Two things make this body of work different from the others, the cut patterns and the distinctive Black Lava glaze.
Like all my work this starts life on the wheel but once the turning process is finished the "cutting Stage" begins. When the Piece is leather hard a pattern is sketched and then cut into the surface with a scalpel. This is a long and delicate process that makes each piece totally individual.
The Black Lava glaze is used to finish each piece in a way that both obscures the precision of the cut detail but also enhancing the pattern as a whole, hopefully capturing a sense of man made precision and the organic.
Black Lava bottle standing 45cm tall with cut pattern and finished with exposed Lava glaze.
Stoneware vase with distorted oval rim. Stands 35cm tall with cut pattern and black Lava glaze.
This work is a more playful and experimental use of Lava Glazes. After developing several different Lava glazes of varying colours and surface quality's I then began cross blending them and loved the results. The glazes are a mixture of sprayed, dipped and painted. They are built up in layers and often fired multiple times. The colour and texture choices for each piece are carefully thought out depending on its shape and size. Lava glazes can be very over powering and subtract from the form that is underneath.. so I am using subtle blends along the curves and dramatic colour changes on edges and angles to explore and enhance the shape and form.
This process is best described as a hybrid firing as it incorporates elements of Raku, Saggar and Smoke firing.
The unique surfaces are created by using sulphates, salts and combustibles. The prepared vessels are then placed into Saggars and fired in a Raku kiln.
The firing is exceptionally fast then the vessels are removed from the kiln whilst red hot and air cooled.
