UNIQUE PORCELAIN DESIGNS
CREATIVE POTTERY BY BARB WENDT

INFORMATION PAGE

BOWLS,    CANDLE PLATES,     PITCHERS,    VASES,    OTHERS,    COVERED VESSELS,  PLATES & PLATTERS,    HOME,    RAKU   

All of the pottery you see is made of high fire porcelain, which we make ourselves using a local clay called Helmer.  It can be used in the microwave, dishwasher, and oven.  If using it in the oven, please place the piece in the cold oven and then preheat.  That way the pottery is able to slowly expand with the rising temperature without thermal shocking which causes cracking.  The glazes are food safe, except for the pieces on the Raku page.  My husband and I fire to cone 10 (2385 degrees F.) in a gas fired kiln which he made.

I hope that you enjoy looking at my pieces.  As you can see, I like to make the usual unusual.....by altering a bowl into a seashell perhaps, or carving a flowing plant design twining around the neck of a vase, or by adding spriggings (which are 3 dimensional appliqués made of clay) some of which resemble plant life and some that use the imagination.  

I also like to experiment with glazes.  Since my husband, Michael Wendt, has been a potter for over 34 years and makes his own glazes, I have found a treasure trove of unwanted glazes.....you know, recipes gone awry!  They have turned into my favorites!   Two examples would be the lavender and the speckled green glazes, both beautiful and they interact with other glazes so nicely.  However a big problem with using "oops" glazes is that they are not repeatable without a lot of glaze experimenting which also generates more "oops", but there could be some beautiful glazes just waiting to be discovered through testing! 

Another unusual source for my favorite glazes comes from experimenting with Raku glazes fired at a much higher temperature than expected.  Raku glazes are traditionally low fire  glazes (to be fired around 1800-2000 degrees F.).  I fire them at 2385 degrees F., which doesn't seem that much hotter, but in the world of glazes really is.  When fired low, Raku glazes are not food safe, but at the higher temperature there is no leaching when tested....therefore food safe. 

Thank you for looking at my website and if you do purchase any of my pieces, I  know you will enjoy them for years to come. 

BOWLS,    CANDLE PLATES,     PITCHERS,    VASES,    OTHERS,    COVERED VESSELS,  PLATES & PLATTERS,    HOME,    RAKU