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 khaki and blue zinc silicate glazes. The primary crystals have an unusually feathery structure with pronounced growth rings. The ground is filled with many small secondaries.DetailsCode: D12 Year: 2025 Height: 220mm Porcelain: TP103D12. Greencliffe...
DescriptionIron khaki on the neck and gold/green zinc silicate on the body. Over by ball clay based custom porcelain, number 115, the glaze has produced banded primary crystals that cover almost all the body. The colour is gold tending to green. This is one of my...
DescriptionIron khaki on the neck and iron gold zinc silicate on the body. In my banded firing cycle, the gold crystalline glaze has produced a vivid set of growth rings.DetailsCode: D10 Year: 2025 Height: 210mm Porcelain: TP106D10. Eleanor's wood, near Todmorden....
DescriptionIron red with pale green and tan crystalline glaze. The primary crystals are a delicate shade of green with pronounced growth rings and a burgundy fringe. The ground grades from pink on the shoulder to amber near the foot with a dusting of small secondary...
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...
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.
DescriptionIron khaki and blue zinc silicate glazes. The primary crystals have an unusually feathery structure with pronounced growth rings. The ground is filled with many small secondaries.DetailsCode: D12 Year: 2025 Height: 220mm Porcelain: TP103D12. Greencliffe...
DescriptionIron red with pale green and tan crystalline glaze. The primary crystals are a delicate shade of green with pronounced growth rings and a burgundy fringe. The ground grades from pink on the shoulder to amber near the foot with a dusting of small secondary...
DescriptionMy banded crystal growing cycle has given an unusual result with this glaze. The primary crystals are dark with tones of charcoal and bronze set off with pronounced concentric growth rings. The ground is almost entirely filled with secondary crystals with a...
DescriptionThis lidded form combines iron khaki and mid blue crystalline glazes. The primary crystals are a soft blue with vivid holographic structure and pronounced growth rings. The ground is a complex array of secondary crystals forming a contrasting backdrop to...
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...