Adrian King’s pots
Happy Spring everyone!
Here we are again with the sun shining bright, and spring in full bloom. Along with Mother Nature, we have been working hard here at the pottery. Between developing new glazes to be fired in Mark’s three chamber alkaline glaze kiln, testing new materials, and processing rocks into glazes, it has been an immensely busy four months.
This has also been my last making cycle here at Mark’s, and needless to say it will be a bittersweet departure. The past three and a half years have flown by, and I have learned more than I could have imagined. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I was given and will remember and cherish everything I have learned and everyone I have met for the rest of my life.
My next journey in life is bringing me to Portland, Maine where I will be working for the Maine College of Art as the Ceramics Studio Manager. For the next few years I will be working towards developing new work of my own and beginning my life as a professional potter. I hope that you will all follow me along in my future.
Thank you all for the endless support and kindness that you have bestowed upon me during my time here in North Carolina.
Hamish Jackson’s pots
It’s been nearly a year since I joined the Hewitt Pottery, and I’m still smiling. This firing cycle has been particularly busy on account of Mark’s plan to develop a bunch of new glazes using local materials. It’s been very exciting to see granite and other rock taken from their raw state, calcined in our gas kiln, broken up into tiny particles in the ball mill and powdered in order to be to be made into glazes. Through much experimentation and trial and error we’ve ended up with some spectacular glazes.
Collecting and processing the raw materials was hard work, but now that the firing is over, we feel the fruits of our labors and it’s very satisfying. It’s magic to me to see how you can take a great slab of granite and turn it into a glaze with very little additional material. I’m used to public studios where glazes are made with a myriad of purchased bags of materials from all over the world, so it’s nice to see how it can be done with local ingredients.
In terms of my pots, I feel like they’re getting better. Still some way to go, but I’m happy with the way many of them came out of the kiln. Some of my favorites are the small items – the kiln fillers – the espresso cups and the shot glasses. I’m also fond of the casserole dishes, and all the promise of delicious stews they will surely hold.
Quick update on the livestock: our 19 chickens are doing very well and laying at least a dozen eggs a day for us. Life is good.
http://hamishjackson.blogspot.com/
Stillman Browning-Howe
Hello, my name is Stillman Browning-Howe. I’m the newest apprentice here at Hewitt Pottery. My love for clay started before I could walk, spending summers throwing shapes at my aunt’s house, who runs Sarah’s House of Clay in Durham, NC.
After moving to Pittsboro five years ago, I served an apprenticeship with Jonathan Davis at Locally Grown Art, one of the only lampworking glass studios in the area. Since the New Year, I’ve been here at the pottery studio learning the ins and outs: how the glazes are mixed, where the materials go, and all the other small details that help a studio run smoothly.
I’m excited for my official apprenticeship starting this summer firing. Come back in August to see my work!