why but it happens! The three mugs show how different the crystals grow for different glazes in the same firing. I definitely overloaded the kiln with pieces as the kiln was struggling to keep up with the program I set, making the firing much longer than I wanted (which affects the crystal growing process) Next time, I'll space out the pieces more. The platter wasn'...t the success I was hoping for. I had big expectations but it wasn't to be. Now it's back to the pottery wheel and start the process again in making another batch of mugs. Making them is the easy part! ... It's what needs to be done afterwards in getting them finished that takes up the time and effort. I'm keen to get back to my experiment that I am working on - having a successful reduction firing in an electric kiln. That will be on next week's plan. See more

24.01.2022 At the Renegade Markets today @ Marian school until 1pm. Its the first market in five months, and its a nice day to be out.

22.01.2022 Since the flood, nearly all of my energy has gone into cleaning, packing and getting ready to move out for a while. I have just signed a six month lease so I dont think Ill get back to things like they were before the flood, until the end of the year. I did manage to find a block of time to glaze some mugs that I had made before that rain. Ive put them in the Renegade Shop at Warrina as I dont think Ill get to any markets for some time. Im hoping once Ive settled into the rental Ill get back to doing some pottery, although this isnt likely to happen for a while. My aim will be to keep the Renegade shop stocked and slowly get ready for the Mega markets in November. I had booked a stall at the Palm Creek festival but thats definitely not going to happen.... hopefully, next year!

22.01.2022 Here are a few items I will be selling at this weekends Mega Markets. I have some 50 mugs, some planters, vases, bowls and other items to put out for show. I wish I had more time to get more items ready but Ive done well to get this far s considering Ive only got started this month! The Mega Markets are being held at Calvary Christian College, Bayswater Rd, Mount Louisa from 8am until 2pm both Saturday Nov 23rd and Sunday 24th. There will be heaps of stalls there so it a great time to start your Christmas shopping. See you there.

21.01.2022 JEZZINE EXHIBITION Many thanks to all those that have come and had a look at my pottery exhibition at the Jezzine Gallery. I have been humbled by the number of pieces that have been sold. It has exceeded by expectations and I appreciate the support I have received. I look forward to the next collection of works I put together. The current exhibition ends on Wednesday October 14th. If you have purchased any items, you can collect these from Thursday next week at the Galler...y. RENEGADE MARKETS Unfortunately I will not be present at the Renegade Markets this Sunday. Due to personal circumstances, I may not be able to set up my stall at these markets until some time next year and I apologise for any inconvenience. I will keep you posted when that "Pottery" sign will be burning bright again at these markets! RETAIL OUTLETS My intention is to keep producing work whenever I get that opportunity and bring my work to the following outlets:- Renegade Gift Shop at Warrina, Botanical Style on Charters Towers Road & The Drill Hall Studio at North Ward Many thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in my work. It was always meant to just be a hobby, but it has definitely become far more than that, because of your support and appreciation.

20.01.2022 A productive morning of pottery yesterday. Im lucky to get time to make stuff once a week! I decided to try to make some casserole dishes. Not my favourite as usually when I glaze them I somehow manage for the glaze to fuse the lid with the dish together...and then I cant separate them and ! am left with an ornament! Lets see if I can not stuff these up! I probably wont do any glaze firings for a few weeks....except I have a heap of mugs I made a while ago that I am hoping to fire next week. Unfortunately, glazes for these mugs need to be brushed on and that takes ages. I currently have my daughter working on it. Slave labour!

17.01.2022 I did a workshop in Ayr over the weekend.....I think it was my first pottery workshop ever. Dennis Forshaw came up from down south to do the workshop. He works with crystalline glazes, although he specialises in firing them in a gas kiln which can give different results to an electric kiln firing. We all had to bring a few pieces to glaze. He provided the recipes. We could fire our pieces in an electric or gas kiln. The vases you can see were fired in an electric kiln. The ...glazes are different to what I have been experimenting with, so now I can do even more experimenting! He also did some wheel throwing demonstrations which I learnt much from. I definitely felt like an amateur and now feel I can improve so much more in what I can do on the wheel. I also will start doing some work with clay slips that I will colour and spray over my pieces before glazing. ... something to look forward to, as Ive just order a variety of stains from the USA...I probably wont get to this type of work for a while as Im busy preparing for my stall at the Palm Creek Folk festival. I have made a heap of mugs... just need to get them glazed now! See more

