Innehållsförteckning för #55 från ClayCraft

Welcome love this time of year. Usually, it provides a welcome step-change from the hot summer months – this year? Not so much (where did the sun go?!) – but the smell of autumn in the air, misty mornings and warm afternoons make me happy. It’s the season for events, too, with Halloween and Bonfire Night on their way, and in this issue, we have some great themed projects, including one that’s simple enough for children to make. There’s also news of a series of new events where artists can sell direct to the public in three different locations across the country – Birmingham, Peterborough and Wetherby, in Yorkshire. The Great British Craft Fair is taking applications now, and you can see more details on page 51. It’s really heartening…

STUDIO CONTENTS Sylvia Edwards from Creative Sparkworks has been in touch about the sad closure of the charity’s pottery studio, but with a very generous o.er concerning its contents. Sylvia takes up the story: “My charity has just closed down our small community pottery studio in north Lambeth to focus on other creative activities. I am sad to do this, but I am unable to run it myself due to severe allergies to clay and glazes. “So, my team and trustees would like to pass the contents, including front-loading kiln (Arterial Engineering Works Ltd), controller (Cambridge), Shimpo tabletop electric wheel, guide sticks, rolling pins, modelling tools, press moulds, kiln furniture, to one organisation or individual potter. “There will be a modest charge for these, to reimburse our charity towards refitting…

PROJECT ONE DIFFICULTY RATING THROWING A DEEP PLATTER This large thrown platter can be used as either a dish or plate – perfect as a fruit bowl but equally suitable for serving a roast on – a very useful addition to the kitchen table You will need: forbattpad forplatteritself tosuityourclaytype. These can be slop (dipping or pouring glazes) or brush-on ifusingbrush-onglazes) THROWING A PAD FOR A BATT – A REMINDER OF THE PROCESS Before you begin: Be aware that although this isn’t a complicated project, it does require some skill to centre the larger amount of clay. Thrown forms like this one, or with open bases, can’t be lifted off the wheel head, so you must throw on a batt, which in turn requires a very…

READER’S TOP TIP DIY WEDGING TABLE Elaine Williams is a keen potter and, with a background in engineering, her husband Julian is a dab hand with power tools. He made her a concrete wedging table, and she was so delighted with how well it worked that he thought he’d share the process with us Having recently attended a workshop at the Leach Pottery, Elaine was keen to have her own wedging table similar to the ones she'd seen there. But concrete or plaster, which should it be? The process for making the frame is the same, whatever you choose to fill it with, and the beauty of this design is that the central support underneath the base allows the whole thing to be clamped firmly in a Workmate, and the…

PROJECT FOUR DIFFICULTY RATING BONFIRE NIGHT MUG You might be asking, ‘Is this a generous mug or a bowl’? Well, it’s both. Something to hold your chilli con carne or mulled wine as you stand around the bonfire! You will need: stoneware or earthenware, colour of choice tosuitclaytype Make a card base template with a 5-sided scalloped edge measuring 7cm diameter. This will form the base shape of the mug, but the given measurement is only a guide – you can make it bigger if you like, although anything smaller than this may make the mug unstable, therefore it’s not recommended. Form 227g (8oz) of clay into a ball and hold it in one hand, then press down into its centre with the thumb of your other…

Have you seen the NEW Smallholder? The magazine for the growing smallholder community Inspiration and information for smallholders of all sizes – from large productive gardens to multi-acre holdings Regular features on sheep, chickens, pigs, goats and alpacas Articles on fruit and vegetable growing, land skills and rural craft s A section dedicated to rearing and caring for poultry ISSUES FOR £14 SUBSCRIBE NOW! shop.kelsey.co.uk/SH8 Or call 01959 543 747 and quote SH8 *When you pay by direct debit. For full price options, visit the website. Savings are calculated on a full UK subscription rate.…

