Archie McCall

Orange Route

I have been a potter for over fifty-five years working both in private practice and in Higher Education for thirty years. I now work exclusively from my home normally making richly decorated work.
My work is represented in numerous public and private collections in the UK and abroad.

Behind the Scenes
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About My Practice

Over many years I have been interested in the relationship between forms and motifs which have been developed from observation of the natural world and then distilled into a personal iconography. However, I now also make monochromatic pieces which rely simply on the expression of form in relation to subtle glazes.
The work is usually thrown, in both stoneware and porcelain, and richly decorated. The surfaces are built up using layer-upon-layer of glazes and oxides then fired to 1300 degrees centigrade in a gas kiln. Where necessary a further firing at 780 degrees centigrade is required to fuse the gold or other lustres to the final piece.

Tools & Materials

I work in a simple studio environment with few pieces of equipment other than a wheel and a gas-fired kiln. I choose from several clay bodies depending on their reactions with glazes I have refined over many years. I have recently added some new glazes to my palette particularly for use in the monochrome series. For surface decoration I use free brushwork and a latex resist technique.