I am happy to have some of my sake cups in this Ceramics Ireland Annual exhibition.
Clay/works from the 4th to 31st of August 2019 in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.
Ceramics
Local Bentonite Clay
I have known of the existence of local bentonite clay for a long time. The local clays I use at this time don’t need extra plasticity.
Some times a small addition of bentonite can add some plasticity to an otherwise non plastic raw material.
One of the oldest clays I have found.
The first firing of my new wood fired kiln at the end of October 2018.
The first firing of my new wood fired kiln at the end of October 2018. With some support from Ealaíon na Gaeltachta I was able to build, and fire this kiln using only local clays.
Wood firing local clays to cone 8 [1250 celsius] and going very slowly to temperature, it was very interesting controlling the speed of the flames. I used some birch, but mostly local sitka spruce a fast growing pine in this Irish climate.
In 2014 I started using local clays that I found here on the Dingle Peninsula. At this time I only work with local clays.
I am very happy with the fired result from these native. The results are very rewarding I look forward to using the knowledge gained for the next firing.
Mo mhíle buíochas d’Ealaíon na Gaeltachta as ucht a gcuid tacaíochta thar na blianta leis an dtionscanamh seo. Thank you to Ealaíon na Gaeltachta for your support over the years with this project.
