Innehållsförteckning för #59 från ClayCraft

Welcome Happy new year! After a mild start to winter, it’s now cold and frosty and feeling a lot more seasonal. I like this time of year. The pressure building up to Christmas is over, and there’s time to slow down, take stock and plan for the coming months. Some of you will have been doing tax returns for your pottery business, and while this can be a chore, it’s also an excellent opportunity to assess what went well for you last year and what could be improved. It’s a chance to see what sold well – was it something unexpected? – does seeing a payment for something remind you that you hadn’t allowed enough lead time to make it, and you were very stressed, or that it was a…

MEET THE POTTER A DAY WITH WENDY LAWRENCE by Jacqui Atkin I have known Wendy for many years but never visited her studio, so on a glorious day in November, I set out from my home in Shropshire on the border with Wales to visit her at home in Denbigh, some 30 miles away. It was one of those gifts of a day where the light was like crystal, and the sun illuminated the landscape in that golden, otherworldly way that only happens in autumn. As I travelled along the road to Llangollen, the trees danced in their beautiful colours, framing the road in a tunnel of dappled light, allowing me to glimpse in snatches, the ruined remains of Dinas Bran Castle, sharply defined against the blue sky on the…

THROWDOWN JUDGE: RICH MILLER What was it like returning as a judge for the second time? It was really lovely – it felt like being back with the family! The first series definitely gave me more confidence and it was really gratifying to be asked back. I have been with the series since the very beginning, so five series altogether and now a judge for the second time. I guess it’s the classic job progression, starting on the workshop floor as a technician, and the transition of now being a judge. I still draw on my experiences working in the kiln, it gives me an insight, and I have a good sense of the pressures that the potters are under. How would you describe your role on Great Pottery Throw…

IN THE NEWS LOVE RAKU? Contemporary Raku, a new book by Stephen Murfitt, explores the history of this ancient firing method, explains making, glazing and firing methods, and draws on the inspirations and techniques of contemporary potters to create a compelling read. Very clearly written and illustrated, this book provides a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in learning more about how to create the wide variety of unique surfaces that raku allows. Contemporary Raku Stephen Murfitt Crowwood Press ISBN: 978 1 78500 993 8 £18.99 Available for pre-order at: crowood.com 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…

PROJECT ONE DIFFICULTY RATING THROWN SQUARED VASE This form starts as a standard bellied bottle or vase shape, which is altered by paddling the sides with a wooden spatula. It is a good method for altering standard forms to make your creations unique You will need: ■ 900g (2lb) clay – earthenware or stoneware, white or coloured as preferred ■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge including a version on a stick, cutting wire, batts, ribs – wooden and metal ■ Large wooden spatula ■ Surface decoration as preferred Before you begin: 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…

Editor Join us for step-by-step makes, tips and inspiration. Inside every issue of ClayCraft you’ll find practical hands-on 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 Terms & conditions: Direct debit off er available to new UK subscribers only. You will pay £10.00 for 3 issues, then £27.99 for 6 months. For overseas subscriptions please visit shop.kelsey.o.uk/CRA Savings are based on the standard cover price of £5.75. Off er ends 31st March 2022. Your subscription will start with the next available issue and you will receive 12 issues in a year. Prices correct at time…

PRESENTER: ELLIE TAYLOR You had to step in on this series of The Great Pottery Throw Down, how did you feel when you got the call? I was absolutely delighted. I have always wanted to work with Love Productions because I love the shows they make. I really enjoy watching people with a passion creating beautiful things that I never could. They are such warm, funny shows. How would you describe your role in this series? I really wanted to get to know the potters and be a friendly, supportive face for them. I also wanted to let Siobhán know from the outset that I was viewing my job as being the guardian of her role. I messaged her on Instagram saying I was so sorry to hear about her…

Doug’s DIARY (Photo: Layton Thompson) It’s the day after Boxing Day, as I sit typing this at the dining room table. We have spent Christmas surrounded by family, united in love, but also by grief. Hannah’s lovely mum was taken from us by covid a couple of weeks before Christmas. There are no words to describe the sadness of such a loss; we are bereft. Joan was the sweetest of women, as far as one could get from the stereotypical mother-in-law character that Les Dawson liked to portray. When Hannah took me ‘home’ to meet her parents for the first time, I was more than a little anxious. I am 13 years older than Hannah, and at the time, I was living in my workshop in Devon, in the woodshed that…

