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artist experiments Outside surface quality work in progress

Incidental slip effects

My slow burning, smoke firing journey continues….

swirl pattern in a bucket of thick pottery slip

One of the most satisfying outcomes has been the incidental surfaces and effects that appear when I’ve been getting creative applying a slip resist to the surface of my bisque fired ware.

In an attempt to echo the experimental way I manipulate freshly thrown form, I’ll often take a thick brush loaded with slip and flick it at the poor unsuspecting pots. Most of it hits the target but there is also a considerable amount that doesn’t! Splash-back and wayward slip often deposit on the work surface, floor and pretty much everything in a five mile radius!

pottery slip bucket and lid

Below are some examples of chance and incidental slip landings – one of which looks remarkably like the surface of the moon. Wonder if I could replicate the effect on the surface of a pot? Maybe a moon jar!?

pottery slip splatters on a wooden board at jon williams studio in herefordshirecircular board covered in thick pottery slip at ceramic artists jon williams studio near the malvern hills

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artist experiments Interactive art work in progress

Milk Chocolate Bees

I’ve been developing more rattles and shakers, this time in the shape of bugs and bees. Each little beastie is made entirely from sections created on the potter’s wheel. The separate elements are joined together and smoothed to give the appearance of being whole. (Each bee has been made from x4 separate wheel throw sections.)

The freshly assembled insects above have just been coated in a layer of thick, luscious white slip and I think you’ll agree, they look pretty tasty at this stage.

They do change quite a bit when they emerge from the kiln:

terracotta micro bug rattle designed to sit in the palm of one hand made by herefordshire artist jon williamsterracotta micro bee rattle made by herefordshire artist jon williams

To give you a sense of scale – each bee or bug can sit happily in the palm of one hand. Tiny little ceramics!

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artist work in progress

Just for fun!

Sometimes it’s just nice to see what the stuff can do!

artist jon williams making a pot on the potter's wheel at eastnor potteryjon williams from eastnor pottery making a pot on the potters wheeljon the potter making a very wobbly pot on the potter's wheel