The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/ This bowl is an example of kitchenware used in the 19th century and still in use today.Bowl white ceramic plain that has two sets of edging around lip. Inside bowl has plaster designed to look like cooking mixture.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, kitchen equipment, ceramic

The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/This bowl was made by renowned pottery company J & G Meakin of England. The firm was established in the mid-1800's. The bowl is an example of kitchenware used in the 19th century and still in use today.Bowl; white ceramic, round and tapering inwards towards base. Made by J and G Meakin England.On base, 'Ironstone China Reg SOL 391413' with symbolflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, mixing bowl, food preparation, j & g meakin, pottery, stoke-on-trent, kitchen equipment, ceramic

A crucible is a vessel made of a refractory substance such as graphite or porcelain, used for melting and calcining materials at high temperatures. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/crucible) Morgan Crucible was established in 1856. See http://ubshwiki.ballarat.edu.au/index.php/Morgan_Crucible_Co. A crucible is used to hold small amounts of chemicals during heating at high temperatures. The lid covers the bowl so nothing escapes, or to keep oxygen out of the reaction. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_crucible_and_how_is_it_used_in_a_laboratory)Two used narrow high shape crucibles with small spouts made by Morgan of England. They are heat-resistant containers used to melt ores, metals, and other materials. One has green (copper origin?) glaze like material on the base and sidecrucible, assaying, morgan

This semi-porcelain wash basin would have been used in a Victorian household for bathing and personal hygiene. It was made by the well-known firm Johnson Bros. in England. The wash bowl or basin is a typical example of a Victorian era household's bathing item. It is significant for its association with renowned potters Johnson Bros. of EnglandBowl or wash basin, white with pink and green floral decoration. Inscription on base; stamped in brown paint. Royal semi-porcelain material, made by Johnson Bros, England"ROYAL / SEMI-PORCELAIN / JOHNSON BROS. / ENGLAND" Symbol [Crown above a ribbon with maker's name.]flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, wash bowl, wash basin, bathing, personal hygiene, johnson bros, pottery, percelain, semi-porcelain

This object and the set of five items is believed to have been made in or around the Staffordshire area in the United Kingdom. Over 1500 pottery firms have operated in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 1700's - Some lasted only a few years and some for well over 200 years. Some potters built and owned their own works. Many others were tenants in works built by others and a succession of potters occupied the same works. It was also a common practice for a works to be split between two different pottery companies or for a larger manufacturer to let out a smaller section of his works to a potter who would make wares which were not of interest to the pot works owner. Some potters purchased 'blanks' from other manufacturers and put their own decoration on them some items have two back stamps some have no marks at all. This adds to the confusion and frustration of trying to trace details of a particular manufacturer such as the subject item.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance regards manufacturer is unknown, item assessed as a collection asset as it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Ewer or jug, cream ironstone with brown flower spray floral decoration.(Part of 5 piece set containing ewer, bowl, brush vase, soap dish lid and soap dish)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain container, toilet container, beauty container, ceramic, decorative object, pottery object

This object and the complete set of five items is believed to have been made in or around the Staffordshire area in the United Kingdom. Over 1500 pottery firms have operated in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 1700's - Some lasted only a few years and some for well over 200 years. Some potters built and owned their own works. Many others were tenants in works built by others and a succession of potters occupied the same works. It was also a common practice for a works to be split between two different pottery companies or for a larger manufacturer to let out a smaller section of his works to a potter who would make wares which were not of interest to the pot works owner. Some potters purchased 'blanks' from other manufacturers and put their own decoration on them some items have two back stamps some have no marks at all. This adds to the confusion and frustration of trying to trace details of a particular manufacturer such as the subject item.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance regards manufacturer is unknown, item assessed as a collection asset as it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Wash bowl with scalloped edge cream ironstone with brown flower spray decorations & part of 5 piece set. (ewer, brush vase, soap dish & lid)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain container, toilet container, beauty container, ceramic, decorative object, pottery object

This object and the complete set of five items is believed to have been made in or around the Staffordshire area in the United Kingdom. Over 1500 pottery firms have operated in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 1700's - Some lasted only a few years and some for well over 200 years. Some potters built and owned their own works. Many others were tenants in works built by others and a succession of potters occupied the same works. It was also a common practice for a works to be split between two different pottery companies or for a larger manufacturer to let out a smaller section of his works to a potter who would make wares which were not of interest to the pot works owner. Some potters purchased 'blanks' from other manufacturers and put their own decoration on them some items have two back stamps some have no marks at all. This adds to the confusion and frustration of trying to trace details of a particular manufacturer such as the subject item.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance regards manufacturer is unknown, item assessed as a collection asset as it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Brush Vase with scalloped edge cream ironstone with brown flower spray decorations & part of 5 piece set. (ewer, bowl, soap dish & lid)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain container, toilet container, beauty container, ceramic, decorative object, pottery object, brush vase, bowl, ewer, pottery

