Taking inspiration of the colours, textures and shapes from her local beach; Sally Woodford presents her new body of work created in clays and slip; Beach Ware.
Most of the pieces are Raku fired in a gas kiln using sawdust and seaweed, combining clay with fire allows patterns to emerge from the smoke produced.
Ceramic forms are all hand-built, by slab, coil or pinching and large bowls formed in plaster moulds made from mooring buoys.
When leather-hard the pieces are burnished with a polished stone then left to dry.
An electric kiln is used for biscuit firing to 1040°, if silver is added; a second firing to 750° is needed.
The seascape tiles include wax resist and are painted with under-glazed and glazed, then fired to 1060°.
Other pieces are either coated with slip resist, glazed and Raku fired in a gas kiln or packed in saggars with seaweed, salt, sugar, sand, paper and oxides and fired to between 400°- 750° in the gas kiln.
Raku firing involves heating the kiln rapidly to 860°-1000° then removing the pot while still hot and placing it in a container of paper and sawdust, the thermal shock cause the glaze to craze and smoke is absorbed into the clay body. The glaze is then scrapped off, the pieces scrubbed clean in water and sealed with beeswax.
Some pieces include details of glaze, silver or resin.
Sally studied BA Hons 3D Design, specialising in Ceramics, at Middlesex Polytechnic graduating in 1980. In 1981 she married and moved to the Isle of Wight and continued working with clay until starting a family in 1987. Following the untimely death of her husband, Sally began creating individually crafted pieces of work in 2005 in her new purpose built studio.
Spending many years without a studio allowed Sally time to research emerging techniques, and to plan and collect ideas for new projects. The new materials and clays available prompted a fresh direction in her very distinctive style.
Bits and Bobs:
Rope Store Gallery, Quay Arts
Sat 28 Feb – Sat 11 Apr
Drinks Reception: Sat 28 Feb 2 – 4pm All Welcome
FREE ENTRY
