The Slow Journey: Unique Ceramics by a Danish Potter

I would like to say that Annette Printz has been a potter her whole life, as she has worked in this profession for 51 Years of her now 69-year-long life.

I think you have to be a very special kind of person to be able to live in this slow universe and if you ask me, that is very admirable.
Which is why I have asked to follow Annette step by step in a creation process in order to convey how much patience and dedication it actually requires when creating unique ceramics.

The photos in this interview is a mix between some photos I came by and shot for this article and some parts of the process Annette took herself.

Round is not just round

First comes the form. I really like round shapes, but round is not just round. There are many different curves. It can be an elongated round, a flat round, a round round – an infinite number of round shapes.

So when I create bowls, I just start making all these different round shapes. None are ever the same, they are all unique.

Afterwards, they have to dry before I can start using all my engobes. Depending on the size, the drying time can vary from 3 to 10 days.

Note: Engobes are a type of liquid clay that can be colored in an infinite number of nuances.

Layer upon layer

I absolutely love making patterns, which I cut out in paper. After cutting the paper patterns, I make the paper wet and stick it onto the dry shard and then I paint it.

This is how I continue with layer upon layer of paper patterns and for each layer a new color and then of course there is drying time between the layers. I can probably only paint two coats in a day if I don’t use a hair dryer to speed up the process.

If I have a whole series to work on, I like to give them all one coat one day and let them dry until the next day. Then they get another coat and so on if they need more coats. Large jars take a long time and have many layers because there is more surface to work on.

When I am satisfied with the layers, they have to go in the oven the first time. It takes about 10 hours and then they have to cool down for the same amount of time. But I can’t see how the finished result will be yet.

They must then be glazed inside so that they are functional, hygienic and delicious to use.

Then I put a small layer of ash on the outside, which gives a very special surface and color to the engobes. Because I am so primitive that I use ashes from the wood-burning stove or the garden fire where all kinds of wood have been burned, it can take many forms. I never know what it’s going to look like; some become darker, others lighter. It may also produce some small bead or drop like structures.

The exciting part of the process

Then they have to do go in the oven for the final result, which probably takes a little longer but I always burn at night and it’s finished in the morning when I get up, so I don’t know exactly how long it takes.

Finally, I get to the exciting part where I can see the finished result; How all these layers plays together and how transparent each layer has become. Seeing the layers through each other presents a very unique expression.

Act Feel Be

Some may think that handmade products are expensive, but if you understand the process behind it, it will seem completely unreasonable to equate it with mass production.

When you buy unique pottery, you’re not just buying a bowl to store your food in. You’re buying something that you’ll hopefully enjoy looking at every time it’s placed on the table. I also think it brings some soul to the atmosphere and a bit of that slow spirit that some of us long for and know how to appreciate.

If I were to relate it to the Act Feel Be concept, mass production must be the epitome of Act without Feel and Be. The action, where everything has to go a little fast and preferably not be too difficult. With the craft we get the feeling, and in the appreciation we are present in the now and enjoy what is; This beautiful story from another human soul and the slow journey that the unique ceramic brings with it.