Bruce Heggie

I am a full time professional potter who started potting 25 years ago. With the help of an Arts Council Grant, I was apprenticed to Victor Greenaway, working in Upper Beaconsfield next to Ian Sprague's studio. My major influence has been English and Japanese traditional ware, which has inspired many Australian potters. I have taken advantage of technology and modern developments in glazes and stains to produce domestic ware and decorative pieces which are sold into shops and galleries around Australia.
Recently, I have explored my pottery with a new passion, leading me to analyse what it means to create pots with life and soul. I am endeavouring to tap into my inner spontaneity, to draw on the fluidity of clay and form pots complemented by the fire of the kiln.

In 1998/99, I constructed the Lockwood Tunnel, an Anagama style wood kiln about 8 cubic metres in size. It has a large fire box and 8 side stoke ports. The pots were made using Clayworks RSF, JB3 and JB3 plus 5% terracotta. Some simple glazes and clay slips were used.
Friends and family were involved in firing for 80 hours using waste pine from a pallet mill and eucalyptus from a firewood lot. All the cones disappeared at 50 hours. The firing proceeded for another 30hours, finishing off really hot!! The firing was a fabulous success. One piece was selected by judge Michael Keighery for the Clayworks Award (Wood fired section) at the Port Hacking competition and exhibition 1999 (below).

This particular piece was lying down on wads at the front of the kiln, where it received substantial heat and ash. The splash of Shino on the top side has reacted to produce iron crystals. The glaze has flowed around the back of the pot in green runs, pointing towards the three black wad marks. The ash and long firing has eaten away at the surface edges and decorating marks as sandblasting might. The end result is a gentle pot, distorted by the fire, with many surface colours.