17.01.2022 I did a crystalline glaze firing with some vases that I took out of the kiln today. Im doing a little experimenting before I glaze some vases I have ear-marked to enter in the North Queensland Ceramic Awards. I get a new supply of glaze ingredients at the end of this week and Ill do another firing using these ingredients to make sure the glazes still work like they have been with the new ingredients...then Ill glaze my special pieces. My aim is simply to have a piece sele...cted to be exhibited at the Pinnacles Gallery. I have to get my entry in by the end of this month so time is running out.... hopefully I will be able to show you what I am entering...if all goes well and I dont suffer some major catastrophe! Speaking of disasters, I have 14 mugs ready to be fired. I am familiar with this clay so I am expecting my mugs to be all up standing after the firing unlike the last lot.... if these work out then Ill fire a batch of 60 mugs! I should be able to show you my glazed mugs by Wednesday...and if I dont that will mean that I am not a very happy potter! See more

16.01.2022 You are welcome to come along and see a collection of my crystalline pottery at the Art Gallery at Jezzine Barracks. Our opening night happens from 6pm on Friday September 18th. Covid has made the opening a little difficult as numbers inside the gallery will be regulated. Perhaps come a little earlier so you may get in first. We will have some refreshments at hand and will have our opening speeches at around 6:20pm. I am sharing the exhibition with Donna Beningfield who is a ...recognised and talented Townsville artist. She actually painted my portrait for the Percivals in 2014 and we have become good friends ever since. She will take up the wall space with her paintings and I will fill the table space with pottery. (We are allocated a certain section in the Gallery) If you can't make it to the Opening or want to avoid a crowd (maybe that's wishful thinking about getting a crowd!), then come another time as the exhibition runs until October 15th. The Gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday:- 10am-4pm Sunday:- 10am-1pm Monday:- closed The exhibition was planned for last year, but the flood washed that away. The exhibition was then planned for June this year but Covid locked us out so now it's on..... hopefully nothing will change in the next few weeks! I hope you can make it to our Exhibition. Thank you See more

16.01.2022 Here are my two entries in this years Nth Qld Ceramic Awards. In the next three weeks, all entries will be judged and only a selection will be exhibited. The exhibition is meant to be held at the Pinnacles Gallery from July 17- Sept 13 but well have to wait and see if the gallery will be open to the public by then. Maybe it will a virtual exhibition we view online. Im hoping one of my pieces will get exhibited with my vote going to the first piece... although I do think the other piece with the smoky quartz crystal is quite interesting!

15.01.2022 The Experiment - Trial No 2 I had another attempt in trying to produce a "reduction" atmosphere in my electric kiln. This time I fired to 800C and things did look promising. I noticed that the higher the temperature went, the less Carbon Monoxide (CO) was coming out of the kiln which indicated to me that it was being "used" up inside the kiln. When it got to 700C, I maxed out the regulator and was not able to get any CO to come out. I was so surprised that this was happeni...ng as the gas should have been oozing out. The last 100C was crucial for a successful reduction firing but for some reason I couldn't get enough CO into the kiln. After the firing, I put the gas hose into a bucket and maxed out the regulator only to see only a big bubble at a time surface. I assumed the regulator was faulty as the water should have been bubbling with gas, so I took it back to the supplier to get it looked at. Later I wondered about the actual hose from the regulator to the kiln - surely that was fine. To my horror I couldn't blow through it! A bloody hornet nest was deep inside the hose. So that explained the problem. I've cleared the hose, got back my regulator and will now do it all over again! Two glazes did show some encouraging results but it won't be for another month or so that I'll have another attempt. The saga continues... See more

13.01.2022 These are the three entries I will be submitting in this year's Townsville Art Awards. The awards are conducted by The Townsville Art Society and the entries will be exhibited at the Perc Tucker Gallery from September 25th to October 25th. There is a section for pottery so that's where you'll find my three pieces. I've been experimenting with this glaze, changing the combination and concentration of the metal oxides in it. This glaze needs to be etched by a mild acid to highlight the crystals and effect the glaze has on the clay body. I'm looking forward to more experimentation!

13.01.2022 Today I have set up a stall at Stocklands outside the Australian Geographic store. I have a range of plants in crystalline pots. A perfect Christmas gift for that person that has everything and even more perfect if they dont! Come and say hi as Ill be here until 9 tonight.

