Selection of tea bowls, including mono printing

For these bowls in particular, I attempted to include more thought and consideration into every stage of the process. I paid close attention to the clay body, the form, and the printing and mark-making techniques, while also making a conscious effort not to rush through the finishing stages.

Instead, I took my time, allowing each piece to develop thoughtfully and responding carefully to the decisions made along the way. This slower, more considered approach felt both rewarding and valuable, giving me the opportunity to explore ideas more fully and refine the outcomes.

This small tea bowl was thrown off the hump using a blend of Staffordshire Stoneware and PF680 clay. Black slip was applied to the surface and heavily scored before layers of white slip were added and similarly incised. A wash of copper oxide was then brushed over the bowl, followed by a transparent glaze. The piece was fired in an electric kiln to 1280°C.

I am extremely happy with the outcome of this bowl. Despite its small size, it has a wonderful presence and feels remarkably light in the hand. It is also highly tactile, and I find myself repeatedly picking it up simply for the pleasure of holding it. The relationship between form and surface feels particularly successful, inviting touch as much as observation.

The heavily scored and slashed marks create a texture that is reminiscent of the rough bark of a tree. Although the original inspiration came from the coarse grasses of the salt marsh, the fired surface has developed its own character, suggesting natural textures and weathered landscapes. The carving catches the light beautifully and encourages the eye to travel around the form.

The black slip has become relatively subdued after firing, allowing the texture to take precedence rather than relying on strong contrast. Likewise, the copper oxide wash has settled into the surface in a restrained and subtle manner. While neither element dominates, together they create a satisfying sense of depth and complexity that rewards closer inspection. The result is a bowl that feels balanced, thoughtful, and quietly expressive, making it one of my favourite pieces from this firing.

This bowl was also thrown using a blend of Staffordshire Stoneware and PF680. White slip was applied using a strip of sponge to create a series of linear patterns across the surface. Following bisque firing, the same technique was used to apply red underglaze, building up additional layers of colour and texture. A wash of copper carbonate was then brushed over the surface before a transparent glaze was applied. The bowl was subsequently reduction fired.

One of the most successful aspects of this piece is the patterning. Although the marks were originally inspired by the vegetation of the salt marsh, the fired surface has developed a quality that feels reminiscent of early cave paintings or primitive markings. The repeated gestures create a strong sense of movement and rhythm around the bowl, giving the surface an expressive and almost narrative character.

The form itself is also pleasing. The proportions feel balanced and comfortable, providing an effective canvas for the surface decoration without competing with it. The relationship between the shape and the patterning creates a cohesive piece that is engaging to view from multiple angles.

While I am pleased with many aspects of the bowl, I am less convinced by the choice of clay body as a background for these particular surface treatments. When viewed as a whole, the combination of the clay, slips, and colourants feels somewhat muddy, reducing the clarity and impact of the marks. I think the decorative elements themselves have considerable potential, but they may benefit from being placed against a more contrasting background. It would be interesting to revisit these techniques on either a much lighter surface, where the marks could appear sharper and more graphic, or a significantly darker background, where the colours might develop a greater sense of depth and drama.

Overall, this bowl feels like a valuable experiment. The surface patterns are among the most interesting results from this firing, and I am keen to explore how they might evolve through different clay bodies and colour combinations in future work.

This bowl was thrown using PF690 clay. Following the bisque firing, black and white glazes were applied using a variety of printing methods before the piece underwent a reduction firing. The initial results were not what I had hoped for, and the surface lacked the qualities I was aiming to achieve. In response, I applied additional white glaze, brushed the interior with Velvet Black glaze, added a thin layer of transparent glaze, and then stoneware fired the bowl to 1280°C.

The final outcome is pleasing, although it differs significantly from my original intentions. The process of reworking the piece has resulted in a surface with a varied and interesting range of colours and textures, demonstrating how unexpected results can sometimes lead to new possibilities. The exterior in particular has developed a richness and complexity that rewards closer examination, even if the application feels less balanced than I would ideally like.

My main reservation concerns the interior of the bowl. While the Velvet Black glaze provides a strong contrast to the exterior surface, I feel that it is ultimately too heavy and visually dominant. Looking back, I believe a Tenmoku glaze would have been a more sympathetic choice, offering depth and richness while maintaining a greater sense of warmth and subtlety. This is one of those decisions that becomes clearer in hindsight and provides a useful point of reflection for future work.

Despite these reservations, the bowl has been a valuable learning experience. The process of firing, evaluating, and then reworking the piece has highlighted both the possibilities and limitations of the glaze combinations I have been using. As I intend to explore glaze development more thoroughly over the coming weeks, this bowl provides a useful reference point and has given me several ideas for future experimentation. While not entirely successful, it represents an important step in understanding how different glazes interact and how I might achieve a more cohesive balance between surface, colour, and form in future pieces.

This bowl was thrown on the wheel using a blend of Staffordshire Stoneware and PF680. The surface was decorated with black slip applied over cut-out shapes that were repeated around the bowl, their forms reminiscent of the abandoned boat that has been a recurring source of inspiration in this body of work. Following the bisque firing, a sponge tyre was used to apply red underglaze over the surface decoration. The bowl was then finished with a transparent glaze and stoneware fired to 1280°C.

