Skip to content

Otter Pottery

David Todd Art
  • Home
  • Visit Markerville
  • Off The Wheel
    • Barrel Fired
    • Stoneware
    • Raku
    • Gas Fired
    • Wood Fired
  • Gift Ideas
  • Contact
  • Annual Art Shows

A Primitive Type of Firing

April 15, 2018Barrel FiredDavid

[More about Barrel Fired…]

Post navigation

← Raku from Phoenix Workshop Wood fired treasures →

Sign up for updates:

otterpottery

74 Johnson Avenue
Markerville, Alberta -
Phone 403-638-5177
You can cover any color glaze body with a slip (cl You can cover any color glaze body with a slip (clay mixed with water so that it is a slurry) of a different color. Here I have used white and black stained porcelain slip over the tan clay body. It makes it silky smooth and your glazes pop. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes
#potteryclasses in #Sundre start the 2nd week of # #potteryclasses in #Sundre start the 2nd week of #September. Enroll now! This lidded pot has been barrel fired. Additions of low melting or fuming materials were added for the firing which permanently stained the clay. There is no glaze on barrel fired work because of the low temperatures achieved. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #sundreclayart #ceramica #raku #lessons #barrelfiredpottery #handthrown
We had some good weather and got a raku firing don We had some good weather and got a raku firing done. It is always exciting to get a very quickly finish pot. Instant gratification. Be ready for unexpected surfaces, colors and of course – lots of fire! For the #potteryclasses in #Sundre I don’t teach raku. You can’t predict the amount of wind here. We have #giftcertificates available for the Pottery classes after #Xmas Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #Christmas #raku
This is the last of 3 plaques inspired by the work This is the last of 3 plaques inspired by the work of Tom Thomson, one of the Group of Seven. The final plaque has the tribute to Thomson's trees in the foreground. The hill in the back ground resembles (in a small way) the Sleeping Giant. It is a peninsula near Thunder Bay jutting into Lake Superior. From some vantage points the profile looks like a sleeping giant. There is much lore associated with this. Most of Thomson work was done far away in the Georgian Bay area. Often my plaques are a mish mash of memorable places grouped together. I hope there are still places in the world that look like these.
With the #potteryclasses here in Sundre being 6 we With the #potteryclasses here in Sundre being 6 weeks in length, undoubtly Klohe will help you with your work creations. She is an excellent gauge of the size of the pottery being made. She often tests many pieces. Nothing worse than a bowl that is too small. She will coach you along with your work.
Another view of this bowl. Learning to combine gla Another view of this bowl. Learning to combine glazes takes time. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes
Here is an enlargement of the white over black gla Here is an enlargement of the white over black glazing from a butter dish I posted. For those of you that always look for faces, this is going to keep you busy. Enlarge it for extra fun! Saturday December 15th, 10 am to 8 pm, several local artists work will be available alongside my pottery at Otter Pottery. We have been at several #christmasmarkets in the #Sundre area this year. We have plenty more pots that weren’t shown. #market #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #Christmas
Another piece of pottery with heavy texture but th Another piece of pottery with heavy texture but this time raku fired. This isn’t a great picture but you get an idea of the effects. The textures form by forcing some clay through an open bag that is a lattice of woven plastic strands. A bag that breathes such as for oranges or onions. The right amount of force on the clay gives a landscape of hills and valleys like the last posting. A glaze with copper as an ingredient is applied and raku fired. You get a the shiny copper and greenish finish depending on how much oxygen is available when fired. The reduction happens mostly in the valleys. There is less oxygen available here giving a shiny surface. The high points have plenty of oxygen available and become green. Imagine walking through this magic landscape. All the valleys are shiny gold and the mountain peaks around you are green. A life of gold surrounded by the green of nature.
We are concerned about the loss of the planets wil We are concerned about the loss of the planets wildlife. Have you noticed that there are very few crushed bugs on the windshield of your car after a road trip? The rate of change of the loss of our fellow inhabitants of this planet his speeded up. The pair of buffalo on the lid of this pot reference these losses. In all but a few places, buffalo are no longer roaming free. These great herds have disappeared fairly recently timewise. But the start of human caused extinctions began about 11,000 years ago. Although, sometimes we might not think it, the Neanderthals vanished earlier due to a variety of reasons. Two reasons are the competition with humans for resources and absorption into the human species.
