Crystalline Ceramics
Crystalline glazed porcelain forms by Richard Bideau
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…
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.
My work is sold through art galleries and exhibitions. I also have a selection of pieces available to buy directy directly.
DescriptionThis bowl form has subtle warm tones caused by the sparing addition of iron oxide to the glaze. The sparse primary crystals are a pale honey colour. Secondary crystals give additional character - on the outside small speckles and streaks of darker iron...
DescriptionMy mid blue crystalline glaze produces two series of secondary crystal. Here the blue secondaries dominate the purple. The primary cyrstals are large with a great deal of structure.DetailsCode: CTG Year: 2024 Height: 220mm Porcelain: TP088.CTG. Wet Marl...
DescriptionIron red and etched dark green zinc silicate. The primary crystals are vivid mid-green set on a silky matt ground that grades in colour from near-white at the shoulder to pale green near the foot.DetailsCode: CZ1 Year: 2024 Height: 165mm Porcelain:...
Descriptionthrough to near whiteThis small piece features iron khaki and satin matt dark green. The primary crystals have vivid structure with pronounced growth rings. The ground is a silky matt grading from pale green at the top to white at the midpoint and then...
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...
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...
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...
Some new crystalline glazes.
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.
DescriptionMy mid blue crystalline glaze produces two series of secondary crystal. Here the blue secondaries dominate the purple. The primary cyrstals are large with a great deal of structure.DetailsCode: CTG Year: 2024 Height: 220mm Porcelain: TP088.CTG. Wet Marl...
DescriptionIron red and etched dark green zinc silicate. The primary crystals are vivid mid-green set on a silky matt ground that grades in colour from near-white at the shoulder to pale green near the foot.DetailsCode: CZ1 Year: 2024 Height: 165mm Porcelain:...
Descriptionthrough to near whiteThis small piece features iron khaki and satin matt dark green. The primary crystals have vivid structure with pronounced growth rings. The ground is a silky matt grading from pale green at the top to white at the midpoint and then...
DescriptionThe primary crystals are exceptionally vivid with a complex hue that takes on blue, disky tan and pale green depending on the light. The secondaries are also complex, the ground grading from tan on the neck to pale cream on the shoulder, all the while set...
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...
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,...
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...
Potfest I have exhibited at the Penrith Potfest each year since 1997, first in the pens and from 2007 in the park. It is the focus of my potting year and the source of a great deal of inspiration for my work. Waiting for the show to open on the first morning there is...