Coolavokig Pottery is situated in West Cork in South West Ireland and was set up in 1977 by Robb Bradstock. In 1984 Meredith Flandreau joined Robb and they continue to make high quality hand thrown wood fired pottery. Most of the work is made on a potter’s wheel, giving each piece a highly individual quality which is further enhanced by the wood firing process.
Recently Meredith has been making more individual sculptural pieces.
A medium sized teapot Robb during the yearly clay mixing
Robb and Meredith make comprehensive range of domestic ware. New items are regularly being added to production.The designs and glaze colours continue to evolve and particular attention is given to balancing practicality with aesthetically pleasing forms.
All finished pottery is completely safe for use in the home. All glazes are lead free and contain no harmful ingredients. The pottery is also dishwasher safe, microwave and oven safe.
Robb stoking the wood fired kiln. Meredith glazing a large jug
The Wood Firing Process
The wood fired kiln at Coolavokig Pottery, the first of its kind in Ireland, is based on a traditional Japanese climbing kiln.Two chambers are fired simultaneously. The first containing glazed ware is fired to 1300c. The second chamber uses the waste heat from the first to fire the raw ware to 1000c
( this work is later finished in a subsequent firing in the first chamber).
A Tea jar Lidded Jar with dolphin design
The results from wood firing give all the work a distinctive character. Unglazed surfaces have a toasted bronze look which is often accentuated by intricate hand-carved decoration. Glazed surfaces have subtle and beautiful variations depending on the position in the kiln and how much wood ash was absorbed by the glaze.
Wood firing, unlike other firing methods, is extremely labour intensive. Wood, usually pine or spruce, has to be acquired several years before it is used so that it can be cut, dried and seasoned effectively. The kiln is normally fired 4 to 6 times a year, usually in the Spring and Summer months. A firing takes 11 or 13 hours after the kiln has been preheated the previous night.
The wood-fired kiln requires constant attention to achieve the high temperatures required to complete a firing. At the end of a firing the kiln is then allowed to cool for 2 days before the finished work is unloaded and ready for sale.
Robb also makes documentary films about world and local cultures including a film about the West Cork Craft and Design Guild which also features Jeremy Irons
Please visit The Six Degree Productions web site for more about Robb's documentary films