11.01.2022 Ive experimented with some glazes that fire to a higher temperature than I usually fire to. What happens (my theory) is that the seeds that are needed for the crystals to grow from, start burning out, the higher the temperature you reach....so rather than having the piece covered in crystals only those seeds that remain produce the crystals. So this time I got fewer crystals to grow but these were able to grow bigger. Not all glazes produce nice results when fired to these higher temperatures but I am happy with these two. Im looking forward to using them on some large pieces and maybe extending the time I allow for the crystals to grow. (The crystals on these pieces had five hours to grow).

11.01.2022 Im at the Renegade Markets today. Im excited because I found carrot cake cupcakes!

11.01.2022 Looks like pottery is going to take a back seat for a few months. With 32cm of water going through the house and some 60cm through my pottery space and losing both cars, things will take a while to get back to some normality. Funny as the week before the flood I made a heap of mugs and some bud vases and plant pots. Maybe when I get tired of cleaning and fixing, I can find some time to do some glazing. I am assuming all that moisture hasnt affected my kiln!

11.01.2022 These are the three entries I will be submitting in this years Townsville Art Awards. The awards are conducted by The Townsville Art Society and the entries will be exhibited at the Perc Tucker Gallery from September 25th to October 25th. There is a section for pottery so thats where youll find my three pieces. Ive been experimenting with this glaze, changing the combination and concentration of the metal oxides in it. This glaze needs to be etched by a mild acid to highlight the crystals and effect the glaze has on the clay body. Im looking forward to more experimentation!

10.01.2022 Heres my piece Im entering in the North Queensland Ceramic Awards. It is a porcelain vase, 28.5cm in height with a crystalline glaze. It is probably the best piece Ive made so far. Entries close on Monday so Ive made it with a few days to spare. You actually submit a photo and then if it gets selected I actually get to submit it. My aim is to be selected so it can be exhibited at the Pinnacles Gallery. That would be so good! I find out on Wed May 30th if its been selected.

10.01.2022 My first Renegade market since the flood. I have a collection of warped mugs for $9... Ive changed the clay and now my mugs dont warp so these will be collectors items. I also have a range of plant pots too. The markets are on today until 1pm at the Marion School.

10.01.2022 Here are some table lamps I have put together. I have made some variations that I still need to be completed so it wont be long I will be in competition with Beacon Lighting as I will have a collection of lamps! On a side note, my two entries in the North Queensland Ceramics awards got accepted so they will be included in the exhibition at Perc Tucker Gallery from July 24th to Sept 20th. At this stage it will be a virtual exhibition but Im hoping by then the gallery will be open to the public so all the pieces can be viewed directly and not via a screen. They should move the exhibition to a Bunnings store as there seems to be no restrictions there with how many people come and go!

09.01.2022 Ive started to expand what I do. Im now applying crystalline glazes to mugs and applying stains to the bowls and vases before glazing them. Now the crystals really stand out. I have so much more experimenting to do! I do love the blue nickel crystals against the red!

09.01.2022 RENEGADE MARKETS Finally I am back at the markets at Marian school on Sunday April 11th. Here are two items I will have there for sale. I have worked out a way to get a crystalline glaze to work in a bowl. I drill a 2mm hole at the bottom so the glaze can run out instead of pooling at the bottom. When it pools the glaze doesn't look nice but allowing it to run out solves the problem. Then when the glaze cools it actually fills the small hole and you wouldn't know there ever ...was a tiny hole! From time to time I make teapots but don't sell them if they don't pour well (there must be a technique to make a great pouring spout!) Anyway, this teapot does pour well. It isn't a big pot so maybe next time I make bigger ones. They actually look bigger when you make them but clay shrinks by about 14% by the time it comes out of the kiln glazed. THE EXPERIMENT - 3rd Attempt For those interested in whether I am succeeding in getting a "Reduction" firing in my electric kiln, well I had another attempt. Hope is starting to fade as things didn't work. I will probably give it a few more attempts before I wave that white flag. I have installed a flow meter that can only give 15lt/min of gas. Towards the end of the firing when I really need to give it heaps of CO gas, it doesn't seem to be enough as the CO coming out of the exhaust pipe is almost nil. So that tells me it is being absorbed in my kiln. I will either take this flow meter out or put in one that can give me a bigger flow rate. Not all glazes change in a reduction atmosphere so I will purposely make some that will change in that reduction atmosphere. I haven't given up but if the next attempt doesn't show signs of success I will be most disappointed that I may force me to visit Dan Murphy's for some counselling!

