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.
Description Iron khaki and dark blue crystalline glazes feaure in this example of a new addition to my slipcast range of stoppered bottles. The stopper is ground to give an airtight seal. DetailsCode: D2T Year: 2025 Height: 275mm without the stopper, 335 mm...
DescriptionIron red and pale green and tan crystalline glazes. DetailsCode: CM8 Year: 2023 Height: 185mm Porcelain: TP058CM8. Calderdale Way at the crossing of Redmires water. Sunlight with flash fill.CM8. Calderdale Way at the crossing of Redmires water. Sunlight...
DescriptionIron red and pale green and tan crystalline glazes. The primary crystale are a delicate green with holographic structure. The ground is complex: opaque cream on the neck tending to transpoarent amber towards the foot with patches of pink blush and all set...
DescriptionA small bowl form made from one of my custom porcelain bodies and featuring my pale blue and tan crystalline glaze. The primary crystals have concentric growth rings and a burgundy fringe. The ground varies from opaque near the rim with a pink blush to...
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 July 25th to Sunday July 28th, 10 am to 4:30 pm each day.
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...
Description Iron khaki and dark blue crystalline glazes feaure in this example of a new addition to my slipcast range of stoppered bottles. The stopper is ground to give an airtight seal. DetailsCode: D2T Year: 2025 Height: 275mm without the stopper, 335 mm...
DescriptionIron red and pale green and tan crystalline glazes. The primary crystale are a delicate green with holographic structure. The ground is complex: opaque cream on the neck tending to transpoarent amber towards the foot with patches of pink blush and all set...
DescriptionA small bowl form made from one of my custom porcelain bodies and featuring my pale blue and tan crystalline glaze. The primary crystals have concentric growth rings and a burgundy fringe. The ground varies from opaque near the rim with a pink blush to...
DescriptionThis older piece, from 2015 features one of my matt crystalline glazes. The surface is a satin matt, warm tan in the ground with an even covering of small grey/blue primaries. I will be experimenting with this type of glaze again soon. DetailsCode:...
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...
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...