Clay Craft BACK ISSUES £5.99 PER ISSUE INCLUDING P&P ISSUE 49 • Thrown bird bath • Garden oya • Pinched dogs • MKM Tools spotlight • Eastcott Studio update • Zinc oxide glazes ISSUE 52 • Thrown bowl • Pinch/slab olive dish • Slab cracker dish • Wide salad bowl • Using slips • Potfest – owner’s update ISSUE 57 • Thrown spouted bottle • Slab mancala board • Slab lidded boxes • Slab bear Pt 2 • Slab bottle stoppers • Decals & lustres ISSUE 50 • Thrown sgraffito vase • Slab-built birds • Planter/bird bath combo • Throw Down winner • Bisque texture rollers • Clay in glazes ISSUE 53 • Thrown flat-bottomed bowl • Dinosaur egg cups • Fridge magnets • Hand-puppets • Children’s art • Surface…

ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE TODAY AND GET FREE DELIVERY Plus LIDDED BIRD FEEDER TRINKET BOX VOLUME INDEX GARDEN MONOLITH SURFACE DECORATION THROW DOWN ISSUE 60 ON SALE FEBRUARY 18 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/CC60 Call now on 01959 543747** Quote ref: CC60 Terms and conditions apply. You should receive your copy on or around February 18. *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.…

NEW VENUE Ceramic Wales will take place on the 11th and 12th of June. The event has moved from its previous location. It will be brought to you in collaboration with Bodrhyddan Hall, combining the ceramics event with the long-established Bodrhyddan Plant Fayre, with the addition of a third, ‘food’, element, bringing together the perfect combination of ‘Pots, Plants and Food’. The location forms a beautiful setting to showcase the very best ceramics from the UK and beyond. With plants and food to complement the variety of ceramics on display and the beautiful gardens to explore, Ceramic Wales 2022 aims to bring together a whole new experience, not to be missed! ceramicwales.com bodrhyddan.co.uk…

LINDA BLOOMFIELD GLAZING GLAZE BASICS: MATERIALS AND PREPARATION Last month I started a series on glaze basics, materials and the equipment needed to make a glaze from scratch. This month I will cover how a glaze is made. It is similar to making a cake; you weigh out the dry ingredients, add to water, mix, apply to a test tile or pot and fire in the kiln. It’s a good idea to make detailed notes of your glaze recipe and records of the fired results. I keep a small notebook in my studio and often look back through notes on glazes I wrote more than 10 years ago. Your glaze tests can be numbered next to the recipe in your book and in underglaze pencil on the back of your test…

PRESENTER: SIOBHÁN MCSWEENEY We know that you couldn’t make it to the series until Episode 7 because of an injury. How are you now? I broke my leg, but I am healing very well now and have ditched the crutches. I hope to be running around the place and dancing soon, and maybe next year the marathon…. How difficult was it for you back on set at Gladstone Pottery and how did you cope? Physically at the start it was quite challenging, but thanks to the support of the crew, the production team and the judges, I got used to getting around the pottery on crutches. How different was it this time? Last year I felt I had the run of the pottery, and this time round I had to…

PROJECT FIVE DIFFICULTY RATING SURFACE DECORATION PAINTING WITH GLAZE As we have said many times before in ClayCraft, glazes and glazing are subjects in their own rights and strike fear into many makers, especially at the early stage of their ceramic learning. There are so many different ways to use glaze, as demonstrated in Linda’s brilliant coverage of the subject each month, but as you must know by now, we use commercially prepared glazes for the projects in the magazine, simply because, in the fast editorial turnaround, there is no time to develop, make and test new glazes, then apply them to the work. Commercially prepared glazes offer wonderful scope for experimentation, available in a huge range of colours and finishes, from matte to glossy, crystalline to crackle; there is no effect…

Confessions of a novice A TEAPOT CHALLENGE Anglian Potters announced a Keith Brymer Jones ‘teapot challenge’ in January 2021. Why, oh why, was I only getting started in late November? At the beginning of 2021, an Anglian Potters demo day with Keith Brymer Jones had to be postponed. Thankfully, Keith and the Anglian Potters team leapt into action and were able to create a wonderful online event as an alternative. After entertaining the group with stories and demonstrations, Keith announced that when he was able to visit in person, he’d ask potters to participate in a teapot challenge. Those who were already dab hands at teapots were expected to make something out of their comfort zone. Those of us who don’t have a teapot comfort zone just had to make…

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…