Coming soon to Online Ceramics… Ruth King

Despite the weather warnings issued by the British Met Office advising against travel, Peter Ward from Online Ceramics visited Ruth King at her studio in North Yorkshire. Fortunately, due to the warning the roads were empty and it was a glorious 260 mile round trip in sunshine!

Ruth gave Peter a tour of her studio and explained to him how she produced her work. Although the pots at first look thrown and altered or even slip cast, they are in fact constructed from slabs of stoneware clay. Once constructed, they are sprayed with slip (liquid clay) and bisque fired in an electric kiln.

To get Ruth’s trademark stunning effects the pots are salt-glaze fired in a gas kiln. At the height of firing, when the temperature is at its maximum, kilos of salt are inserted into the kiln. To get the depth of colour when Ruth reduces (cuts oxygen off to the kiln) wood is added.

In the next couple of weeks, six of Ruth King’s pots will be available at Online Ceramics. Ruth is pictured in her studio holding one of the pots that will soon be available.