Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group...events

Porcelain, stoneware & crank; oxides, slips, lustre's and crater glazes; throwing & handbuilding – all elements which we learnt contribute to a signature Billy Adams piece.
Following on the success of last year’s Peter Beard master class, a large enthusiastic groupgathered at Tremough Campus on Sunday 6t h March to see and hear Billy Adams demonstrate and talkabout his work.
We were treated to a fascinating day, learning about the artist’s early influences – the landscapes and rock formations of his native Ireland and tracing the development of his work, from megalithic, stone-like structures created for
his degree show to his present exuberant vessel forms.
The talk and slideshow which introduced the day illustrated the
range of his work and led into a demonstration of the techniques he has developed to produce his individual pieces.
Flamboyant and heavily textured, Billy’s vessels have evolved from jug or chalice forms with exaggerated, flaring asymmetrical lips and rims, where handles have become vestigial circlets appearing to be in the process of being reabsorbed into the body of the piece.
I think perhaps my favourite is the ‘Babby Pot’ which Billy made to demonstrate his technique.
Pieces of clay were torn off amazingly firm, almost leather-hard slabs, made from a thick laminateof a porcelain type and stoneware clay which he stretched and thinned slightly by slapping onthe floor.
The porcelain layer starts to crack and creates the textured surface that is so effective. Thetorn pieces were roughly joined and assembled into a partial globe using a plaster mould to help shape the form. The edges were left roughened and jagged and a layer of crank was smoothed over the inside surface to add strength.
Billy’s trademark handle was inserted into the form and an extra coil of crank was attached to the top edge to create a sense of thickness.
A foot ring set the finished pot slightly off-centre.
Billy usually fires his work several times using slips, glazes and lustre's and
often his work is built up using a thrown base to which the textured, hand-built
part is added.
Innovative and entertaining, although we didn’t learn all of Billy’s secrets,we certainly had a very interesting and enjoyable day and I for one will be eagerly
awaiting the next master class.



	BILLY ADAMS MASTERCLASS – SUNDAY 6 MARCH 2005 By MOLLIE PRAEGER
		Porcelain, stoneware & crank; oxides, slips, lustre's and crater glazes; throwing & handbuilding – all elements which we learnt contribute to a signature Billy Adams piece. Following on the success of last year’s Peter Beard master class, a large enthusiastic groupgathered at Tremough Campus on Sunday 6t h March to see and hear Billy Adams demonstrate and talkabout his work. We were treated to a fascinating day, learning about the artist’s early influences – the landscapes and rock formations of his native Ireland and tracing the development of his work, from megalithic, stone-like structures created for his degree show to his present exuberant vessel forms. The talk and slideshow which introduced the day illustrated the range of his work and led into a demonstration of the techniques he has developed to produce his individual pieces. Flamboyant and heavily textured, Billy’s vessels have evolved from jug or chalice forms with exaggerated, flaring asymmetrical lips and rims, where handles have become vestigial circlets appearing to be in the process of being reabsorbed into the body of the piece. I think perhaps my favourite is the ‘Babby Pot’ which Billy made to demonstrate his technique. Pieces of clay were torn off amazingly firm, almost leather-hard slabs, made from a thick laminateof a porcelain type and stoneware clay which he stretched and thinned slightly by slapping onthe floor. The porcelain layer starts to crack and creates the textured surface that is so effective. Thetorn pieces were roughly joined and assembled into a partial globe using a plaster mould to help shape the form. The edges were left roughened and jagged and a layer of crank was smoothed over the inside surface to add strength. Billy’s trademark handle was inserted into the form and an extra coil of crank was attached to the top edge to create a sense of thickness. A foot ring set the finished pot slightly off-centre. Billy usually fires his work several times using slips, glazes and lustre's and often his work is built up using a thrown base to which the textured, hand-built part is added. Innovative and entertaining, although we didn’t learn all of Billy’s secrets,we certainly had a very interesting and enjoyable day and I for one will be eagerly awaiting the next master class.