Woah! Tell me about the Magic...

Warning, this gets pretty boring, so saddle up if you’re in for the ride and pay attention at the back.

Each Bowl or Plate or Vase or whatever, starts from humble Clay. Side note #1. It seems Pottery IS the new Rock and Roll, so there’s a huge resurgence these last few years, with people getting creative with crafts and steering away from Shop-bought-shenanigans that have little soul and hardly any lasting function. I digress...

Okay, so the Bowls are Wheel-thrown, left to dry a little bit, trimmed, coated with liquid clay, or a special coating and then left to dry a little bit more. After a while, I can have a crack at the lettering, this is called (by the Pro’s) ‘Sgraffito’. Understandably, ZERO mistakes can be made and my FULL ATTENTION is given, with no distractions or lengthy rest-breaks. Side note #2: I can listen to only Instrumental Music during this process, if you are Violinist, or a Cellist and would like to just hang out with me while I work, I’d like that. (..I feel that Trumpeteers would just be too damn loud.) You must however, keep your gob firmly shut while I’m working.

A Cheese Sandwich will be provided. 

The Bowls are then left to dry out fully. No moisture means they have a better chance of not exploding in the Kiln. It takes a couple of days and like all good things, just can’t be rushed. 

Firing time. The Cream Gloss Bowls are fired twice, the initial ‘bisc’ firing goes up a 1000C then slowly cools, the item is then dipped in handmixed glaze and re-fired to 1115C 

Matte Black Pottery is the most mysterious of all Pottery. This is a contemporary finish. It’s single fired to 1200C so I can mysteriously produce these faster than the Cream Gloss. 
Opening the door of a packed and cooled Kiln, is exactly like opening a Pirates magical Treasure Chest (I imagine) and looking at the shiny things inside it is a buzz. Side note #3.If you have ever opened a Treasure Chest, or are indeed a Pirate from Olden Times, please meet up with me and hopefully confirm the exact level of ‘buzziness’ you experience when opening the Chest, just to compare notes. etc etc..
A Sandwich will be provided.
..or Rum. 
I think that’s about it, here endeth the lesson, thanks for staying awake. :)