Nic Collins – Teabowl Meeth Clay with leaf Impression [Triptych Picture] Nic Collins was born in 1958 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. A self-taught potter and woodfirer, he started building kilns and wheels during his late teens and early 20s, experimenting with raku, salt glazing and sawdust firings, and using clay sourced from local river banks. After teaching himself throwing, Nic went to Derby College of Art where he completed an HND. Nic then briefly worked in potteries in Germany and Italy, returning to set up home and workshop at Powdermills, the site of an old gunpowder mill, set in the heart of Dartmoor. Nic now lives and works in Moretonhampstead on the edge of Dartmoor. He is inspired by medieval English pottery and wood-fired Japanese ceramics. Firing with wood gives the pots their warm “toasted” colour and careful packing of the kiln, gives some degree of control over the production. The firing is around 90 hours to temperatures up to 1300C Nic likes to achieve a build up of texture from the effects of the firing. Some pots returning to the fire up to seven times. There is also the exploration of different effects by using different clays and utilising various areas of the kiln. “I am fascinated by the process of long wood firings. I can manipulate the fire over the period of four days, to give me effects that I am looking for, utilising the live flame and the wood ash to give the rich results I am searching for”. Nic is a fellow, member of the Craftsmen Potters Association & full member of Devon Guild of Craftsmen. A new exhibition opens this weekend [Tomorrow] at Goldmark Gallery of recent work - The Hard-Won Art, for more detail: goldmarkart/ceramics/potters/nic-collins.html To find out more about Nic: nic-collins.co.uk
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 07:22:21 +0000
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