Innehållsförteckning för #44 från ClayCraft

Welcome Meet the team… Simon Shaw P8 Thrown tray & vase Jacqui Atkin P42 Kitsch wall art Linda Bloomfield P30 Chun glazes Doug Fitch P72 Doug’s Diary Well, there we have it. We’ve used the C-word, and it’s still (just) September as I write this. I’m not sure what Christmas will be like this year; currently, gatherings are restricted to six people, which would rather scupper things if these restrictions are still in place in December. Nevertheless, I’m sure that family celebrations will still go ahead, albeit in a possibly smaller way than normal. We’ve started our larger festive projects now, to allow time for the whole process for each to be finished in good time. Add to that the concept of ‘potters’ time’, which seems to run in slow…

PROJECT ONE TRAY You will need: ◼ 2.25kg (5lb) of well-prepared clay – preferably the same clay as used to make the vase. Unlike the vase, the tray must be thrown on a batt, so fix one to the wheel head – for details visit claycraft.co.uk/how-to Make sure the batt is clean and dust-free then dampen the surface, but again, do not flood it with water. DIFFICULTY RATING Form the clay into a cone shape and position it as close as possible to the centre of the batt. Dribble a little water on it then pat it down to secure it in place. Centre the clay as you did for the vase and begin by dribbling a little water over the surface, then cone the clay up between both hands…

PROJECT TWO PORCELAIN ANGEL DECORATIONS Make these simple angel decorations in time for Christmas. They make lovely gifts for family or friends to treasure for years to come You will need: ◼ Porcelain clay (you can make them in other clays if preferred) ◼ Plastic sheet, rolling pin, roller guides (3mm thick) ◼ Texture sheet – can be lace, blown-vinyl paper or anything else suitable to texture a large surface ◼ Length of dowel to support the angel body ◼ Ribbon and beads DIFFICULTY RATING Copy the outline for the body of the angel shown here or make your own shape from your sketches. Keep the shape simple! Make a template of the body shape in one piece that will fold at the shoulders to form the front and back.…

PROJECT THREE NESTING DISHES Sometimes, the simplest items to make turn out to have the most pleasing results. These nesting dishes look lovely stacked together in their various glaze colours but are also very practical for use YOU WILL NEED: ◼ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware Rolling pin, roller guides (no thinner than 5mm), plastic sheet ◼ Ribs – metal and rubber ◼ Plaster hump or press moulds, or canvas sling – see notes later ◼ Glazes in as many colours as number of dishes made and to suit clay type ◼ Brushes to apply glazes BEFORE YOU BEGIN: This is a freehand project that requires very little forward planning. However, if you feel more comfortable working out your shapes in advance to practice how they will sit…

BACK ISSUES £5.99 PER ISSUE INCLUDING P&P ISSUE 34 • Classic thrown bottle • Hanging layered trees • Slipcast balls/baubles • Cutwork platter • Cylinder tealight holders • Textured napkin holders ISSUE 35 • Thrown milk jug • Totem build • Nautilus • Slump mould • Slump dish • Keith Brymer Jones ISSUE 36 • Thrown simple plate • Handbuilt-plate formers • Bird wall plaque • Pinched dish trio • Foot rings Pt 1 • Spotlight on Botz ISSUE 37 • Thrown salt and pepper shakers • Hand-built birds salt & pepper set • Hanging bells • Foot rings ISSUE 38 • Throwing large • Adding a thrown foot ring • Mould, cast Majolica mug • Wetheriggs Pottery • Carolyn Tripp ISSUE 39 • Thrown cut-rimmed bowl • Cutlery and…

Doug’s DIARY (Photo: Layton Thompson) It’s autumn. The birch trees are shedding their leaves already, and the sycamores are just beginning to change to a dramatic and most splendid range of fiery yellows and reds. It’s probably more information than you need, or want to know, but my long johns have been re-employed after their summer vacation in the wardrobe. I have several pairs, and they’ll be with me now until May at the earliest, while I bemoan the climate to the auburn-haired temptress who lured me from the tropics of Devonshire to this arctic region. The workshop has been chilly on a few mornings recently. Thankfully, I’m still sporting my lockdown hairstyle. There’s little excuse for being so shaggy really, considering I live with my ‘stylist’, but I think I’ll…

