Jason Shackleton Studio 29

On thursday this week I was able to spend the day with Jason Shackleton, studio 29 on the Blue Route at his pottery in Laurieston for a glaze firing of his kiln. I spent about eighteen months working as an apprentice to Jason and have since been making my own pots from my own studio. The time I spent with Jason was invaluable and I still have an enormous amount to learn from him hence I was back there this week. This kiln is huge and holds a good eighteen months worth of Jason's highly decorated slipware and majolica pottery and takes him around three days to pack before the firing. It was built at a time when the pottery was employing a couple of other potters and at that time it was being fired between four and six times a year. This particular kiln was first fired on 13th May 1984 making it just 25 years since that initial firing.
Around three tons of wood are used over the 14 hour firing the flames from the wood licking over the pots in the chamber to give them their characteristic wood fired finish.


An eight foot long firebox on the kiln means that wood which arrives in eight foot long bundles need not be cut making one less job, saving lots of time and meaning that the wood doesn't need to be handled as many times during the process. The photo above is quite early on in the firing with the two lower fire boxes being gradually built up with a deep bed of embers before the top door is opened and wood is fed into the top section too.

Visitors over the Spring Fling weekend will be able to feast their eyes on Jason's fabulous display of pots and tile panels in the two display areas within the pottery as well as being able to enjoy Lucianne Lassalle's sculptures and the kiln shed and the orchard - remember to allow plenty of time to be able to take it all in.

The subject matters that Jason works with on his predominately functional pots have included the atomic bombs, space, an ongoing interest with predators and sea creatures which stems from spending time in the Bahamas as a child. He likes to take a simple idea and see how far he can run with it in a random direction saying that unless you can work in a progressive manner you get tired and then you get tired pots and it will show.

For example wouldn't supermarkets love it if fish grew in oblongs so that they would be ready to stack one of the results is in the photo above. Or the Boomerang Squid of course then you don't have to go out to try to catch them as they come straight back to you.

So a five day wait now for the kiln to cool and then the unloading can begin. All being well, the firing seemed to go very smoothly and according to schedule so fingers crossed it's a good one, the results will be there in their newly finished glory for all to see at the Spring Fling weekend. Pop along and see for yourself.

By Hannah McAndrew, Studio 50 Red Route.