This is a very pleasing bowl and one of the more successful pieces from the firing. I am particularly happy with the printed decoration and the way the red underglaze interacts with the black slip beneath it. The layering creates a sense of depth and complexity, allowing the repeated motifs to remain visually strong while introducing additional colour and movement across the surface.

One of my favourite aspects of the piece is the interior. Under the transparent glaze, the black and pale brown clays intertwine beautifully, creating subtle patterns and variations in tone that enhance the bowl without overwhelming it. The transparency of the glaze allows these qualities to remain visible, adding another level of interest when the bowl is handled and viewed from different angles.

The bowl has also emerged from the firing slightly wonky. I am not entirely sure whether this resulted from my handling during the decorating process, perhaps by holding the bowl too tightly, or whether it developed during the firing itself. Whatever the cause, I find that I genuinely enjoy this imperfection. Rather than detracting from the piece, the slight wonkiness adds character and individuality, reinforcing the sense that it is a handmade object. In this case, the irregularity feels entirely appropriate and contributes positively to the overall personality of the vessel.

This bowl was made from a blend of Staffordshire Stoneware and PF680. The surface decoration was created using black slip applied through a combination of monoprinting techniques and impressions made with wooden and sponge tools. Following the bisque firing, the bowl was coated with a copper oxide wash, and yellow stain was applied to the striped areas within the black slip decoration. The piece was then stoneware fired to 1280°C.

Overall, I am pleased with this bowl, although it is one of those pieces that highlights several areas for improvement and further exploration. The decorative pattern has potential, and I am satisfied with the way the black slip motifs have translated through the firing process. The combination of printed and impressed marks creates a lively surface that wraps effectively around the form.

However, I do not feel that the mixed clay body provides the most suitable background for this particular decoration. The variation in the clay adds visual complexity, but in this instance it competes with the surface pattern rather than supporting it. I think the design would be much stronger against either a white slip or a lighter clay body, where the contrast could be more pronounced and the individual elements allowed to stand out more clearly.

The copper oxide wash was also less successful than I had hoped. It was applied too thinly and has become barely noticeable after firing, contributing little to the overall composition. Similarly, the yellow stain lacks the strength and impact that I was aiming for. My intention was for the yellow to provide a bold and striking contrast against the black slip, creating strong focal points across the surface. In hindsight, I should have applied the stain more heavily, perhaps using multiple coats to build greater intensity and saturation.

Despite these shortcomings, the bowl has provided valuable insights into how these materials and colours interact. The underlying pattern remains promising, and I can easily imagine revisiting the same decorative approach with a lighter background, a stronger application of yellow stain, and a more assertive use of copper oxide. With these adjustments, I believe the design could become far more dynamic and visually impactful.

This bowl was thrown from a blend of Staffordshire Stoneware and PF680 and left completely undecorated, with only a thin coat of transparent glaze applied before a reduction firing. The simplicity of the piece allows the qualities of the mixed clay body to take centre stage, and I find the combination of the darker and lighter clays particularly pleasing.

It is a simple but successful bowl, demonstrating that decoration is not always necessary. My only criticism is that the foot feels slightly too small for the form, making the bowl appear a little less grounded than it could be. Despite this, it is an attractive and satisfying piece.

This bowl was thrown using Staffordshire Stoneware and decorated with multiple layers of white slip before bisque firing. A copper oxide wash was then applied to the imprinted areas before the bowl was stoneware fired to 1280°C.

The bowl is shown upside down in this photograph, as the narrow base means that when displayed upright, the subtle colours created by the copper oxide on the white slip are difficult to see. The gentle variations in colour and tone are one of the most successful aspects of the piece, and I am very pleased with the effect.

This is a technique that I will definitely explore again. However, I would give more consideration to the form, ensuring that the decoration is immediately visible to the viewer rather than hidden by the shape of the vessel. Despite this limitation, the bowl has produced some beautiful surface qualities that are well worth developing further.

This larger bowl was made from porcelain paperclay and formed using a pinching technique. The surface was impressed with a wire grid to create texture and decorated with black slip applied using bubble wrap before bisque firing. A copper oxide wash and my own sea green glaze were then applied before the bowl was fired to 1260°C.

I am particularly pleased with the colours in this piece. The sea green glaze is highly evocative of the coastline, reflecting many of the colours and qualities that have inspired this body of work. The black and white decoration remains visible beneath the glaze, creating a subtle layering effect that adds depth and interest to the surface.

While I am happy with the overall result, I would have liked to incorporate more textural marks into the form. The existing impressions work well, but I think a greater variety of surface textures would have enhanced the piece further and provided a stronger contrast with the fluid quality of the glaze.

The two smaller vessels are also made from porcelain paperclay and were formed using a pinching technique. Their surfaces were scored and impressed to create subtle texture before being finished with the same sea green glaze and fired.

These are delicate, fragile pieces, but that sense of fragility is part of their appeal. The glaze works beautifully on the small forms, highlighting the impressed textures while maintaining a softness that complements the porcelain paperclay. Although simple in their decoration, they possess a quiet elegance and are attractive in their delicacy.