ClayCraft READER OFFER PINCH, COIL, SLAB AND THROW POTTER’S SPLIT-LEG APRON Perfect for keeping you clean while throwing, handbuilding or glazing. Our heavy-duty 100% cotton canvas apron is soft, strong and hardwearing, and comes in dark blue with an embroidered logo. Each side split is 45cm wide, off ering generous coverage for each leg without the need for constant adjustments. The 15cm pocket is handily placed for convenience while you’re sitting at the wheel, and the extra-long waist ties provide comfortable fastenings for all sizes. To buy online go to shop.kelsey.co.uk/claycraftapron Or phone +44 (0)1959 543747. Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm and quote code CLAYAPRON PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO: From UK only: FREEPOST KELSEY MEDIA ClayCraft Offer, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL…

Confessions of a novice TRIAXIAL GLAZE BLEND CHAOS After accidentally replicating an inspirational pot because my glazes were too like the original, I decided to play with the colourants to come up with something different I’ve been making my own glazes for a while, including – once – trying a triaxial blend. This is a blend ‘on three axes’ or, in plain speak, ‘a big triangle of test tiles that varies three different ingredients’. This method is often used to explore core glaze ingredients, whereas I was interested purely in colourants, but the principles are the same. I tried it last year because I misread my notes and added a load of copper carbonate instead of cobalt oxide to a 3kg batch of floating blue. The amount – 30g –…

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…

IN THE NEWS THIS IS ENGLAND If you have a news story, product launch or details of some other topical item you’d like our readers to know about, email claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk Hannah McAndrew’s ‘This is England’ charger, featured in Doug Fitch’s diary last month, has just hit the internet to raise money for Fair Share, the charity championed by footballer Marcus Rashford. The charity aims to fight hunger and tackling food waste. It’s been quite challenging to find the best way of potentially generating the most money while not excluding people who might like a chance to own it but can’t a.ord it. This consideration immediately ruled out auctioning it, which would be the most straightforward way, but auctioning it, of course, would mean that it would go to the person…

LONDON EXHIBITIONS London gallery Maud and Mabel is holding two exhibitions in November and December, respectively; ‘Layers’ and ‘Hideo Sadawa: Still Moments’. ‘Layers’ will be on display from 12-21 November, with a private view on Thursday, 11 November. This exhibition brings together the works of Wataru Hatano and Tetsuya Ozawa, two Japanese artists whose works explore the application of layers. Hatano works with Japanese washi paper, while Ozawa is a ceramicist, and ‘Layers’ will bring to light how layers, even on di.erent mediums, can be so impactful. The solo exhibition of Hideo Sawada’s work,’ Still Moments’, will run from 3-12 December, with a private view on Thursday, 2 December. The first of Sawada’s solo exhibitions in the UK, this will be a special opportunity to experience the e.ect of being…

LINDA BLOOMFIELD MATT GLAZES USING MAGNESIUM Linda Bloomfield continues her series on glaze materials 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 There are many ways to make a glaze matt; you can increase the amount of clay or add calcium, magnesium, barium or strontium. Each of these different types of matt glaze has a different surface quality. Alumina matt glazes, those high in…

SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER Subscribe to ClayCraft 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! Rachel Editor GREAT REASONS TO GIVE A SUBSCRIPTION 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 all devices. Savings based on the usual print cover price. All back issues available for purchase within the app. SAV E 20% &…

THE GREAT BRITISH CRAFT FAIR The owner of the British Craft Trade Fair, Kerrison Exhibitions, is delighted to announce the launch of the Great British Craft Fair, a new series of events that will open their doors for the first time ahead of Christmas 2021 The Great British Craft Fair will showcase the very best of traditional and contemporary British crafts, designed to entice shoppers on the hunt for authentic handmade gifts and homeware that are guaranteed to be 100% made in Britain. The first three events are scheduled as follows: Manchester Yorkshire Peterborough Three venues have been carefully selected to ensure the new events serve proven affluent markets in the Northwest, East of England and Yorkshire. Each one is very easily accessible by car with lots…

ClayCraft BACK ISSUES £5.99 PER ISSUE INCLUDING P&P ISSUE 45 Thrown lantern Transfer-decorated coasters Porcelain squares Animal Christmas tree decorations ISSUE 46 Thrown bubble vase Artichoke-inspired art Pig money box NEW Diary of a studio potter: Jeni Jacques-Williams ISSUE 47 Thrown heart bowl & creamer Pinched cereal bowls Slab trinket dishes Slab wall pockets special SINGLE DIGITAL ISSUE ONLY £4.99 For digital issues go to pktmags.com/claycraft ISSUE 48 Thrown lidded canister Pinched eggs Cylinder vase with tubelining Egg bowl Hare on a hill ISSUE 49 Thrown bird bath Garden oya Pinched dogs MKM Tools spotlight Eastcott Studio update Zinc oxide glazes ISSUE 50 Thrown sgraffito vase Slab-built birds Planter/bird bath combo Throw Down winner Bisque texture rollers Clay in glazes ISSUE 51 Thrown faceted vase Coil garden planter Slab…

ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE TODAY AND GET FREE DELIVERY ISSUE 56 ON SALE 15TH OCTOBER DON'T MISS OUT! PAY THE NORMAL SHOP PRICE* AND GET THE NEXT ISSUE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. ORDER TODAY! Order online at SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/CC56 Call now on 01959 543747** Quote ref: CC56 Terms and conditions apply. You should receive your copy on or around 15 October. *Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses. **Lines open Mon-Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate. Front cover for illustration purposes and subject to change.…

Doug’s DIARY Photo: Layton Thompson It’s late August here, and I’m possessed by the melancholy that often conquers me at this time of year. I’m not ready for the summer to end yet, and I’m willing the sunshine that we experienced a few weeks ago to shine down on us again, and for a while longer. I’m sure we’ll get a little bit more yet, although the evenings are cooler now, and spiderwebs across the meadows are heavy with morning dew as autumn approaches. Flowers in the hedgerows are losing their colours, and everywhere is that dark green of late summer. Nature is plumping up its fruits, ready to provide abundance in the weeks to come. The tracks in the nearby forest are lined with wild raspberries, smaller than their…

Kent Potters’ Association exhibition After a disrupted year with no in-person events, the Kent Potters Association is delighted to announce that it will be holding its annual exhibition at the Maidstone Museum, St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone, from 18-30 October. Admission is free, and the exhibition aims to showcase the incredibly wide range of the talents and ideas of the membership.…

Electric Kilns and Firing Tim Thornton is running a comprehensive online course all about kilns and firing. Starting on 23 September, the eight-week course will cover all the information you need to select, maintain and fire an electric kiln safely and eciently. It also covers what happens to clays and glazes when they’re fired. The course is held live but will be recorded for those who can’t attend at the time. Additional discussion sessions will also be available. For more details, visit: tim-thornton.com…

PROJECT THREE DIFFICULTY RATING PORCELAIN TEA LIGHTS These quirky porcelain tea lights are perfectly spooky to hang around the door or in the garden for Halloween or Bonfire Night BEFORE YOU BEGIN: To make the tea lights exactly as shown, you will need the MKM skull roller used here. You can purchase the roller directly from MKM at mkmpotterytools.com or try your pottery supplier; many will stock them. Be aware that you will be working with really thin sections of porcelain in this project. This is important to allow the light to glow through the clay when the forms are lit, but it is far more difficult to handle and may take some practice to get used to. IT IS ESSENTIAL that your working space is spotless when working with porcelain…

PROJECT FIVE DIFFICULTY RATING FLYING BATS This quick and easy project is something simple for children to make as a spooky decoration to hang on the wall or in the window for Halloween You will need: stoneware or earthenware tracefromoutlinesgiven on pages 58 and 59) large enough to fit all three templates on Carefully make your templates in card from the given bat outlines. You can scale the size up or down as required in order to fit the shapes in your kiln. Prepare a 900g (2lb) block of clay by kneading well to remove any possible trapped air. Working on a sheet of plastic, reduce the bulk of the clay by beating it with the side of your rolling pin. Work in measured, even strokes…

PROJECT SIX SURFACE DECORATION SIMPLE SGRAFFITO Sgraffito is an exciting way of decorating a ceramic surface that involves drawing through coloured slip or underglaze to expose the clay beneath. The technique at its simplest is a line drawing, but more effects can be achieved with the addition of background detail – how much or how little surface elaboration is applied is down to the vision of the maker and the effects they want to achieve. TOOLS To be honest, you need nothing more than a pin or even a pencil to sgraffito – literally, any pointed tool will work. We are not suggesting these make the best tools, but they do have their place and may be worth testing before you spend money on dedicated tools. After all, it would…