Aby Ceramics was set up by me, Alan Hill, a former engineering manager, who relocated to Lincolnshire in 2020 as a craft potter. For 5 years I went to evening classes at Rugby College on the EMFEC Ceramics course, until work got in the way of play for many years.
Now in my Aby home studio I make wheel-thrown pottery to produce pieces inspired by Lincolnshire, often with a strong influence of the coastal environment. Much of my work uses the Raku process, a Japanese pottery technique, to produce vibrant coppers, greens & blues.
I describe my recent work as “Textural” , combining the textures of natural found objects with text and poetry, through layers of Paperclay, creating a journey to explore.
I'm a member of the Craft Potters Association and regularly supports local educational and community groups to celebrate and share his passion for ceramics.
Gibralter Point NNR, Skegness
Beachscapes & Seacscapes
I have always been drawn to the coast and the hills.
Aby sits just 7 miles from the sea, at the foot of the Lincolnshire Wolds.
A truly magical place to live and create!
​
I am fortunate to be able to volunteer and spend time under big skies along the stunning Lincolnshire coastline from Frampton Marsh(Boston) to Gibralter Point (Skegness), and through the Coastal Country Park from Chapel Point to Sutton on Sea, and beyond. This weekly dose of nature inspires all of my ceramic creations.
Raku
Raku generally refers to a type of low-firing process inspired by traditional Japanese raku firing.
My Raku ware is for ornamental use only.
The thermal shock of removing the red hot pot from the kiln and immersing it in combustible materials deliberately induces crazing and crackle in the glaze, and adds a natural smoke finish to the cracks and unglazed elements of the piece.
Raku is not suitable to hold water or food as the pottery is porous due to the firing method and the metal oxides used in the glaze decoration. Do not put in microwave or dishwasher.
​
I use an Ashraf Hanna White Raku clay, usually fired with glazes that I mix myself from recipes accumulated from various sources.
Pots and Mugs!
Wheel thrown and slab made stoneware.
I make a range of functional stoneware such as mugs, vases, jugs. I tend to use reactive glazes, that I layer to get intersting colour variations.
My stoneware pottery is glazed with food safe glazes.
I recommend hand washing and don’t recommend use in a microwave or dishwasher, as I have not tested the glazes for this!
​​
Most of my stoneware is either
Special Fleck or Grogged White B17C clays,
I use a combination of self mixed glazes
and commercially available Cone 6 reactive glazes.
Paperclay
Paperclay is a clay body to which processed cellulose fiber (paper being the most common) has been added. It enables hand building ceramic pieces with very thin and strong forms. I'm experimenting with "Seascapes" fired as stoneware and raku.
I use it to create a layered sketch on my thrown pots as a visual representation of the Lincolnshire vistas I so love.
​
When I first used paperclay I had to make my own paper pulp to mix with clay slip, a very time consuming and smelly affair! Thankfully now paperclay is available commercially and I use Scarva Flax ES200
Textural Ceramics
As I create my Beachscape and landscape pottery, I feel like I'm on a journey; sometimes its a memory, a place or a piece of poetry that is inspiring me in the moment of making. I feel a need for authenticity - so most of the texture on my pottery is made using found objects that I have collected on the beach or a walk in The Wolds.
Sometimes the text comes before the pot, in the form of a poem or a thought; often I find that I need a line of poetry to give me inspiration, and who better than the Lincolnshire laureate Tennyson.
I like to think that each piece I create is a jouney to be discovered.
Aby, Lincolnshire
Whats with the logo Alan?
The logo represents the first Raku bottle that I fired,
my first attempt at a Raku firing (yes flames did come out of the kiln),
and the Aby village sign.
The logo was designed by Lincoln University student, Mezz Laws.