About

Tim Bartell

I am based in West Sussex but was formerly known as Selsdon Ceramics. I think of myself as a potter in the most practical sense, making pots for people to use.  Each item is hand thrown, glazed and fired by myself to produce individual pieces.

I dig and process my own clays and slips (liquid clay used to decorate pots) and mostly fire in an electric kiln.  This produces Earthenware pots fired at a temperature of 1060 degrees centigrade.  I also occasionally produce Stoneware pots which I fire in a friends wood fired kiln once or twice a year.  These pots are fired up to a temperature of 1320 degrees centrigrade.

I recently built a shed in my garden which houses a Raku kiln.  Raku is an ancient process of low fired pottery that can be glazed and finished within the hour.  These pots are fired at 940 degrees centigrade.

Some of my pieces are influenced by the middle ages and I make pots for the Weald and Downland Museum which are displayed in some of the houses.   You can also buy a selection of my pottery in their shop.

I threw my first pot in 1977 when I joined a pottery evening class because the table tennis class was full.  I’ve been a potter since then, but took a few years break after my daughter was born.

At various times in my life I have taught the art of pottery to children and adults.