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| MIKE POWERS Following eleven years in social work Mike Powers changed direction to study studio ceramics at Gloucestershire College of Art, and subsequently setting up a workshop in Nottingham in 1982. Fifteen years later we moved to the village of Ruddington and set up a working pottery and showroom where visitors can see pots being hand-thrown and decorated. |
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THE POTS We produce a wide range of high quality domestic stoneware - safe for oven, microwave and dishwasher. The glaze forms a coat of glass which is water and stain resistant and aesthetically pleasing. Mike has evolved these glaze recipes to get the best effect from gas reduction firing, and to be robust, durable and totally safe. We plan to continue to with this range which has been in production since 1982. |
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THROWING All pots are hand-thrown on the wheel which compacts the clay through centrifugal force to align the lamellar particles, creating a strength which is not present in industrial manufacturing processes. Handles, spouts, and knobs etc are hand-made and added to each piece at various stages of drying. |
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BISCUIT FIRING The dried pots are 'biscuit' fired to 1000 degrees C. which pre-shrinks and hardens the pots, enabling them to be handled at the next stage when they are dipped in glaze. |
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DECORATING After 'bisc' firing the pots are dipped in glaze, and decoration is hand-painted onto the dry glaze using different size brushes and slip-trailed colours; this is like painting onto blotting paper, and requires skill and confidence. |
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GLAZE FIRING Pots are loaded into the gas kiln for a second time, and 'glaze' fired to 1300 C. using an ancient technique of reduction firing; above 1000 C. the atmosphere is starved of oxygen, causing the oxides to become active - this produces a warm speckle and the bright colours which are a feature of this work. The glaze firing takes 10-12 hours to reach temperature, and about 24 hours to cool down. m This metamorphosis from clay to stone gives us the pleasure of knowing that the vessels will last forever and future archaeologists will be digging up the shards. |
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- M I K E P
O W E R S P O T T E R Y -