Having not worked with porcelain much it was time Having not worked with porcelain much it was time to make a plate. Porcelain is fickle, so I heard, the plate didn’t develop the dreaded S-Crack. I’ll attribute that to luck. But after throwing this I applied porcelain orange slip and a red slip at random. The red needs some adjustments! Trimming the inside of the plate revealed the color combinations against a bright white. Join us for the next #potteryclasses in #Sundre starting the 3rd week of March or so. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. To be the first to find out the date, leave your name and email address and you will be added to our mailing list. .#Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #porcelain #porcelainslips #wheelthrowing #plates
My first try at making a dozen mugs to specificati My first try at making a dozen mugs to specification. I hope the customer likes them. I could barely get my hand in them!
This year Otter pottery of #Sundre has improved th This year Otter pottery of #Sundre has improved their display booth. You can get a good look at some of my pottery on sale now. There is a special sale date, Dec 15, 10 am to 8 pm. Guest artists work on display too. Some bargains then!! We have gift certificates for Pottery classes starting in January. http://www.potteryclasses.page . #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #Christmas
A Butter Dish that resembles a house. Too cute! I A Butter Dish that resembles a house. Too cute! I am taking bookings for pottery classes starting in January. Makes a great Christmas Gift! Go to http://www.potteryclasses.page for more information. #Bergen #christmasmarket, 10 kms south of #Sundre on November 24th. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #butterdish
The order that you apply the glazes gives differen The order that you apply the glazes gives different effects. White over black gives the speckled pattern. Extra interest is added by the random crawling of the black glaze on this butter dish. We will be at several #christmasmarkets in the #Sundre area this year. On November 18th at the Sundre #market. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts
The #potteryclasses are really going well in Sundr The #potteryclasses are really going well in Sundre. I enjoy teaching people about clay. There are so many steps to every stage and only with time and practice do you get something that is like your original vision. I do my best to help everyone, and along with my helper Klohe, we make sure that good work is being produced. She will even leave paw prints in your work if you encourage her – and many people do.
A slab built pitcher. I love how it is leaning int A slab built pitcher. I love how it is leaning into the wind and the glaze is running back like rain on the car window. Another project at the #Sundre #potteryclasses. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #handbuiltpottey #lessons #arts
Here are some more mugs that came out of yesterday Here are some more mugs that came out of yesterday’s kiln. Most of them are experiments. That could be the combination of glazes, the thickness of the glaze or the order of layering of the glaze. The amount of glaze put on the rim was varied as well to give a different length of white run. What great results!! If you are interested in the pottery classes here in Sundre I have some starting July 1st. Book Early! #Sundre #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #potteryclasses
Some of the students work from #Sundre #potterycla Some of the students work from #Sundre #potteryclasses . Anyone interested in a Wednesday evening class? With a minimum of 3 people we can organize one for your group.
This lantern is slab built. The graduation in the This lantern is slab built. The graduation in the sizes of circles suggests hay bales in fields stretching off into the rolling distance. A candle at night reveals light chasing itself around the surface. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting in mid-May. Space for creative fun is available every evening, 7 to 10 pm. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes #extruder #clay #sculpture #lantern
Here is a student`s work from the classes that end Here is a student`s work from the classes that ended in December. With the vibrant, cranberry glaze highlights on this small serving plate, it stands out and sings. I have changed the date of the upcoming pottery classes to start the week of January 21st. To enroll, have a first, second and third choice of days that you are available. With only 5 students per class it helps if you can be flexible. Join us for #potteryclasses in #Sundre. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #January #mug #plates #trays
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2017 - 2025 Otter Pottery | Privacy Notice | otter@otterpottery.com | 1-403-638-5177
 

Loading Comments...