Crystalline Ceramics

Crystalline glazed porcelain forms by Richard Bideau

Crystalline Glaze

Careful control of chemistry and firing conditions give rise to glazes that produce crystals during the firing cycle. Crystals are stunning with fantastic shapes that shimmer like holograms as light catches them. The possibilities are almost endless…

About Me

I have been exploring the crystalline process since 1997, becoming a full-time potter in 2009. My former career in chemical engineering, coupled with a lifelong association with pottery have given me the skills needed to combine art and science.

Buying

My work is sold through art galleries and exhibitions. I also have a selection of pieces available to buy directy directly.

Recent Work

D1G

D1G

DescriptionA minor alteration to the composition of my golden crystalline glaze has altered the colouf of the ground. The vivid primary cyrstals are get on a complex semi-opaque background with colours ranging from cream to dusky pink.  DetailsCode: D1G Year:...

CXR

CXR

DescriptionVivid golden crystals on a complex ground filled with secondary crystals. The primary crystals shine with a wonderful intensity in sunlight.  I made this piece in 2024 using my custom porcelain number 100 but waited until 2025 to glaze it with the latest...

D1K

D1K

DescriptionMid blue crystals on a ground filled with secondary crystals. The ground is satin rather than gloss contrastnig with the vivid primaries. This variant of my mid blue glaze works well with this recent variation of my custom porcelain body, number 122....

D09

D09

DescriptionIron khaki and golden crystalline glaze work well tongether on this form. The interaction of the different chemistires has created a ring of warmer colour where the neck meets the body. The primary crystals are large and vivid, shown off well by a shaded...

Latest News

Potfest in the Park 2024

Potfest in the Park 2024

  My next exhibition will be Potfest in the Park located in the beautiful grounds of Hutton-in-the-Forest, Cumbria. The show runs from Friday July26th to Sunday July 28th, 10 am to 4:30 pm each day.The kiln problems I had in November 2023 have stimulated a great...

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Kiln rebuild and new website

Kiln rebuild and new website

The sensitivity of crystalline glazes to firing conditions is extreme. Recent modifications and repairs to my kiln changed my glazes dramatically and it has taken a lot of work to get my glazes working again. Several new glazes have come out of my tests and I'm...

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Potfest in the Park 2023

Potfest in the Park 2023

Potfest 2023, held at Hutton-in-the-Forest, near Penrith, was a sucess. Many thanks to Matt Cox for organising and to my customers. The weather on the final day was particulary suitable for photography. Here are some images of my work and from around the show.Dramatic...

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Potfest In The Park

I'm pleased to announce that I will be exhibiting once again at Potfest in the Park. This year's event at Hutton-in-the-Forest, Cumbria will take place on July 28th, 29th and 30th.

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For Sale

D1G

D1G

DescriptionA minor alteration to the composition of my golden crystalline glaze has altered the colouf of the ground. The vivid primary cyrstals are get on a complex semi-opaque background with colours ranging from cream to dusky pink.  DetailsCode: D1G Year:...

CXR

CXR

DescriptionVivid golden crystals on a complex ground filled with secondary crystals. The primary crystals shine with a wonderful intensity in sunlight.  I made this piece in 2024 using my custom porcelain number 100 but waited until 2025 to glaze it with the latest...

D1K

D1K

DescriptionMid blue crystals on a ground filled with secondary crystals. The ground is satin rather than gloss contrastnig with the vivid primaries. This variant of my mid blue glaze works well with this recent variation of my custom porcelain body, number 122....

BE5

BE5

DescriptionBanded mid-blue primary crystals float on an opaque ground set with secondary crystals.  DetailsCode: BE5 Year: 2016 Height: 210 mm Porcelain: Audry Blackman.BE5. Cock Hill Wood. Sunlight.BE5. Neck detail. BE5. Quarry near Green's Clough. Sunlight with...

Stories

Hagg Wood – A day in the life of a potter

Hagg Wood – A day in the life of a potter

What does it mean to be a potter? The question is difficult to answer. The rewards are many but it can't be denied that there is a great deal of the mundane. The essential tasks of sieving and grinding are my least favorite. Opening the kiln after a glaze firing a...

Porcelain From the Carboniferous Period

Porcelain From the Carboniferous Period

With crystalline effects, the glaze is only a part of the process. The type of clay body also exerts a powerful influence on the fired result. For this reason, and many more besides, each potter, working in different parts of the world, each with its own raw...

Edinburgh and Deep Time

Edinburgh and Deep Time

Time we may comprehend, 'tis but five days elder than ourselves. Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, 1643. If the Eiffel tower were now representing the world's age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle-knob at its summit would represent man's share of that age… Mark Twain,...

Gritstone and Thunder

Gritstone and Thunder

Crystalline glazed surfaces have complex structures that change in appearance under different lighting conditions. For this photography session, the weather offered the possibility of some dramatic conditions: it was warm and humid, the wind, so often a powerful force...