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A few years ago, when I began experimenting with ceramic decoration, I created a set of hand-made alphabet stamps. This has enabled me to create customised pieces for friends and businesses, such as the bowl I have been working on (see below) for Jonnie Beasley. I love the process of printing into the clay in this way- it reminds me of the letterpress work I did during my apprentice book-binding period in the US many years ago....

 (adding a bit of colour to Jonnie's bowl- green is his favourite colour. I will post a photo of the finished, glazed piece when it comes out of the kiln!)

Working on a tea-pot for the Blackwell Collection, so named after the beautiful country house on the shores of Lake Windermere, owned and run by the National Trust. The house is full of wonderful examples of early 20th century British craftsmanship, and I fell in love with the White Dining Room, full of sunlight, with views across the Lake. The design on these ceramics is inspired by the Rowan tree frieze produced for the house by artist and architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scot (1865-1945)

Working on a large vase for the fish series...

I will post photos of finished pieces once they are fired.

Please contact me directly if you are interested in buying a piece.

You can now also follow me on Twitter @jonquil_c

and on Instagram as jonquilcook

It's been a productive couple of weeks here in the pottery: more jugs, bowls and plates for the Forest series, plus some new, larger pieces thrown for carving... watch this space!
Finished pieces are currently available for sale through etsy.com, and Artfinder.com (search for Jonquil Doremus-Cook). For prices of individual pieces please contact me directly by email, at jonquilcook@hotmail.com

 Carving away oxide coloured slip to reveal clay on wheel-thrown pieces. Creates relief and colour contrast.

Pieces drying, awaiting first firing in electric kiln to 1050 degrees centigrade. Firing takes around 9 hours.

Glazing of pots after first firing. Green glaze inside, transparent outside. Low-fired pieces need to be glazed all over as they are likely to be more porous than high-fired ware. My pottery aims to be beautiful and decorative but also highly functional.

Forest series before and after final firing- 1100 degrees.

Freshly thrown pieces waiting to be 'turned'. The clay needs to be at a leather-hard stage of dryness in order to carry out a finishing of the final form on the wheel.

Foreground- large vase (to be carved with my Fish design). Background- elements of a tea-pot waiting to be assembled (this will be decorated with the Blackwells themed design).

Jonnie Beesley-Pritchard's special green bowl (mark 2!!). Jonnie loved the customised bowl I made him so since it got well-used and eventually broken I am making him another! The letter-stamps are fired clay that I carved by hand.