Innehållsförteckning för #65 från ClayCraft

It’s a time of mixed emotions at ClayCraft this month. Our ‘Confessions of a Novice’ blogger, Tracey Parsons, is moving on to pastures new after nearly five years with us. What started as a ‘real-life’ documentation of a novice potter making projects from the magazine, with often mixed and hilarious results, rapidly grew in scope as Tracey got better and better. She is exhibiting at Potfest in Melton Mowbray and has grown a large Instagram following for her own work. I couldn’t be more proud of what she’s achieved or more sad that this is her last entry. As she explains in this month’s blog, ClayCraft was instrumental in her journey, not only in terms of exposure but for what the magazine has taught her. A couple of…

A fterall the chasing around the country last month, the past few weeks at home have been very welcome. Not that we’ve had a great deal of time to do anything but work, but there have been a few days out locally, the best of all, with my buddy ‘Frank’, who came to visit. We’ve just finished work for the night. It’s approaching midnight, and as always, I’m up against the deadline to get my diary submitted. I’m so tired; please forgive me if I’m not terribly coherent. There’s a storm outside. It was a most peculiar light earlier, followed by a deluge accompanied by strong winds that were giving the young fruit trees in the garden a good whipping. So far, Hannah’s bean poles are still standing in the…

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 I have recently returned from a month-long residency at Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Centre in Skælskør, Denmark. Several artists are in residence there, and new artists are coming every week to attend workshops and wood firings. The studio space is very well equipped with a glaze room, drying cupboard,…

PLANT LABEL STAKES This is a quick and easy mini-project that you can make whenever you have leftover scraps of clay YOU WILL NEED: ■ Awooden lolly stick – I always save these; they can make useful tools ■ Clay of choice –preferably stoneware ■ Rolling pin, plastic sheet and roller guides no thicker than 5mm ■ Knife ■ White or pale-coloured glaze, suitable for clay type Prepare a small block of clay by kneading well to remove possible trapped air. Note: A small amount of clay will make a lot of stakes! 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 from one side of the…

TIME FOR A NEW CHAPTER! It’s been coming for a while, but the decision to stop writing this blog has crept up on me, and I write this final entry with a bittersweet mixture of sadness about the loss and excitement for the future I started writing this month’sblog just as I ever have. I made a project – four pinched espresso cups from issue 64, and I’d planned to glaze them this weekend, just in time for the deadline, or rather, only slightly over the deadline (sorry Rachel!) Yet, as I began to type, the words didn’t come. This isn’t unusual; anyone who regularly writes anything will know that it sometimes takes a while to find inspiration. In all my projects, though, I’ve kept a mental note of the…

Worcestershire Open Studios, the well-loved free annual art event where artists throw open their doors to the public, returns this year bigger and better, running over 10 days from 20-29 August 2022. Artists and makers across the county will welcome you into their homes or studios, giving you behind-thescenes access to how they make their work. There is a diverse range of artwork to see – painting, sculpture, printmaking, jewellery, ceramics, photography, textiles, furniture making and lots more. All studios are free to visit. One hundred and eight artists are taking part across 91 venues, with 36 artists new for this year. Artists are excited to share their work and how they work. This is the first time the event is over 10 days, so there's more opportunity than ever…

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★ You will need: ■ A large sheet of paper to make a template – lining wallpaper is great for this kind of task ■ A cutting mat is useful ■ Compass, pencil, protractor and ruler ■ Flat clay surface to decorate, firmed to leatherhard – we are using the rolling pin plate from thehard – we are using the rolling pin plate from theproject on page 26project on page 26 Note: Mandala decoration can be applied to 3D forms but it’s best to practice on a flat surface if you’re trying it for the first time Before you begin: Mandalas are most often seen as circular designs and the method shown here is applied on a plate. If you want to practice on a…