Thursday, 25 July 2013

Chalices and patterns


The chalices and patterns are finished and have been handed over to Sarah Jemison of Christ Church, Windhill. This is the first time I have worked to such a very specific brief and it took longer than anticipated to complete as I progressed from calculating the weight of the clay for throwing to researching and testing glazes to get just the right result. Getting the right glaze took the most time waiting for the tests to be fired, hoping they would come out right, and going "back to the drawing board" on more than one occasion.


The testing and preparatory work paid off, the glaze is a lovely soft satin slightly warm speckled grey. All the pieces are as similar as possible, however they all have their unique small differences and individual characters.


And now I'm making some more space scouts while I ponder what next. Would I do another commission like this to a very specific brief? Yes, I think I would. Getting the finished pieces just right has required practical problem solving requiring patience and persistence alongside imaginative solutions. But best of all was Sarah's pleasure when she saw the finished pieces for the first time.