West Forest Potters

Wednesday 13 March 2019, 7:45pm at Polehampton Junior School

  Jan has been working with clay for more than 20 years starting in adult education, but says she is mainly self taught. Jan’s work largely involves using a ‘Raku’ process of firing , a technique evolving in Japan.  The pieces have a second firing in an outdoor kiln heated to 1000 degrees centigrade and whilst still glowing red hot removed individually with long metal tongs and placed in a container with combustible materials such as leaves and sawdust. Once cleaned the finished pieces have a characteristic lustrous or crackled surface where glazed and smoky black where not. Each item is individually made and no two identical.

Wednesday 10 April 2019, 7:45pm at Polehampton Junior School

Russell Kingston 

Spending my youth spread between heavy metal festivals and sub heavy raves (that’s loud music for you older folks). It dawned on me that at some point I was going to need a “real job”. I decided that a 2 year course in ceramics might calm the soul…it didn’t, but it certainly fired it up and it turned out I was quite good at it.

So after escaping Devon to the Hustle and Bustle of Brighton (that’s as near to a city I would live), to see what metropolis had to offer, I soon realised that you can take the boy out of the Shire, but you cant take the Devonshire out of the boy. Returning to my roots seemed the best thing to do.

Loving all things Devon (and Brian’s kiln not reaching stoneware temperatures) Slipware was the only way to go. Taking from the traditions and heritage of North Devon and mixing in some contemporary freshness to create functional wares at affordable prices. My current work has a real folky appeal and is now being collected by those who have discovered the joy of handmade wares with personality.

Im always experimenting by modifying glazes and varying firing techniques. After all, being able to control fire to create, instead of destroy, is a sensible pyromaniacs dream.