near St Ives

this field of wind turbines was very impressive....

And here is a British beach on a warm summer day...

The Leach Pottery

The pottery run by Bernard Leach and Janet Leach has become a museum.  It is in St Ives, UK.

The new gallery showing works by Janet Leach, very similar to Lucie Rie works

The workshop - materials store

the kiln

Raku results

Some mixed results from the raku firing with the Port Hacking Potters Group at a day hosted by some Bundeena potters.

I am pleased with the lidded turtle container....

Raku Day at Bundeena

My nephew took these photos at a Raku Day held at Bundeena with the Port Hacking Potters Group.

The pots are heated in a special fast firing gas kiln - when it gets to 1000 Deg C the lid is lifted and the pots removed and placed in a sawdust container.  When the sawdust is added the heat from the pots causes it to flame up.  The sawdust container is then covered and the pots are in a reduced oxygen environment to mature the glazes and cause irridescence to be produced.

Some results:

Gladstone Pottery Museum - Longton - Stoke on Trent UK

The town used to be full of these bottle kilns spewing out lead laden gases - this affected the health of all living in the area.  Once the lead was identified as the problem and its use reduced with the use of different materials, health improved dramatically.

this is me 'throwing' a pot while standing up at a fixed wheel.  Very different to my little Venco wheel at home and I had to have a second go!  I then took the pot away in a nice little box.  I carefully carried it in my hand luggage all the way to France where the very kind JeanMarc bisque fired it for me. More of that later!

Above Loch Ness

This pottery was so far from the first sign that we almost gave up finding it but there were stratigicly placed signs saying "keep going, not far now" but my husband wasn't too happy by the time we got there and had to drive all the way in to be able to turn around to drive out again :^)

Some nice results using an electric kiln and wax resist techniques

This was taken as we came back down into the village where we first saw the sign.

And Scotland

This fellow was making some lovely little frogs and hedgehogs as souvenirs and to fill spaces between his lovely functional woodfired ware in the kiln.

Thrown and carved urns set upside down along the roadside to catch the eye of passers-by.

Lots of potteries

Feeling very jetlagged at the moment after getting back from trip to Ireland and UK and France and Germany
Here is a snap taken at Belleek Pottery in Ireland

They are famous for their 'basket' pattern pots.

We toured their workshop (no photos allowed) and they have a comprehensive museum

Off to Gulgong

These are bound for Gulgong and the ACA members exhibition called 340grams.

Well, the black and white bowl plus the little pig. Thanks to my friend for their delivery as I will be travelling.

Illawarra Flame Tree

I think this little watercolour will become my next design series.  I'll be trying out Walkers Rocket Red underglaze.