09.01.2022 I have been trying out some new glazes. Here are three that worked out well. I have a collection of glazes that I will try out over the next year or so. Some of the ingredients I have had to source from outside Australia and are quite expensive but I am excited to see if they turn out. There are so many factors that can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to crystalline glazes. Lately, I have been busy trying to get a heap of mugs and other pieces made so I can get back to the Renegade Markets. I intend to start markets again in May so hopefully by then I will be ready with lots of mugs, bowls, vases and various other pieces. ...and I'm keen to have another go of my experiment!

09.01.2022 Here are the mugs I have made for my stall at the Palm Creek Folk Festival. I sure hope lots of people would like a mug or two otherwise I will be having a mug sale! I will be there from Thursday to Sunday next week... Im not sure a pottery stall at the festival is a good idea but I will give it a go this year. Ill also bring some bowls and vases. Im hoping my solar panel will keep my battery going over the four days so I can run the "pottery" neon sign and lights. Ill bring a torch, just in case!

08.01.2022 Here are some pieces that I have made that are yet to be glazed. They are some of the largest pieces I have made and I am hoping that one of them might end up good enough to be entered in the Biennial North Queensland Ceramics Awards held at the end of July. I need a piece ready by mid April so it can be nominated so I still have time to make another piece or two if needed. Last year, I was lucky to have my entry exhibited. Lets see if I can repeat the feat! I have been trying out some new crystalline glazes and have a three that I will try on these pieces. Im hoping to glaze one piece towards the end of this week and will post the end result. Stay tuned for next post. I hope it will be worth sharing!

08.01.2022 My vase has been selected to be displayed at the Pinnacles Gallery as part of the 2018 Biennial North Queensland Ceramic Awards. The opening night is on July 27th and the exhibition is on until September 16th. My first piece in a gallery. Yippee!

08.01.2022 Im not sure I am too excited about the last firing. I got a few nice mugs and a some other items from it. I definitely will start focusing on those glazes that work best. I had a few platters in there as well and while they look fine, each of those three have cracked.. not as bad as the pile Im collecting of stuff that doesnt survive the firing (last photo). I have my theories of why this happens to some pieces and not others, but it is so frustrating. Im keen to have a s...tall for the Mega Markets on Sat & Sun Nov 23/24 so I think I can do two more firings of stuff I have already made. Im keen to see if I can get a platter or two that doesnt fail me. The glaze on the platter on the left really works well so thats what Ill be using. If I have get some nice pieces out of the next two firings, Ill post some photos if I get something to show off otherwise come on down to the mega Markets and check out the stall. See more

08.01.2022 I am currently doing a crystalline glaze firing in my kiln. It takes around 17 hours to complete the firing. During the time when the crystals are growing, I use a small fan to introduce air into the kiln (as you can see in the photo.) Crystals like oxygen so technically this should be a good thing...although it probably makes no difference anyway! (but because I went to the trouble to make my contraption, Ill use it regardless!). Ive got a whole collection of crystalline ...pieces ready to grind. The bottoms need to be polished off as each piece as been broken off its own pedestal as the glaze runs off it during the firing. I use my pottery wheel to grind the bottoms as I spin a diamond coated disc. I use a small pump to pour water over the disc as I grind which then runs into a bucket which has the pump so I can reuse the water. It will take me a few hours to grind away these pieces....and the ones I have in the kiln which I hope really work out. Im selling these at the Mega-Markets over Saturday and Sunday Nov 24th & 25th at Calvary Christian Colleges Hall (like last year). See more

08.01.2022 MERRY CHRISTMAS Many thanks to everyone who follows my work as well as those who have purchased a piece (or two). The highlight for the year was my exhibition at Jezzine (with Donna Beningfield). I never expected to sell so many pieces. We plan to have another one in 2022 and I am looking forward to it.... hopefully there will be many exciting pieces on show. It has been great to be able to sell my work at a variety of locations. Botanical Style, The Renegade Shop and Drill ...Hall. My pottery was always meant to be a hobby, but I feel it has now become far more than this. I needed to put my pottery on hold towards the end of the year and was unable to be part of the Mega Markets as well as the Renegade Markets. I am hoping to get back to these markets next year. I have an exciting idea that I am hoping will result in being able to do "reduction" firings in my electric kiln. This is something that generally is not attempted but I am putting together a system of pipes and bits and pieces that I can't wait to try out next year. This type of firing will create another body of work as glazes can be altered to produce some great effects - if I can do it! I'll post my results once I try it, but I feel there will be lots of experimenting and learning before I succeed. All the best for 2021 and may the year be kind to you!

