Nic Collins: "Potter" short film about his life & woodfired pots

Nic Collins lives and works in Devon, on the edge of Dartmoor. Our film shows him potting and follows him during the firing of his anagama kiln. He discusses his love of making pots, his working methods and the importance of wood-firing to his work.
To view pots by Nic Collins visit www.goldmarkart...
Biography - Nic Collins was born in 1958 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. A self-taught potter and woodfirer, he started building kilns and wheels during his late teens and early 20s, experimenting with raku, salt glazing and sawdust firings, and using clay sourced from local river banks.
He studied studio ceramics at Derby College of Art 1985-86 and then went on to work in potteries in Italy and Germany before returning to the UK. He now lives and works in Devon, on the edge of Dartmoor.
What is Goldmark?
A family business started by Mike Goldmark, we've been selling art, ceramics and books from the Goldmark Gallery in Uppingham, UK for over 40 years and hold over 50,000 items in stock. Explore a wide range of the very best art and ceramics available to you through our website www.goldmarkart... where you'll also find scholarship pages, books, online catalogues and even GoldmarkTV! Enjoy your visit here: bit.ly/18ZF7Lv

[@createlovehappy]

I’m in love with these gold mark films of all my favorite potters. Thank you so much for doing these.

[@lynnhoffmann3273]

They are killer amazing!

[@blakemontreuil1279]

I honestly Appreciate his sacrifice and compassion for his own work.......a true Ceramic Hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheArkDoc]

I'm delighted that there are still potters in the world who are devoted to wood-fire, even fiercely so. Nic is a wonderful artist, an amazing potter, and the world of pottery is better because of him. Personally, I appreciate good pottery--functional art--whether it is wood, gas, or electric fired, but I do find myself studying and appreciating wood-fired pottery the most, followed by gas-fire heavy reduction; not better, necessarily, but those techniques just speak to my soul a bit more than electric.

[@stevebootonceramic]

just visited the exhibition exceptional pots by an exceptionally nice man. what a gem of an exhibition.

amazing! thank you all.

[@healingsprings11]

Every potter has their own story , their own vision . Very enlightening ! 🌻🎨🌻 elemental....

[@stevebootonceramic]

what a delightful video. Nic managed to encapsulate all the reasons why we fire with wood

[@badarock177]

This was a truly wonderful film. I wasn't expecting to learn so much about life when I started watching it. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@1Ma9iN8tive]

GG doco’s are sheer ceramic addiction...brilliant

[@RichardLaurence]

So glad I found your channel!

[@monkeybopem]

Excellent video, inspirational and captures all the essence of Nic and his passion.

[@dianejarvis270]

Superb film. Love his philosophy of the beauty of imperfection. Thank you.

[@thomasvieth578]

For quite some time I harbored the thought that the kiln would be so mundanely the heart or soul of the work, but it is truly the womb

[@gimserk]

Controlled chaos yields beautiful results

[@Angela3.0]

Perfection is in the eyes of the beholder

[@jmpmcd]

perfection is the enemy of done .

[@bradellison1345]

That which makes you different, makes you beautiful

[@igorvkuznetsov3518]

beautiful film !

[@1sgmooney518]

Love this. Made a salt kiln in the past. The learning curve was a wonderful experience

[@saraday4300]

loved this so much, thanks

[@Goldmarkart]

You're so welcome!

[@hojoinhisarcher]

Honest...Thanks very much for the perspective.

[@brittanygeddert9814]

Great video! I really enjoyed watching and seeing how wood-firing works! Amazing process!

[@gaborgerofi2077]

Here is a short movie with Shiro Tsujimura (in English), the potter mentioned by Nic Collins as having been influential on him. Takeshi Art Beat 2013 01 03 11 30 Shiro Tsujimura

[@eviehawke]

Gábor Gerőfi thank you

[@alialawadh]

Gábor Gerőfi great works

[@meredithpottery]

so incredibly inspiring. thank you. i wish i could pick up so many of the pots you showed in the film.

[@gerryarty8342]

GREAT :)

[@harrietskeramik]

Thank you for sharing. Just what I needed right now. Love it!

[@coopart1]

Enjoyed very very much

[@jmg1957]

well done

[@barronredneck]

Great video can't wait to get started in this it's like life like a box of chocolate!

[@lynnhoffmann3273]

I really need a Nic Collins pot

[@Goldmarkart]

Agreed!

[@justplayflute]

Wonderful works!! It´s art to me :)

[@dyland9147]

Using seashells to keep your pots from sticking? Brilliant!

[@Goldmarkart]

It works a treat!

[@hairygreybox5797]

Good stuff Nic. Inspiring work. I drink from one of your mugs!

[@ChienNoob]

A good pot is a good pot. It can be all concept and intellect if executed well. I fully appreciate these particular, absolutely gorgeous, pots, but find that there is often some sort of implied morality associated with "traditional" potters v more " experimental" or "modern" potters or, potters who use electric kilns. This always appears rather defensive to me, as if a wood-firing potter has to justify their methods. ... I wish they wouldn't because it personally makes me sad. To reiterate, I love this potter and am not wishing to criticise him at all.

[@KellyMoen]

awesome story, thx :-)

[@jmpmcd]

for me it is all about efficiency .otherwise I burn too many trees . many days burning an anagama kiln is a small wood lost to mother nature . 7 hours burning pallets is much kinder to the mother that provides your clay and glaze also . mother nature is the most efficient of all systems , so to follow her is just logical .

[@asdqwe4468]

I agree. Not everybody can afford what he's doing. I like the result but not every potter can do that and not all gas or electric fired pots are boring. Of course there's something very raw about wood firing and the ash glaze. As far as I know traditional raku pots are fired rather quickly. There's a video about a raku pottery in Kyoto. I'm stuck with a self made gas kiln. I'm glad it's kinda efficient with these energy prices. We have to make the best of what we have. And I also like the idea of pots being used in people's homes and not staying in galleries. Most of the pots shown by goldmark are way beyond what anyone except a wealthy collector would buy.

[@thedreamysaucer]

staring into fire is just how the sun works

[@wayakamejima4771]

No other way to check on it.

[@southamerica7867]

Nyc sir

[@porcelainn2535]

does anyone know if his throwing is all kickwheel?

[@crazyoldhippieguy]

hi what,s your clay body?

[@RDeason444]

If another technique or artwork isn't the same as yours, avoid the arrogance - DON'T describe it as "boring." Boredom is the ball-and-chain of the unimaginative.