Table of contents for #85 in ClayCraft

At this time of year, I start receiving press releases about the year’s pottery events, and I always find it exciting. The expansion of Potfest to include venues in the south was very welcome, and I’ll certainly be going along to Glynde again this year. Going to shows, Art Trails and Open Studios is an excellent opportunity to see lots of different types of work, and maybe this will pique your curiosity and inspire you to try something new. The great thing about potters is that they can see past a form they don’t like and still be inspired by the surface treatment, or vice versa. I admit that although I appreciate the craftsmanship of fine art ceramics, they don’t usually appeal to me. I tend to prefer a well-constructed…

Instead of using refined glaze materials bought from a supplier, it is possible to make glazes using locally found materials such as clays, rocks, shells and wood ash. Four main types of material are needed to make a glaze: clay, feldspar, calcium and silica. Clay Locally dug clays or slips can be used as decorating slips and glazes. These may contain iron oxide and titanium dioxide as impurities, which will give colour and texture to the glaze. Clays can be recycled before firing, as can waste slip from the pottery studio sink trap. Biscuit ware can also be ground down to use in glazes and as grog in clay bodies. Feldspars Volcanic dust or pumice can be used in glazes instead of feldspar. Rock dust from cutting granite can be…

DIFFICULTY RATING YOU WILL NEED: ■ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware, any colour■ General tools and ribs■ Underglaze colours and/or glazes to decorate BEFORE YOU BEGIN: We are showing you how to make two birds here, each by a different method, but these are interchangeable – you might find one easier than the other. You can aim for realism when making your head or take a more stylised approach that suggests a generic bird shape; the choice is yours. It is worthy of note that this is quite a free way of working, where a rough, as opposed to a smooth surface, will enhance the finish rather than detract from it. 1 Whichever approach you take to making your first bird head – realistic, stylised, generic or fantasy,…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ Paper, pencil and ruler to make a template■ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware, colour of choice■ Rolling pin, 5mm max thickness roller guides, plastic sheet■ General ribs and tools■ Glaze of choice Before you begin: We are making quite a large and deep tray here, but you can make yours in any size or shape you choose; the construction principles will be the same 1 Begin by drawing the base size of the tray on a large sheet of paper, leaving enough room around the edges to extend the size a little. 2 Next, using either a cookie cutter of an appropriate size or something round or a pair of compasses, draw in a number of semi-circles extending out from the long…

GARDEN WEEK! Episode 5: Cascading water feature Challenge: Throw down – hedgehog house Saying goodbye: Princess The quality of Princess’ build was never in doubt, but her decorating skills weren’t enough to see her stay. But Keith told her, “I don’t think there has been a potter on the programme who has invested so much time and passion in what you do!” When did you start pottery? I started when I was 19. I had just quit my job and was looking for something new to challenge me and possibly revive my spark of creativity, which I had lost when I became a chef. The idea of trying something I had never done motivated me to have a go; it seemed like such a beautiful craft. Which piece of your…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: • ■ 1.8kg (4lb) clay – earthenware or stoneware – colour of choice plus extra for the base and to throw a pad for a batt if you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism on your wheel, and extra for the sprigs■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, cutting wire, ribs (batt)■ Rolling pin, plastic sheet, roller guides■ Sprig mould of choice To decorate: • ■ Glaze of choice Before you begin: This form is a wide, open-based cylinder and must be thrown on a batt, or it would be impossible to lift it off the wheel head. If you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism for your wheel, you’ll need to throw a pad to secure the batt onto. A note to prevent wordy repetition…

At the time of writing, it’s mid-February, so we are precisely six weeks into the new year. We’ve introduced a new weighing system for studio members’ items, started a new Wednesday morning six-week class that we are already considering transforming into a four-week rolling term class, and just a week ago, we took another huge step forward in how our membership scheme works. Both directors are practical, pragmatic people, and both understand that the business has to be profitable if it is to grow and develop over the years. Neither of us are tree-huggers with lofty ideas of changing the world through pottery. However, both Liz and Lisa share a strong sense that Cheshire Clay Studio should have a real sense of being for our pottery community. Our members are…

DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ A tube former of a suitable size to make the cup – it can be a heavy-duty card tube, a short length of drainpipe or even a rolling pin if you have one thick enough■ Newspaper to wrap around the former■ Ruler, craft knife, pencil and paper to measure and make a template of a suitable size to fit around your former with at least 5cm added to the length and made to your chosen height.■ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware■ Rolling pin, 2-3mm thick roller guides, plastic sheet■ General tools and ribs■ Foam block (upholstery thickness)■ Something round to shape the plate – it can be a dedicated former made from wood as shown (this was made from a disc of…

Well, it’s almost felt like spring these past few days, and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel. No doubt the weather gods will fling some surprises at us yet, but the tulip bulbs are up out of the ground, the first daffodils are opening, and the crocuses are a welcome splash of purple in the workshop garden. Fred and I planted them three years ago, and each spring since, when they flowered, we would reminisce about when we planted them together and how glad we were that we had. However, this year, he has no recollection; that little memory is gone, to make space in his head for learning to read and write, and for dreams of the Lego sets he hopes to own and build…