This object and the complete set of five items is believed to have been made in or around the Staffordshire area in the United Kingdom. Over 1500 pottery firms have operated in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 1700's - Some lasted only a few years and some for well over 200 years. Some potters built and owned their own works. Many others were tenants in works built by others and a succession of potters occupied the same works. It was also a common practice for a works to be split between two different pottery companies or for a larger manufacturer to let out a smaller section of his works to a potter who would make wares which were not of interest to the pot works owner. Some potters purchased 'blanks' from other manufacturers and put their own decoration on them some items have two back stamps some have no marks at all. This adds to the confusion and frustration of trying to trace details of a particular manufacturer such as the subject item.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance regards manufacturer is unknown, item assessed as a collection asset as it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Soap dish cream ironstone with brown flower spray decorations & part of 4 piece set. (ewer, bowl, soap dish, vase)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain container, toilet container, beauty container, ceramic, decorative object, pottery object, brush vase, bowl, ewer, pottery, soap dish lid

This object and the complete set of five items is believed to have been made in or around the Staffordshire area in the United Kingdom. Over 1500 pottery firms have operated in Stoke-on-Trent since the early 1700's - Some lasted only a few years and some for well over 200 years. Some potters built and owned their own works. Many others were tenants in works built by others and a succession of potters occupied the same works. It was also a common practice for a works to be split between two different pottery companies or for a larger manufacturer to let out a smaller section of his works to a potter who would make wares which were not of interest to the pot works owner. Some potters purchased 'blanks' from other manufacturers and put their own decoration on them some items have two back stamps some have no marks at all. This adds to the confusion and frustration of trying to trace details of a particular manufacturer such as the subject item.The subject item at this time cannot be associated with an historical event, person or place, provenance regards manufacturer is unknown, item assessed as a collection asset as it is believed to have been produced before 1950.Soap dish base cream ironstone & part of 4 piece set. (ewer, bowl, soap dish lid, vase)Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, porcelain container, toilet container, beauty container, ceramic, decorative object, pottery object, brush vase, bowl, ewer, pottery, soap dish lid, soap dish base

Mary-Lou began exhibiting in the mid 1980s and over the years has been involved in producing unique pieces as well as developing a large range of domestic ware. In 1984, six months after graduating from a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Phillip Institute of Technology, Mary-Lou was invited to present a solo exhibition at Devise Gallery in South Melbourne. This objective, she says, compelled her to find a studio and was an incentive to focus on developing her ceramic practice independently.Mary-Lou Pittard holds close ties to the Shire of Nillumbik - living and working within Eltham. Her Eltham North Mudbrick Studio employed 5 assistants until recently when Mary-Lou and partner Chris Pittard have scaled down operations. They now produce everything themselves and find that this enables them to focus on producing unique, sculptural ceramic works. Mary-Lou is currently exploring the fine qualities of porcelain and combining these with her ongoing passion for decorative colour and form. 'Decorative Bowl' is a wheel-thrown/moulded bowl, oblong in shape and has been manipulated by hand. Narrow sections have been incised from the main body, perhaps a practical design feature for air circulation, and the rim has been altered to form a jagged edge. Bold colourful shapes decorate the interior of the bowl. They have been applied directly to the bisque surface and subsequently covered with a transparent glaze which protects them and enhances their permanency.mary-lou pittard, ceramic, chris pittard, eltham, nillumbik

Porcelain tea set consisting of two plates, two cups, milk jug, sugar bowl with lid and teapot with lid Presented in a cardboard box with red lidon pieces: made in japan on box: 9 piece porcelain toy tea set made in japan / handwritten on box: Barbara May Sutton toys, children, presents, tea set

Following the death of Hugh and Nell Ferguson, their families donated a number of items to the Kew Historical Society, including a French porcelain coffee set and a ceramic willow pattern dinner service. The latter was apparently bought piece by piece during the Great Depression. An item of historical interest donated by members of the Dods family in 2006. The Dods-Ferguson Collection includes a number of items once in the possession of the families related to or descended from two mayors of Kew: Cr. Hugh Ferguson and Cr. Frederick Dods.Continental porcelain coffee set of 5 cups, 6 saucers, a coffee pot, sugar bowl & lid and matching tray, once owned by the Dods family and donated in 2006.cr. frederick william dods, continental porcelain, french porcelain

