Kim Birchall

Her current ceramics work is primarily focused on the unusual process of crystalline glazing. This uncommon process involves growing real crystals on the surface of the hand made porcelain pieces. She does this by creating a glaze with the same minerals that form crystals naturally in the Earths crust and she then replicating the same conditions and temperatures in the kiln to allow the crystals to grow. By adding oxides such as copper and cobalt she controls the colour of the crystals, the same as in nature, also by controlling the temperature and raising and lowering it by 100 degrees while it’s at the crystal growing range she can create growth rings, similar to growth rings on a tree.