Aby Ceramics was set up by me, Alan Hill, a former engineering manager, who relocated to Lincolnshire in 2020 as a craft potter. For 5 years I went to evening classes at Rugby College on the EMFEC Ceramics course, until work got in the way of play for many years. Now I am fortunate enough to be able to play again! In my home studio I make wheel-thrown pottery and rolled slab-ware to produce pieces based on found objects from the Lincolnshire coast and wolds, often with coastal themes and a strong influence of the coastal wildlife. Much of my work uses the Raku process to produce vibrant coppers, greens & blues to enhance the found objects.
Raku
Raku generally refers to a type of low-firing process inspired by traditional Japanese raku firing.
My Raku ware is for ornamental use only.
The thermal shock of removing the red hot pot from the kiln and immersing it in combustible materials deliberately induces crazing and crackle in the glaze, and adds a natural smoke finish to the cracks and unglazed elements of the piece.
Raku is not suitable to hold water or food as the pottery is porous due to the firing method and the metal oxides used in the glaze decoration. Do not put in microwave or dishwasher.
Pots and Mugs!
Wheel thrown and slab made stoneware.
I make a range of functional stoneware such as mugs, vases, jugs. I tend to use reactive glazes, that I layer to get intersting colour variations.
My stoneware pottery is glazed with food safe glazes.
I recommend hand washing and don’t recommend use in a microwave or dishwasher, as I have not tested the glazes for this!
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Naked Raku
No not in the buff! "Naked raku" is a technique of smoke infusion on burnished, unglazed pottery which allows a crackle decoration on highly tactile pots. This form of naked raku involves burnishing the piece while still on the pottery wheel, then applying terra-sigilata (a liquid clay) to the surface and burnishing again before bisque firing. The piece is then painted in slip, glazed and fired, during cooling the fired glaze peels away to leave the smoke decoration. The pot is finally cleaned of the firing materials before being waxed.
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Paperclay
Paperclay is a clay body to which processed cellulose fiber (paper being the most common) has been added. It enables hand building ceramic pieces with very thin and strong forms. I'm experimenting with "Seascapes" fired as stoneware and raku.
