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.
DescriptionGolden crystalline and iron khaki. A small change to the chemistry of the crystalline glaze has produced a ground with many subtly different colours.DetailsCode: CZC Year: 2025 Height: 195 mm Porcelain: Royale.CZC. Houghton HAgg Wood. Sunlight and flash...
DescriptionSoft blue primary crystals set on a complex opaque ground with iron khaki on the neck. This glaze works well with spring bluebells. On this wintery day, the soft hum of insects on a warm spring afternoon in woodland carpeted with bluebells seemed far away....
DescriptionVivid golden primary crystals dominate a complex ground of secondaries on this piece. The iron khaki glaze on the neck fcomplements the crystalline glaze and adds emphasis to the form. DetailsCode: CZD Year: 2025 Height: 210 mm Porcelain: Royale.CZD....
DescriptionSubtle greens feature on this piece. The ground is pale green with texture provided by tiny secondary crystals. The primary crystals have vivid holographic stucture with green and golden tones dominating.DetailsCode: CZK Year: 2025 Height: 205 mm Porcelain:...
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.
DescriptionGolden crystalline and iron khaki. A small change to the chemistry of the crystalline glaze has produced a ground with many subtly different colours.DetailsCode: CZC Year: 2025 Height: 195 mm Porcelain: Royale.CZC. Houghton HAgg Wood. Sunlight and flash...
DescriptionSoft blue primary crystals set on a complex opaque ground with iron khaki on the neck. This glaze works well with spring bluebells. On this wintery day, the soft hum of insects on a warm spring afternoon in woodland carpeted with bluebells seemed far away....
DescriptionSubtle greens feature on this piece. The ground is pale green with texture provided by tiny secondary crystals. The primary crystals have vivid holographic stucture with green and golden tones dominating.DetailsCode: CZK Year: 2025 Height: 205 mm Porcelain:...
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...
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...