 The PotteryResident potter, Joss Hibbs, makes a range of tableware using clays and other materials found around the moor, then fired in her wood-fuelled anagama kiln . The result is a range of rustic tableware, all of which is suitable for the oven, dishwasher and microwave.
|  Joss HibbsJoss Hibbs has been resident potter at Powdermills since 1999, having been taught to throw pots on the potters wheel by Richard Phethean, and having completed two years of study in ceramics at the University of Westminster.
Joss makes tableware at Powdermills using clay found on and around Dartmoor, and glazes are made from materials found around the pottery, such as river gravel and ash from the wood-burner. She learnt how to find glaze recipes from 'found' materials by the late Brian Sutherland, and the glaze technology tutors at the University of Westminster.
Joss first visited Powdermills in 1998 to work with Nic Collins, and was introduced to Svend Bayer. Joss is indebted to these two potters for teaching her about building and firing anagama kilns. Joss built her current kiln, affectionately known as Margory, in 2007. A firing lasts for four days and nights to allow the outside surfaces of the pots to be naturally glazed by wood ash.
The result is a rustic range of pots designed for everyday use, which Joss believes reflect the landscape that surrounds the pottery. The pots can be viewed and purchased through our on-line store, or in person at the Powdermills shop.
| | | The Making ProcessPowdermills pots are made from local clays and other materials gathered from around Dartmoor, then fired in a wood-fuelled anagama kiln. If you buy a Powdermills pot, you really do take a little piece of the moor home with you.
Click opposite to watch a short film of how Joss makes pots, or click here for a photo/text guide.
When we are firing the anagama kiln, which we do five times a year, you can see us at work via our webcam on Joss' Blog page.
|  Jess TurnerJess (pictured below) joined the powdermills team in the summer of 2007 to undertake six weeks work experience. After graduating from Plymouth College of Art and Design with a BA Hons in Applied Art, Jess has remained at Powdermills to develop her own range of wood-fired pots and individual tiles.
Jess will be building a small wood-fuelled kiln at Powdermills Pottery to enable her to fire her own work and develop firing skills.
|  Work Experience OpportunityEach Summer, Joss offers a six week work experience placement to students during July and August.
During the placement there is an opportunity to learn about preparing clays, making glazes from 'found' materials, wood-firing and seeing how a working pottery operates.
If you are interested in receiving details for 2009, please e-mail us.
|  Joss' blog21st November 2008
Mince pies are baked, the cider is mulled, and we are all set for our pre-Christmas Sale. It starts Saturday 22nd through to Sunday 30th. The shop is buzzing with the sound of Judith humming 'white christmas' as she slashes prices - even on the new range of hand-blown glassware made just for Powdermills by the guys at Teign Valley Glass...
Meanwhile, over in the workshop, the pressure is on. The next firing date is set for 19th January, so, before the Christmas school holidays start, Jess and I have to make a kilnful of pots - and she's a big kiln is Margory - then cut and stack four more tonnes of hardwood. We should have enough time in January to pack the kiln ready to go on the 19th. We are planning to fire through to Thursday 22nd.
We will broadcast the firing on MargoryCam again, and this time we'll include the painstaking process of packing the pots into the kiln beforehand, and, at my mate Becky's insistence, the moment of truth when the kiln is unpacked a week later. I'm always grateful there is no sound broadcast, as packing and unpacking are always bad-tempered affairs.
I'll update the blog again at the end of the Sale Week....
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