A potter's delicate work

A Dade City artist crafts porcelain pottery and uses a special crystal glaze to make the pieces unique.

By MICHELLE JONES

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2000

DADE CITY -- Walter Kinsley is passionate about his work. He loves the feel of clay in his hands as he fashions it into works of art.

"I've always worked in porcelain," said Kinsley, who has been a potter for 12 years. "Pottery is just a lump of clay that God created until we get a hold of it."

Kinsley and his wife, Susan, own Glades Pottery and Gallery on Seventh Street in Dade City, where they sell wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain pottery. They make most of the pottery in a 1,100-square-foot studio a few blocks from their shop.

Lately, Kinsley, 52, has been working on a crystal glaze that gives the pottery an almost ethereal appearance. Kinsley said he is one of the few potters in Florida who uses the labor-intensive process.

"Each piece is truly one of a kind," he said.

The formula Kinsley uses for the glaze is measured carefully to the one-hundredth part. It is also his secret.

The temperature of the kiln, or oven, where the pottery is dried and hardened is also crucial in the development of the crystal glaze. The crystals will only grow within in a narrow margin of heated temperature, Kinsley said.

Discovering that temperature and the best procedure for making the crystal pieces was a matter of trial and error for Kinsley, who is secretive about the process.

Kinsley describes the porcelain clay as extremely fragile on the wheel.

"It is so fine when you first throw it; it lacks tooth," he said, meaning the clay doesn't hold its shape well. "I've been wanting to do this (the crystal glaze) for five or six of those years," he said. "I'm having so much fun doing it."

The hours of work that go into each crystal piece make them more expensive than other pottery in Kinsley's shop.

In addition to the crystal pieces, Kinsley sells hanging oil lamps, platters, bowls, apple bakers, wall vases, berry bowls, goblets, bird feeders and cat and dog food dishes.

Prices range from $3.50 for a spoon rest to crystal items that cost between $45 and $250.

The finished project comes out looking like a big sausage.

He then slices off the reclaimed clay for reuse.

"Each inch weighs the same, so I know exactly how much to cut off to work with," he said.

There are different types of clay, with porcelain being the finest of the fine, Kinsley said.

"It is pure without a grain of sand in it," he said. "It is pure kaolin (a type of clay)."

When the pottery is finished, Kinsley's wife adds decorative designs in impressionistic patterns on a lot of the pieces.

"She makes it look like Monet painted it," he said.

-- Michelle Jones covers central Pasco community news. She can be reached at (813) 226-3459. Her e-mail address is jones@sptimes.com

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