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Glazing is one of the cornerstones of ceramics. A bad glaze and it’s all wrong

For my part, I chose to glaze only the inside of my pieces, preferring to leave raw and soft porcelain for the outside.

All the glazes in the workshop are made by myself. I like these times of precise weighing. No doubt my past as a chemist is steel very present. Initially, a glaze contains silica and kaolin. However, a flux must be added so that the couple melts at a lower temperature. At high temperatures (1280 – 1300°C), the usual fluxes are potash, soda or magnesium. For earthenware, it is more difficult to lower the temperature of the Kaolin silica pair, lead has been used a lot, very powerful. Now, more concerned about the health effects of the products, we are moving towards lead-free glaze.

To glaze, you can dip the ceramic in it. But for myself almost always spray. The glaze is suspended in water and does not dissolved. When applied to the porous ceramic, the ceramic adsorbs water and the powder remain on the ceramic. When fired, the fine powder melts like glass.

A few years ago, I decided to cast my pieces into plaster molds. Be careful, this does not mean that it is simpler when it comes to making molds.

First you have to make the prototypes. I favor raw earth for my cups. I turn and mold them directly without firing. For larger ceramics, I turn or model the prototypes and I biscuit them.

Of course, there are different types of molds from the simplest to some very complicated one including 20 different parts. For the moment, I limit myself to 4 parts.  The idea for me is to make prints of parts that I can assemble. The Square vase, for example, is the assembly of a cup and a rectangular cube. I can decline like that to infinity.

The paper clay training of 18th and 19th of February gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in this practice. I use to practice a lot at the beginning 2010. I tinted it, pressed it, cut it, to stick it on mugs, boxes, vases or even make sculptures.

This practice gives the opportunity to work longer. Even if the clay dries, you can continue to work. It is less fragile. When fired, the paper burns and it looks like pure porcelain.

During this workshop, we made and dyed paper porcelain on Saturday. The next day we pressed the porcelain to stick it on cups and make different patterns. We also used paper porcelain to print it in molds. Some have experimented with making a chain. While the drying porcelain would be extremely fragile, the paper clay strengthens when drying and presents an amazing solidity. I thank my students for having opened up the fields for me again !

January and February, 2 full months, I hope, to dedicate myself to imagine my new pieces. Last year at the same time, I worked on a lot on masks by implementing constraints like, the mask must have 3 parts… I drew a bunch of little sketches. This led to my series of Moon masks and the Sisters busts that were my flagship products of Maison et Objet 2022.

What does 2023 have in store for me? I already have some ideas. I’ll tell you about all this very soon.

2022 is a pretty good year.

I did again “Maison et Objet” show after a last edition not very good in January 2020. This September edition was finally a success. After directing my production on decoration and having been supported by a scenographer Sylvie Dubray, the orders were scheduled.

Classes are always full from one year to the next with a waiting list. I like so much these exchange times with my students. I’ve known some of them for...15 years. I’ve created new internships and they’re filling up. Next year, I hope to be able to offer another modeling workshop and a Mocha tea workshop, a decoration technique.

A mixed balance sheet on retail stores. Some stores charge high rents over a long period of time. If you don’t sell much, the bill is heavy at the end. Fortunately, others are very good and hyper-legit. From now on, I would be more careful !

After a few setbacks a few years ago, I was able to fine-tune the quality of my shipping packaging. You can sleep well. This is totally safe.

A first packaging in bubble wrap (yes I know, it’s plastic but for the moment, nothing better). Each piece is then protected by cardboard (individual pack box for large pieces or separate cardboard for small). All of it goes in a box that goes in another box. That’s the best way to resist shocks, because I know how it is in transportation. The day I saw a documentary about the carriers, I had a bad night.

Just feel comfortable !

It’s the story of 3 of us : Dominique, Sandrine and myself, who became friends and decided to organize a private sale at Domi !

This time, they invited a felt maker, Muriel.

It’s gonna be a party. There will be mulled wine, music (private concert by Inge Anderson and Patrick Gourdin) and lots of nice things to offer for Christmas.

It will be on registration from November 20. Let's meet on the facebook page of the "Copines" https://www.facebook.com/Histoiredecopines

Date : 25, 26 and 27th of November
Friday : 5 to 11 pm
Saturday : 11 am to 10 pm
Sunday : 11 am to 6 pm

Address : Dominique Gourdin/19 rue de la Fontaine/Auvignac/17800 Montils

On December 3 and 4, 14 ceramists will meet to present their creations, each with its personality and its unique production !

There will be the broadcast of ceramic films borrowed from Ateliers d'Arts de France, a modelling workshop for children and a exhibition-competition with public vote.

All information about the exhibitors on the site of Argilités (association of ceramists of the region) organizer of the event https://www.argilites.fr/ceramique-a-la-rochelle-2022/

The drying of porcelain is one of the points where one must be particularly vigilant. Once throwned or removed from the mold, raw porcelain must be protected by plastic films.

If it is throwned, we let it dry in the open air because it is very wet. Once firmed, it must be protected by plastic films just laid.

If it is molded, the fineness of the piece will induce a very fast drying that must be stoped by completely covering with plastic.

Once it is leather hard, the pieces are ready for decoration or to put a handle. Then they go again under plastic just laid a few days and upside down.

Finally, when the clay really starts to dry, you can finish the drying in the open air.

In fact, in the manufacture of a piece, drying will take 3/4 of the time. So when I am ordered a piece, it is on average between 3 weeks and a month of delays!

I am taking part this year for this September edition in the biggest trade fair for professional decoration. I decided for this session to focus on my decorative ceramic production.

I have been attending this show for 8 years now once a year with the exception of 2021. I was there in January 2020, in the midst of strikes for retirement and the start of the pandemic. It took me 2 years to recover and I am very happy to participate again.

Quality is always on the agenda of this show. It is above all access to an international audience that is very interesting. It motivates and it pulls up.

This year, I will present 2 collections with Square : masks, busts and vases and the Pruniers collection with vases and a fresco composed of plates.

There will also be a small sample of the Berlingot collection that was selected by Designer Elisabeth Lerich on the theme of color. I have also been selected to be on the Craft sector development space with my square vases.

The exhibition takes place from 8 to 12 September in Villepinte-Paris https://www.maison-objet.com/paris