All of my pottery is hand thrown on my beloved old kick wheel, and made from a clay body that I have formulated to give my pottery the strength to stand up to the demands of everyday use (including the dishwasher). Each pot is individually decorated, using a white slip that is applied to the leather hard pot, and then using a sharp piece of wood (imagine a pencil without the lead), and I draw back though the slip to the terracotta clay to create the drawing.
DEEP SERVING OR BAKING BOWL WITH HANDLES
After bisquing the pots (firing them in the kiln to 1750 *F), I apply colored transparent glazes and the fire them again to 1950 *F. This second firing melts the glaze into a glass and produces a hard, durable clay body. With the characteristic terracotta colour.
TURQUOISE BOWL WITH PINCHED RIM
I have worked hard to make baking dishes and pie plate’s oven proof; however, certain practices for any ceramic pot should be followed:
LARGE PIE DISH
- Pottery which has been in the refrigerator should be heated up slowly in the oven, never on a direct flame or a direct element. If you have an electric oven, keep the oven rack up close to the middle of the oven and not on its lowest setting.
- Pouring liquids into a clay baking dish while it is in a hot oven can cause enough thermal stress to crack your pot.
- If you are reheating food from a previous meal and the food no longer covers the whole surface it is important to remember that the empty part of the pot will heat up much more rapidly that the part that is still covered with food. Spreading the food out evenly will allow for an even temperature rise.
- Pottery taken from a hot oven should not be placed on a cold surface. Placing the hot pot on a trivet or cooling rack will allow the pit to cool evenly and slowly.
- Plates and trays are not designed for cooking and baking. Their large surface area can lead to uneven temperature thought out the plate and this may lead to cracking. Plates ad tray can, comer, however, be used for gradually warming up food, as long as you remember the larger the diameter of the plate or tray the more susceptible it is to heat shock.
- Clay pottery when used for cooking can absorb oil over time. So every so often wash your clay pots with vinegar and rub with a paste of salt or baking soda. I rub my pots with a lemon cut in half and let the juice penetrate into the clay; this seems to prevent any sour oil smell from developing.
- The pots I make are used in my home everyday. We enjoy using them for a wide variety of purposes, including food preparation and presentation, baking, serving and yes, we even enjoy washing them. Each one is slightly different and bears the marks of my hands and my heart. I receive a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure from working with clay.
- My pots are made with the integrity and commitment of a craftsman. I believe in the value of the hand made object and I hope that the pleasure that I take in making my pots is something you can share when using them in you home.SMALL BAKING DISH WITH HANDLES
You can find more of D’Arcy’s beautyful hand crafted pottery atwww.sidestreetstudio.com
