Tag: sawdust

Two small pieces

'A Poetic Potter & A Potting Poet'Leave a comment

First published 1st September 2021

43 years ago, when I graduated with a degree in Ceramics, I knew that there was something wrong with me – mentally, emotionally – but I didn’t know what or how to deal with it. Since then, I’ve been close to the edge more than once and in more ways than one. I nearly lost my life during a psychotic experience in Iceland, felt broken to the point where I didn’t think I could possibly mend, and ultimately pushed myself through such extreme, painful experiences that many times I wondered why.

Thankfully, I also thought ‘why not?’ and bit by bit I found a way through.

Being in survival mode doesn’t leave any energy for forward planning, including consideration of what I would do when I retired. The idea of doing some work with clay again suddenly came out of ‘nowhere’ and I’ve been enjoying going to workshop sessions at a studio not too far from where I live. However, I also thought it would be good to be able to do some work from home, especially during the winter months when I can’t work outside in the garden.

The work I produced at college for my degree show was fired initially to bisque level and then finished in a sawdust kiln. We have no space here for a proper kiln but I’ve been exploring possibilities for sawdust firing; even firing ‘greenware’, that is without having put the pieces through the initial bisque firing. This will produce porous pots that are not ‘vitrified’ as they are when fired to higher temperatures, but some beautiful subtle effects can be obtained.

So with a few basic tools and a dining table, I’m off to a good start. I’m still going to continue to attend the studio sessions – apart from anything else it’s a lovely encouraging atmosphere and I enjoy the companionship and sense of shared experience. But it’s also great to be able to ‘sit and do’ at home – to make whatever I want to make – without time constraints or consideration of anything other than what I’m working on.

This brings me to Poetry/Pottery Rule No. 20: Enjoy the process.

Now that does sound like a plan – the housework may not get done, but these are pots that won’t need washing up!

Day 13

'A Poetic Potter & A Potting Poet'3 Comments

Continuing the story of Lydia and Me

The sawdust firing went well. All the pots now carry various shades of smoky grey. They are not fully vitrified but significantly less porous than when they were in the ‘bisque’ or ‘biscuit’ state. I’m not sure what temperature the sawdust kiln reaches and will have to do some tests in future firings to find out. 

None of the results are what I would call ‘spectacular’; they are more subtle, although I will continue to experiment with different materials and I think the copper wire has a lot of potential for creating interest effects around the outside of pots.

All my pieces for the Show[1] are now packed in the car.

It’s an early start in the morning, so an early night for me.

I keep thinking that I can hear Lydia moving about the house but of course she is in kennels this weekend.

My partner is out with a friend so I have the house to myself. 

A friend from the Buddhist group I belong to circulated a list of ways that we can help our nervous systems to rest and recuperate.  I’ll use this list to help me with the work I’m doing with my own dysregulated nervous system as well as Lydia’s:

Slow down

Allow imperfection

Do one thing at a time

Sense our breath and our body

Create daily rituals and rhythms

Offer ourselves compassion

Lengthen our exhales

Express our emotions

Honour our needs

Nourish our senses

Ask for help

Let ourselves be held

[source: Nicola Jane Hobbs, c/o Jilly]

[1] Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show, Newby Hall, Yorkshire, UK

Day 12

'A Poetic Potter & A Potting Poet'Leave a comment

Continuing the story of Lydia & Me

A pile of old bricks, a.k.a. my sawdust kiln

I set fire to my sawdust kiln this morning, having repositioned it away from the passionflower vine that is spreading from the back trellis.

Lydia has gone into kennels for three nights, so she won’t be adversely affected by the smoke from the kiln and I don’t have to worry about her getting too close to the hot bricks.  I’ll pick her up on Monday morning after the Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show on Sunday.

The kiln contains the 28 small pots that I threw on the wheel a few months ago.

I’ve experimented by wrapping some of them with copper wire and placing banana skin, wire wool, rice grains, and wood veneer inside in various combinations. I’ve also popped in a bit of Lydia’s fur that I’ve kept from grooming sessions. It will be interesting to see the different effects that these added materials make.

I’ll be using the pots as my version of a business card for the Show.  Inside I’ll place curled up slips of paper with my Instagram address and my blog address printed on them.  That way I hope to promote my work in words as well as in clay.

I like the idea of having pots to give away.  I’ve done it before and found that people are very surprised and pleased to be able to take away a pot that they haven’t had to pay for, however small.

I haven’t got much more preparation left to do now, but like to work at my own pace, with no pressure.  

All I have to do now, as far as the firing is concerned, is wait until tomorrow morning, by which time there should be no more smoke emerging from the kiln and the bricks should be cool enough to touch.

I get very impatient when I have a kiln firing on the go. Can’t wait to see the results, although – of course – that’s exactly what I have to do!

Day 4

'A Poetic Potter & A Potting Poet'Leave a comment

Continuing the story of Lydia and Me

Eight more pots in the making; it’s a slow process but a good one

I took Lydia for an appointment at the grooming studio this morning. She continues to be more relaxed each time we go. As always, Vicky the groomer gives her lots of reassurance, encouragement and treats. Lydia is quite rightly proud of herself at the end of the session. She is doing so well, and I’m proud of her too.

Later I collected the 28 small pots that I made back in May. These have now been through their first firing which means they are at the ‘bisque’ or ‘biscuit’ stage.

My plan is to give them a second firing in a sawdust kiln.

A sawdust kiln is basically a heatproof container into which pots are placed, with lots of fine sawdust packed around them.

My sawdust kiln is made out of old bricks that I acquired from a neighbour.

I don’t have the space or scope for any other type of kiln at home but I do like to experiment with a sawdust firing now and then.

I’ll be doing the firing soon as these pots will be part of my display at the Aldborough & Boroughbridge Show, on 27 July.

After collecting my bisque-fired pots I had an afternoon at the pottery studio, finishing some work I threw a few weeks ago on the potter’s wheel. I love the process of turning the pots when they are leather hard, trimming away excess clay until I’m satisfied with the shapes.

This evening I am tired and more than a little despondent. I’m sure the latter low mood is at least in part influenced by the former state. Bringing myself back into wellness has been and still is a long haul. I have better support and good things going on in my life than I’ve ever had, but tonight  I just feel ‘washed out’.

Lydia helps to lift me though. Just seeing her lovely face looking at me as I feed her, and hearing her make soft gutteral sounds of pleasure and anticipated pleasure is all I need to reboot.