Many thanks to everyone who came to the open studio! We had great weather so the mews looked very cheerful. I’m back to making now, the ubiquitous volcanic oysters and some new ginger jars. I like to speed the drying by putting them outside – the wind as much as the sun makes hours of difference to drying times.
Having a new, bigger, kiln has changed how I make. It feels strange to apply production engineering analysis (a previous job of mine) to craft production. I suppose I’m looking for a good creative flow, a rhythm that helps the repetition that’s one of the basic characteristics of craft, rather than the efficiencies we looked for in manufacturing. Or is there so much difference? Hmmm.
I’ve been taking some commissions recently, for pots with writing on. Commissions are always quite hard to do, it’s hard to visualise wat people are asking for, sometimes. I’m lucky to have low ‘wastage’ – things going wrong in the kiln – but I always make more than needed, with commissions, this usually comes out as double! 
Better than Nant Garw though, where they had 90% wastage! Heartbreaking for the great William Billingsley – one of my heroes.