07.01.2022 I am really enjoying working with crystalline glazes and using stains as well. The red stains really highlight the blue crystals. Check out the vases and the bowl... all have a red or orange slip sprayed on before they are glazed. The process of crystalline glazing is quite fiddly as all pieces need to be fired on a pedestal so the glaze can run off the piece and pool in a saucer. Having precise fitting pedestals to the bases of the pieces is vital. Already I have ruined seve...ral large bowls because the pedestal didnt break away properly from the bowl or the glaze pooled around the base of the bowl. Often, you need to experience heartbreak to learn a lesson or two. Now I am making heaps of pedestals so I a greater range to choose from and in future I will make bowls with a bit of a foot so the bottom of the bowl is lifted away from the pedestal. Unfortunately I will need wait until next month to make any more pieces as I have run out of clay! The next supply will arrive at the end of the month. I will use the next few weeks to work on my studio extension. I will really appreciate the extra space. Stay tuned for the next post when Ill show you a few of my new mugs (using crystalline glazes of course!) See more

07.01.2022 My stall at the Renegade Markets today.

06.01.2022 This is me at the North Queensland Ceramics Awards on the opening night with my vase. The exhibition was a real eye opener to see such a high standard of work from all over the Australia and overseas. Approximately 170 pieces were submitted and only 64 were chosen to be exhibited... of those 64 only no more than 10 were local artists...so how lucky am I to be included in that group. If you get a chance, go and have a look at the exhibition which runs until September 16th at ...the Pinnacles Gallery at the Riverway Arts Centre. Greg Daly was the judge. He is internationally renowned having his work all over the world and have written a number of books on ceramics. Later this year he will have his 100th solo exhibitions of his work in Sydney. He actually ran a workshop over the weekend at the North Queensland Potters Association location. I am so glad I went to watch him demonstrate various wheel throwing techniques on the Saturday and learn about glazes on the Sunday. It has given me so many ideas and of course that means many months of experimenting. I cant wait to get started! I will try to fit in some "pottery" time over the next few months in between the extension I am making at the back of the house so I have more space for this hobby! Ive started to remove some garden beds so I can put down a slab and have it covered with a roof. Later, I will enclose this space so it is lockable. The extra space will allow me to have an area to display and store what I make as right now everything is being stacked or put away in boxes. Once I make some progress with the extension, Ill put up some photos! See more

06.01.2022 EXHIBITION OPENING CHANGES Due to the great response we have had from people interested in our opening this Friday, we have decided to make some changes to make it better for everyone as well as making it easier to follow COVID-19 guidelines. We now will have our opening over 3 hours to allow more flexibility for people to attend as well as give more time to everyone wishing to view the exhibition as only 10 people (plus helpers) will be able to be in the gallery at one time.... We will open from 4:30pm so you might come and visit straight from work and we will stay open until 7:30pm, so maybe you can come after dinner. We make these changes in everyone’s best interest and really hope to see you there sometime between 4:30pm and 7:30pm and remember if you can’t make it on Friday, the exhibition runs for a month so please check it out another time. We thank you for your support. See more

06.01.2022 Disaster Strikes! I just fired a kiln full of mugs - some $1200 worth of pottery at least and not one mug survived! This simply reinforces one of lifes important mantras ..."shit happens!" I was totally shocked when I saw every mug slumped over as it was totally unexpected and not as a result of one of my silly errors. I immediately rang the kiln manufacturer and looked for some answers. Obviously the firing was far too hot for the clay even though my settings were fine. Eve...n the glazes looked cooked! I found that the kiln controller was calibrated at minus eleven degrees which means that if the temperature was stated at 1200 degrees it was actually 1211....that was part of the reason. Im not too sure what the other parts are as yet except it was a different clay that I used to the last batch I made. Well Im ditching the rest of that clay that I used as maybe it is a bad batch and when I get that motivation to make another heap of mugs, I will do a test firing of three or four pieces, before filling the kiln up and assuming it will be all work out...and Ill use clay that I is tried and proven. What a waste! Hours and hours of making mugs, turning the bottoms, putting on handles, glazing each one by brush and the firings! Lets hope thats my share of heart-break and the next firings will be fabulous! See more

