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28 November 2020 Surprise Pillow Box

Feb 7, 20212 min read

There is something very rewarding about working on a pottery project. Every stage has numerous possible outcomes (just like life really). The inevitable is rare.


I wanted to create something for each of my siblings, my sisters gift was to be a treasure box. I pointed her in the direction of Vaughan Nelson, an American ceramicist who takes his inspiration from folk artists around the world; he seeks to express himself through the artistic language of imperfection – asymmetric shapes, irregular edges and imperfect circles, decorating his work with vibrant colour in incredible detail.


My sisters love of the irregular, the quirky and the unusual was Inspired by this artist and I set about trying my hand.


The first task was to make the shape of the box. This involved making two halves of a hollow shape, sealing them together and then, having made a small air hole in the side, to inflate the box by blowing into the hole. I soon realised the hole needed plugging very fast… thank goodness for environmentally

unfriendly cling film!




Once it was sealed, I could paddle the body into the shape I wanted, then divide the pot to create a lid.


It’s just emerged from its first firing in the kiln, unscathed I’m delighted to say, so the next stage is the decoration, taking inspiration from Vaughan’s work and creating a unique piece……


Next stage of the 'Pillow Box'


The box itself has red feet, soon to be adorned with white spots and the base of the body is a Mayco glaze, Care-Bein blue. The top will be glazed in Mayco Blue Dawn. I’m experimenting with wooden pieces here to discover how to secure the knob to the top. The final piece or pieces will be chosen from the pieces in the first picture.



I’m really loving this project. The pieces are all fired and undergoing the glazing stages. I’ve made a number of possible top knobs for the piece. I’m hoping that the remaining pieces will form a tabletop totem pole. ( I know my sister loves dusting!)














The totem pole pieces have glazed well. I only need to figure out how to put the pieces together. Each glaze had three coats. That included the spots!














Whatever Next...


I may have said it before – one of the thrills of potting is that you never quite know what the kiln will present you with after the final firing. Very few glaze colours in their prefired state resemble that colour once fired.

It can be both exciting and (if in this case the piece is a gift) it can be a nervy moment….

Thankfully I smiled when I opened the kiln.




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Realising a Dream..

This is me. Setting out on my journey as a hobbyist potter.

Pottery was an ‘add on’ O level course when I was at school, only offered in the sixth form. In to studying Music and RE to A level, I embarked on pottery ‘O’ level as a bit of light relief. I loved it although I was never particularly good at it. I made a few pots, mainly handbuilding using slabbing and coiling but didn’t really learn much.

What I wanted to do more than anything was throw on the wheel – the school did have a wheel but no one was allowed near it unless they knew what they were doing… an interesting approach to the process of acquiring skill methinks. I do have one of my very first pots – rather crude really, but its mine, with my initials ‘scrauped’ on the base. Over the intervening years, of which there were many, I watched the art of throwing from a distance, always hoping that one day it would happen.


We had bought our little cottage in Halifax in 2009. Six years later the adjoining house became available so we set about creating a home by combining the two halves. The ‘under-dwelling’, a feature of a number of houses in that area of West Yorkshire was a real gem; we converted into a pottery studio for me and there began my journey. I enrolled on a course in Springhead. Oldham and my amazingly talented pottery teacher, Sue Devine gave me one-to-one tuition in throwing. I bought a pottery wheel and was given a small kiln. My journey had begun – 40 years later!

Twelve month ago, my partner and I moved to Newport in South Wales. I am most fortunate have a pottery studio here. Why Andante Ceramics? Well, I work slowly, I go with the flow, I create no deadlines for my self. My world of clay is completely self-asbsorbing and tomorrow, if I am fortunate to have one, is another day.

My media pages give a flavour of what I do and my blog documents my thoughts as I journey through the wonderful world of pottery and ceramics. I wont sell any of my work but I delight in making pieces specifically for friends; I love the challenge that creating bespoke pieces bring. If you would like me to make something special do please ask.

Wendy Diamond

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