Making process
Katrin’s ceramic pieces are thrown and turned on the potter’s wheel. After having been brushed, inlaid, carved or scratched (sgraffito), they are bisque fired in an electric kiln to 1000°C. After their first firing, they are glazed and fired again, this time to ca. 1260°C. To finish, all unglazed surfaces are sanded smooth.
The tableware pieces are made in batches of 5 - 50 pieces at a time, depending on item and size. Katrin will always have several batches at different stages on the go (potters are good at multitasking!).
Katrin often works simultaneously on test pieces or a bigger one-off piece. Making these items is an important, albeit much slower element of Katrin’s making rhythm that is otherwise dominated by the fast and fluid batch production at the wheel. It allows Katrin to consider composition, scale and form, test new glazes and develop her work in an organic way.
Her current position as resident potter at Winchcombe Pottery allows her to include wood- and soda firings in her experimentations and provides an opportunity to research specific reduction glazes and ash glazes.
Photo by Natalie Martinez, courtesy of The Kiln Rooms.
Using pots
Every piece is carefully handmade by Katrin and quality checked when it comes out of the kiln.
As with all handcrafted items there may well be slight variations in colour, size and finish from images and descriptions. All of Katrin’s glazes are non-toxic; all functional pots are glazed inside and can be used for cold and hot foods. They are high-fired and durable, but please handle with care nevertheless and wash by hand if you can.
