The process

It is sometimes hard to realise how long it takes to make a piece, so here's a little step-by-step to help you understand the process, patience and love that goes into it.

First step: sketching

Before going ahead with a new design, I always draw quick sketches, to define the look, the shape and the final dimensions I'm looking for. I also decide which stoneware clay would work best for this specific piece I have in mind.

The clay will shrink through the next steps, so that needs to be taken into account! And of course, every clay body has a different shrinkage ratio...

Second step: making

I wedge the clay to chase any air bubble, weigh it and start rolling my slabs or coils to create my pieces. I'm more into hand-building than throwing so I will slowly build them up on my working table.

Third step: bisque firing

Pottery is all about being patient! The piece needs to dry to reach first the "leather hard" stage, where I can finalise the last details, clean it up a little bit. Then I need to let it dry fully to its own rythm - not too fast to avoid cracks, usually a few days.

Once it is bone dry, the greenware piece goes trough the kiln for a first high-temperature firing at 980°C called bisque firing.

Fourth step: glazing

Now is finally time to pick the glaze and apply it to my work. This top layer will be fused to the ceramic piece through a final firing and give its final colour and aspect, making the piece food-safe and preventing porousness.

I play around with various techniques when it comes to glaze, according to the different textures I want to achieve: painted for an organic finish, poured for a sleeker, thicker colour...

Once the piece is glazed, I let it dry and the carefully clean it up
to finalise the look of it. 

Fifth step: firing again

At last, the piece is ready to go in the kiln for a final firing at 1250°C.