Innehållsförteckning för #71 från ClayCraft

Well,depending on how things went, it’s possibly either a relief to get back to work, or you wish the holiday had been much longer! I fall into the latter category, although the mountain of emails that accrues whenever there’s a holiday can be rather daunting, and it does mean that the first week or so is spent dealing with a backlog. I also chose a rather silly time to decide to go through our courses listing and update it – press week, which was also the first week back. I was very pleased to see that although there were some entries that were no longer current, the majority of these were due to retirement and not because of lack of business. In fact, a couple asked to be removed because…

You will need: ■ Clay of choice – earthenware or stoneware, but it must not be too firm; soft clay is easier to manipulate ■ Rolling pin, 5mm roller guides, plastic sheet ■ Wooden (or other) texture stamp ■ Paper, craft knife, cutting mat, ruler – to make a template ■ Glazes of choice to decorate Before you begin: You can make your vases to any dimensions you choose, but the example shown here was based on each side measuring 12 x 12cm Carefully cut the template out. Working on the 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 clay to the other to avoid…

Of course, our first wish for 2023 is for an end to conflict, wherever it might be, and our second wish is for a period of stability and a concerted effort to ensure that nobody here at home has to be cold in their homes. Unfortunately, neither of those wishes is within our gift, so we will have to concentrate on those things that are more in the control of a tiny pottery studio business. We, too, would love a year of stability; the past few years have been anything but that for us – and many of our colleagues in ceramics. It’s a nightmare to try to plan when you have no idea what your energy costs are going to be from month to month. At the moment, we…

ClayCraft Magazine www.claycraft.co.uk Kelsey Media The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL EDITORIAL Editor: Rachel Graham; claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk Consultant editors: Jacqui Atkin, Kevin Millward Contributors: Jacqui Atkin, Linda Bloomfield, Doug Fitch, Kevin Millward, Lisa Pritchard, Simon Shaw Project photography: Philip Wilkins p.wilkins@btinternet.com Design: Focused On Design Ltd design@focusedondesign.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT SALES Talk Media Sales Simon Hyland, 01732 445327 simon@talk-media.co.uk Talk Media Sales Ad Production Manager: Nick Bond 01732 445325 production@talkmediasales.co.uk MANAGEMENT Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Managing Director: Kevin McCormick Publisher: Mark Winterton Retail Director: Steve Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Events Manager: Kat Chappell Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controller: Hayley Brown Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager: Nick McIntosh Subscriptions 12 issues of ClayCraft are published per annum UK annual subscription price:…

You will need: ■ 1.8kg (4lb) of clay – earthenware or stoneware, preferably white, for a good colour response when decorating ■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, cutting wire, rib, batt To decorate: ■ Cuerda Seca wax emulsion with a fine brush for application – see recipe later ■ Aselection of glaze colours to suit clay type Before you begin: This vase is best thrown on a batt to avoid distorting the shape when lifting it off the wheel head, so if you don’t have a quick-fit mechanism for your wheel, you’ll need to throw a pad to secure the batt. When ready, prepare your clay by kneading it well to remove any possible trapped air, then form it into a cone shape, barely dampen the surface of…

H urrah,everything that can be done before Christmas is finally done. By the time this issue lands on people’s doormats, Christmas will be over, and the shops will doubtless be filling their shelves with Easter eggs. But for us here, right now, with four days to go, Christmas is about to begin. It’s the winter Solstice, the shortest day and a significant stepping stone in this long, dark season. I’m not really a winter person, but so far, it’s not been too bad. In recent weeks, we have had the most beautiful weather, extremely cold and dry, the trees and fences white with fern-like hoar frost, tinted peach and orange by the light of the low sun. Beautiful as it may be, it’s certainly not conducive to making pots. The…

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 I am now living and making in Devon (having moved mid-pandemic!), and I have studio and teaching space at Art House in South Brent, where I offer regular weekly classes in handbuilding. I have finally fulfilled a very long-held ambition to build a wood-fired kiln using the Trainkiln design. I first saw an image of one in a book on woodfiring when I was studying ceramics at Camberwell Art College in the late 1980s and thought then that if I were ever to build a wood-fired kiln, it would be one like that. It's funny how things turn out. Thirty years later, I had the opportunity…

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 Rcyclingis something that we can all do to help make pottery more sustainable. As well as re-using packaging materials for sending pottery, it is also a good idea to recycle some of the materials we use for making pottery. Studio potters might worry that the materials they use, clays and glaze ingredients, are mined from the…

Caitlin 23 from Glasgow – Medical student Caitlin spends most of her time on hospital wards in Dundee. Away from clay and her studies, you’ll find her at the gym either getting stuck into a punch bag, or finding her zen practicing yoga, along with heading back to Glasgow to see family, friends and boyfriend. Caitlin’s style is modern, contemporary with a fusion of her dad’s retro-inspired style, as well as links to her mum’s Chinese heritage. Caitlin also likes to incorporate a bit of cheekiness into her ceramics, such as ‘boob’ mugs and quirky surface decoration that reflect her light-hearted personality. Derek 57 from Tunbridge Wells (originally Belfast) – Journalist/editor Derek is no newbie to a creative brief and challenge, having worked on popular lad mags and various editorial…

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 and ages catered for in hand building, throwing, Raku, sgraffito and mishima Dates: Various (see website) Location: Newport on Tay,…