Gwyn HANSSEN PIGGOT (1935-2013) Born Ballarat Gwyn Hanssen Piggot completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Melbourne University in 1954. She spent three years apprenticed to Ivan McMeekin at Sturt Pottery, Mittagong, New South Wales. Between 1958 and 1965 Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott worked at various potteries in the United Kingdom, including Winchcombe Pottery in Gloucestershire, Leach Pottery at St Ives, and Wenford Bridge Pottery and Aldermaston Pottery in Berkshire. In 1960 she established her own studio in London. The essence of her work is purity, simplicity and form. She worked with porcelain for strength and for its translucent nature, and fired with wood to add a dine ash bloom to glazes. In 1992 Gwyn Hanssen Piggot was artist in residence at the Ballarat School of Mines.A small woodfired bowl by internationally renown ceramicist Gwyn Hanssen Piggot. gwyn hanssen-pigott, ceramics, gippsland campus, bowl, jan feder memorial ceramics collection, woodfire 86

Neville FRENCH (1955- ) Born Maryborough, Victoria In 1977 Neville French graduated from Ballarat College of Advanced Education after studying a Diploma in Fine Art (Ceramics) between 1974 and 1976, and was a tutor there for six months in 1978. He holds a Master of Arts, Research (Ceramics) from RMIT Universiy, and was awarded the Vitrify Alcorso National Ceramics Award in 2012. Neville has an international reputation as a ceramics artists and educator. From 1982 to 2012 Neville French was teach and coordinator of the Ceramics department at the Ballarat School of Mines and University of Ballarat (now Federation University). From 1982 to 2012 Neville French taught Ceramics at the Ballarat School of Mines TAFE, which later merged with the University of Ballarat (now Federation University Australia). He completed a Graduate Diploma of Education at Hawthorn State College in 1980, a Certificate of Stoneware Glazes from Brisbane College of Advanced Education in 1983 and a Master of Arts Fine Art (Ceramics) at RMIT University in 2000. Between 2010 and 2012 Neville French taught post graduate honours and masters Ceramics students. During his time as a student at Ballarat Neville Bunning would collect clay from the Enfield clay pit. He described following white tyre tracks to find the location. He described the clay as silky smooth and and fired to a beautiful grey colour at stoneware tempreture. When blended with terracotta clay from Nerrina or fireclay from Bacchus Marsh a wide range of different bodies could be created. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Two vessels made as a sculptural pair. Statement: "My work involves an exploration of elemental vessels - extending porcelain to develop taut contours and spatial dynamics. I seek to distill an essence of purity to evoke notions of quietude and transendence through the expressive use of glaze and its relationship to form, tactility, weight and light. Forms are wheel-thrown, altered and slowly scraped to develip a soft line and solidity. Coloured matt glazes are layered and fused to the porcelain body through multiple firings to give expression and luminosity to the surface,. The iodosyncratice nature of glaze stimulates the imagination. It evokes associations with the natural environement and alludes to a meditative infinity."Signed on base 'f.'art, artwork, neville french, french, ceramics, porcelain, wheelthrown, thrown and altered, alumni

This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Carved cup, saucer and sugar bowl..art, artwork

Five piece glazed, porcelain tea set including cup, saucer, sugar bowl, lid and milk jug. Wheel thrown with carved decorations depicting mythical figures similar to griffen.Signed bottom 'Christine Hare'.ceramic, tea set, porcelain, christine hare, alumni

Johnson Brothers was a British tableware manufacturer and exporter that was noted for its early introduction of "semi-porcelain" tableware. In 2003, the manufacturing of Johnson Brothers products in Britain ceased and was transferred to China. Owned by Wandin J. Sebire Keywords White ceramic jug and basin with green floral design."Vienna" Johnson Bros. Englandjugs, water pitchers

7 piece porcelain breakfast set, including Tray, Tea Pot and lid, cup, milk jug, toast rack and creamer, with a June Roses design on the outside of the items. Missing sugar bowl."Royal Winton Grimwades June Roses Made in England"tea sets

Porcelain ware with elaborate decoration and delicate colourings, made originally at Dresden in Germany. Part of collection of Dresden China from the collection of Misses Eva, Olive Sebire and Mrs. Annette Lord (nee Sebire). Purchased by the family in Heidelberg from 1952.Dresden China - Oval bowl. White with gold trim and pink roses.china, bowls

This bowl was used in the home of Mrs. Laura Sommer nee Costa grandmother of one of the life members of Wodonga & District Historical Society who donated this item to our collection. It is representative of decorative household items in the early to mid 20th century.This item is an outstanding example of popular decorative household items from the 19th and early 20th century.A large ceramic decorative bowl featuring rural images. The primary colours of the bowl is a deep blue with gilt edges and markings. It features 2 rural scenes showing men with horses and a cart. The top edge is slightly contoured. There is a maker's mark underneath the bowl.Maker's map on base: A small flower within and larger flower shape with "MADE IN ENGLAND" written around it.decorative bowls, domestic items, ceramics, english ceramics and porcelain

The Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection provides invaluable insight into life in late nineteenth and early twentieth century north east Victoria. The collection comprises manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family on their farm in Wodonga, and a set of glass negatives which offer a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community. The Haeusler family migrated from Prussia (Germany) to South Australia in the 1840s and 1850s, before purchasing 100 acres of Crown Land made available under the Victorian Lands Act 1862 (also known as ‘Duffy’s Land Act’) in 1866 in what is now Wodonga West. The Haeusler family were one of several German families to migrate from South Australia to Wodonga in the 1860s. This bowl is one of several objects in the Haeusler Collection concerning early childhood that provide insight into family and home life in early twentieth century Wodonga. The Hauseler Collection bowl was manufactured by Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England. Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) was established in 1896 and manufactured bone china and earthenware until the company's closure in 1967. It can be dated to the first half of the twentieth century, likely c.1910s-1920s. Staffordshire became a centre for ceramic production in the 17th century due to the local availability of pottery materials including clay, salt, lead and clay. This item has well documented provenance and a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history, and women’s history.Child's ceramic bowl with black print. The print in the centre of the bowl features a child with a wind instrument and three dancing cats. The outer rim of the bowl features a black circular print of roosters, dogs, cats, geese, rabbits and squirrels. The bottom of the bowl is embossed with details of manufacture. "ENGLAND" is embossed on bottom of the bowl via ceramic mould/ "EP.Co Stoke on Trent" is embossed on the bottom of the bowl in black via print. tableware, haeusler collection, children, ceramic, social history, domestic, family

Johnson Bros. was founded by two brothers named Alfred and Frederick who purchased a pottery factory in Hanley, England, in 1883. They were grandsons of a renowned English potter, Alfred Meakin. They were later joined in the business by their brothers Henry and Robert. Their business grew rapidly, as they were one of the world's largest pottery factories by the turn of the 20th century. By 1970, Johnson Bros. obtained the Royal Charter to become the official provider of china for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. More than 1,300 patterns have been created throughout Johnson Brothers' history. Due to their growing success, manufacturing plants were established overseas including the establishment of a tableware factory, Johnson Brothers Australia in 1957 in Croydon, Victoria operated through a company known as Sovereign Pottery Ltd. Due to rising competition, Johnson Brothers became part of the Wedgewood Group in 1968. In 2015, following the acquisition of Wedgewood by Finnish company Fiskars, the Johnson Brothers branding was discontinued. The trademark on this bowl was used by Johnson Brothers between 1913 and 1942. An item which reflects the changing market for tableware that was reasonably priced and serviceable. Their innovation of the pottery line called semi-porcelain changed the industry. This development allowed potteries to produce fashionable pottery items that were affordable to all social classes of the time. Their use became widespread in Australia, especially following their establishment of a tableware factory in Melbourne, Victoria. A shallow white bowl with gold trim, probably used for serving vegetables at the table. The underside of the bowl bears the mark of Johnson Bros England. The mark is composed of a green crown above the words "Johnson Bros England" also in green.On under side of bowl, beneath a green crown "Johnson Bros/England"johnson brothers ceramics, domestic utensils, kitchenware

Sugar bowl belonging to a set produced for use at the Moorabbin Arts Centre (now Kingston Arts).White ceramic sugar bowl with lid and Moorabbin Arts Centre logo on front.Marked on base: Royal Porcelain / Kingdom of Thailand / Oven to Table / Dishwasher - safe / Microwave - safeephemera, crockery, tableware, moorabbin arts centre

Belleek was established following the Irish famine of the mid nineteenth century that brought so many Australian families, including the Taffe and Berkery families to immigrate to the Australian colonies. This Belleek porcelain tea set and tray in the Thorn pattern based on the hawthorn bush sprig in flower carries the impressed registration mark for 1878. Belleek was well represented at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-81 at Melbourne's Exhibition building and many examples were bought by key Ballarat Irish families including those connected to this family such as the Brophy, O'Malley and Fitzgerald families, Julia Taffe's (nee Berkery) aunts uncles and cousins. Many such examples remain in Ballarat collections although this is not one.Tea set consisting of a tray with teapot, creamer, sugar bowl two saucers and one remaining cup from the original pair. All pieces decorated in the thorn and spiderweb pattern.Impressed factory mark and registration mark on base of each piece.belleek, porcelain, ballarat, ireland, exhibition building, melbourne, exhibition, thorn pattern, irish famine, tea set, tray, brophy, fitzgerald, o'malley, julia taffe, berkery, australian colonies,