COURSES Do you run a course that you’d like to see here? Email claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk for free inclusion in our listing SCOTLAND STEF BAXTER POTTERY Courses: Handbuilding & throwing day class drop-in. Night and weekend classes. 1-1 tuition & Raku classes. Suitable for all levels. Open access coming. Dates: see website Location; Govan, Glasgow stefbaxterpottery.com CLAY WORKS STUDIO Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, general pottery and throwing courses. Open access facility for more advanced makers coming soon Dates: See website Location: Dumfries & Galloway clayworksstudios.co.uk DUNDEE CERAMICS WORKSHOP Courses: Classes for all levels from beginner to intermediate, for individuals and groups. 1-1 tuition available. Open studio access and kiln hire for members Dates: Throughout the year (see website) Location: Dundee dundeeceramicsworkshop.com FORGAN ARTS CENTRE Courses: All levels…

CHUN GLAZES CHUN GLAZES IN AN ELECTRIC KILN Linda Bloomfield is a scientist turned potter. More glaze recipes can be found in her books, Advanced Pottery (2011), Colour in Glazes (A&C Black 2012), The Handbook of Glaze Recipes (Bloomsbury 2014) and Science for Potters (The American Ceramic Society 2017). Her new book Special Effect Glazes, and the second edition of Colour in Glazes are both out now. Linda has recently launched her online glazing course, How Glazes Work, on her website: lindabloomfield.co.uk Chun, or Jun, glazes are pale blue, opalescent Chinese glazes originally made in northern China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD). Sometimes they appear purple where they were brushed with copper oxide. The blue colour is an optical effect similar to the one that makes the sky look blue.…

PROJECT FOUR A PARTRIDGE AND A PEAR TREE This is not a project for the faint-hearted and is maybe our most complex hand-build to date, but it is so thrilling to complete it and see it emerge from the kiln. This is a big project, so we’ve split it into two; making it this month and decorating next month. If you can’t wait that long, you can, of course, go ahead and decorate it in your own way! You will need: ◼ Paper clay – home-made or commercially bought ◼ Rolling pin, plastic sheet, roller guides (5mm) ◼ A length of thin dowel ◼ Plaster mould of partridge ◼ Velvet underglaze colours of choice Before you begin: This is a project that requires some work in advance of making. Begin…

PROJECT ONE THROWN VASE AND TRAY Try out this alternative version of the simple cylinder vase as a stylish variation of the basic process. With a matching tray for fruit to sit beside the vase, you have the perfect pairing for a still life painting when you have finished making them! VASE You will need: ◼ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware, red or white ◼ Tools for throwing – batt, water bowl, rib, sponge, cutting wire ◼ Glaze of choice, to suit clay type, for decoration A reminder when throwing – to save wordy repetition! Always compress the clay at the rim after each lift – pinch the rim gently between your fingers and thumb, at the same time resting the forefinger of your other hand on the…

ClayCraft subscriptions Join us for step-by-step makes, tips and inspiration. Inside every issue of ClayCraft you’ll find practical handson guides to our projects – throwing and hand-building; Linda Bloomfield’s regular feature on glazes, and Doug Fitch’s diary column. Other features include established potters, suppliers and studios, and you can find local courses in our comprehensive listing. Save money by subscribing today! Editor GREAT REASONS TO GIVE A SUBSCRIPTION • Pay just £27.60 every 6 months • Save 20% off the cover price • Each issue delivered directly to your door • Receive a copy of Pottery for Beginners GET THE DIGITAL EDITION PAY JUST £34.99 FOR 12 ISSUES Download your magazines to your device and carry them with you to read anywhere, anytime. SAVE UP TO 49% SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/CRA Available across…

Confessions of a novice Keeping a lid on it, part 2: Garlic jars After my success with last issue’s ginger jar lids, I was ready to try something a little trickier… or at least I thought I was Writing this blog really forces me to be honest about my skill levels. Recently I’ve been throwing quite big pieces, and they’re getting encouragingly thinner and lighter. So you might think that a few mug-sized jars would come easy. I know I did. However, even with equally sized balls of clay prepared in advance and my handy batt system to move smoothly from one to the next, throwing them all the same proved surprisingly difficult. I even completely messed one of them up (see picture) and had to cut the top off,…