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.
DescriptionIron aventurine and golden zinc silicate glazes. The aventurine has formed a complex inyteraction with the zinc silicate glaze. Grading from classic aventurine sparkle at the top, through to surface crystals of haematite, the lower fringe of the aventurine...
DescriptionGolden crystals with vivid holographic structure are set on a ground filled with small secondary crystals. DetailsCode: CZM Year: 2025 Height: 210 mm Porcelain: Royale.CZM. Wet MArl Wood. Sunlight with flash fill.CZM. Wet MArl Wood, sunlight with...
DescriptionIron red on the neck provides a bold contrast to the dark green zinc silicate glaze of the body. DetailsCode: CZ6 Year: 2024 Height: 225 mm Porcelain: Royale.CNE. Wet Marl Wood. Bright sunlight with flash fill.CZ6. Hagg Wood with snow.
DescriptionIron red with etched dark green crystalline glaze. DetailsCode: CZ5 Year: 2024 Height: 215 mm Porcelain: Royale.CZ5. Towneley park. Daylight with flash fill.CZ5. Towneley park. Daylight with flash fill.
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.
DescriptionIron aventurine and golden zinc silicate glazes. The aventurine has formed a complex inyteraction with the zinc silicate glaze. Grading from classic aventurine sparkle at the top, through to surface crystals of haematite, the lower fringe of the aventurine...
DescriptionIron aventurine and green gold zinc silicate crystalline. This together with CUS use a variation of my gold and green crystalline glaze that produced too dark an effect out of the firing. Etching the glaze with hydrochloric acid has lightened the colour and...
DescriptionIron red on the neck provides a bold contrast to the dark green zinc silicate glaze of the body. DetailsCode: CZ6 Year: 2024 Height: 225 mm Porcelain: Royale.CNE. Wet Marl Wood. Bright sunlight with flash fill.CZ6. Hagg Wood with snow.
DescriptionA darker version of my green and gold glaze. Here the tones in the crystals are those of gold and bronze. Under normal lighting they are subdued, but powerful light such as the direct sunlight in these images brings out the depth of colour and vivid...
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...