Introducing : Bridie Maddocks

We are delighted to add some pieces by Bridie Maddocks to the Chapel Street shop and to handworked online.

Originally trained at The Barn Pottery in Dartmoor, it was during her time there that Bridie discovered a love for wood firing, both in terms of the physical challenges of this method and the final finish of the pieces.

After finishing her apprenticeship, Bridie initially set up her own workshop and built a wood-fired kiln in North Devon but she has since moved to Penryn, Cornwall. Her time is split between making pots in Cornwall and then firing them in Devon. Making ceramics in this way is extremely labour intensive - Bridie mixes and wedges the clay, weighs it, then turns, trims and decorates before glazing. She uses wood for both heat and ash decoration, as well as bicarbonate of soda as a glaze. She enjoys exploring surface pattern and design in the form of brush work and hand-painted patterns. 

Pieces are fired in Bridie’s wood fired kiln to a temperature of 1280 degrees. Each piece is glazed and decorated once dry and fired from raw clay, so there is no bisque firing. The kiln is packed over a two day period. The pots are fired for around 32 hours purely with wood. When the kiln has reached the right temperature, bicarbonate of soda is sprayed in over a 3 to 4 hour period, before ending with a soak and final temperature reach. The kiln takes around 3-4 days to cool.

The process of wood firing results in each piece having a unique appearance, lending character, personality and individuality. Bridie’s work is intended to be used and enjoyed on a daily basis. We have three each of Bridie’s patterned cups and stoneware mugs available online with more pieces available in store.