03.01.2022 I fired some oil burners, bowls and two casserole dishes. Looks like Ive done it again with those casserole lids! I thought I was being so careful but obviously still applying glaze too close to the lid edge and it only takes a tiny bit to fuse the lid with the body. Another two ornaments to decorate the garden beds.... when will I get it right! I have two markets coming up over the next couple of weeks. The monthly Renegade Markets at Marian school happens next Sunday (April 8th) then the following Saturday (April 14th) Ill be at the Festival 2018 markets at Strand Park. Im hoping to getting a few mugs made and glazed and one Crystalline Glaze firing completed over the next couple of weeks....and Ill stay away from casserole dishes for a little while!

02.01.2022 Im all set up at the Palm Creek Folk Festival over this weekend. Ive managed to get a site opposite the toilets so I figure most people will need to go to the loo at least once while they are there....and hopefully after feeling better from their visit, theyll be so tempted to buy a mug or two!

02.01.2022 Here are two completed pieces. I like the dark emerald green in the second piece where no crystals have grown. The same was meant to happen in the first piece but the crystals grew all over the clay leaving no bare patches. In the process of glazing another of my pieces, I broke off the tip, leaving me speechless and gasping for air! After several attempts of joining it back, I made things worse after the tip fell onto the floor chipping it. Such is life! . but I came up with an idea that has lead me to a whole new body of work. Maybe in a few weeks Ill show you what I have come up with...if what I have in mind actually works!

02.01.2022 I will be at the Renegade markets on Sunday (Sept 9) from 8am to 1pm. I have some new mugs at my stall using crystalline glazes.... like the ones in the photo. Maybe see you there!

01.01.2022 Warped Mugs I have been finding that more of my mugs are becoming warped in the glaze firing process. I think its like half the mugs that come out of the kiln are fine and the other half are too warped for me to sell for my liking. This didnt happen so much before and here is what I think is happening. Lately I have been making my mugs using porcelain clay. This clay can get quite fluid when it is being fired at high temperatures. At nearly 1300 degrees, the mugs become ex...tremely soft. (and because Im using crystalline glazes, the mugs stay in this soft state for a long time). Im sure the handle that hangs off it, pulls that side down as can be seen in the blue and red mug that looks like a gravy boat! The display of mugs in the second photo are all out of shape and Im convinced the handle has a lot to do with it. To test my theory, with the next batch of mugs that I make, I will make a lighter handle and attach it lower down from the rim. Lets see if I get less distorted mugs! Today I fired the remaining 35 mugs I previously made so I am expecting half of these to be put aside. At the next Renegade Markets in February expect to see a heap of these "seconds" selling for $12. They might have character but I just cant sell them at the full price knowing they did not end up they way they should be... and besides everyone likes a bargain anyway...and hopefully in time, there will be less and less bargains! See more

01.01.2022 A normal firing with stoneware glazes. I particularly like the red glaze inside the bowls and mugs. When fired slowly at high temperatures it tends to break out in splotches and it is one of my favourite glazes. Its not a fancy one but can produce fancy results... unlike crystalline glazes that are fancy and can produce quite ordinary results if that "perfect storm" isnt created. Off to the Renegade Markets tomorrow... maybe see you there!

01.01.2022 I've stacked the kiln for a glaze firing tomorrow. I managed to pack 64 mugs and a platter at the top. It will be approximately a 16 hour firing and I will have a restless night sleep thinking about what if the firing is a disaster! A lot of work and time goes into these many mugs. Notice how each piece sits in a collection dish. With crystalline glazes, the glaze will run off the sides into the dish as it is very runny at 1270C. When it reaches that temperature I will drop... the temperature quickly to 1100C (in approx 30 minutes) and I will keep the temperature between 1100C and 1060C for about 5 hours where the magic happens and those crystals form. I'll post some pictures when it's all done! I am also trying out a new glaze with my platter. Someone in Russia posted some photos of his platters on Facebook and he was so kind to give me the glaze recipe. Thanks to google, I was able to translate the Russian words! It doesn't seem right to me as the percentage of silica is very low but I wasn't going to question the Russian! I will be over the moon if the glaze turns out similar to his. I won't know until Wednesday! Stay tuned..... See more