I am primarily a wheel-throwing potter, meaning - I make my pieces on the electric wheel. I’ll throw the pieces, leave them to dry to their ‘leather hard’ stage (this takes a couple of days) and then I will trim the pieces. This means shaving away the excess clay at the base of your pot, refining the shape, and adding a foot. A foot is the bottom of your cup/mug/bowl etc that rests on surfaces. 

At this stage I can make/attach handles, any other designs or impressions! 

Once the pieces go through a quality control check, I will leave them to dry out completely (bone dry) - there can be no moisture left in the pot before it goes on to be fired in the kiln. 

The first firing is called the bisque firing - at this time, the pots that go in (greenware) are fragile and water-soluble, after the intense heat of the kiln (almost 1000 degrees Celsius), they’re halfway to their final form – they’re sturdy enough to be handled while being porous enough to be glazed.

Glaze is ceramic paint that is applied to the bisqueware to add colour, but also to create a barrier between your item and whatever it makes contact with, making your piece ultimately food and drink safe!

Glaze firing is the second time your pieces will go into the kiln; after the glaze is applied the pieces will be able to be fired at a higher temperature. The glaze matures in the kiln (giving it a glossy finish) and allows the clay to become fully vitrified – meaning that no moisture can become easily absorbed by your piece

Liquid gold or mother of pearl lustres can be applied to your pieces to add a luxurious touch and require an additional firing after the glaze firing.