Claycraft №46 2021

PACKED WITH INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS FOR YOU

PINCH, COIL, SLAB

AND THROW

Issue 46

LEARN TO THROW Beautiful bubble vases!

SEE INSIDE! HANNAH MCANDREW

SLIP TRAILING GLAZING

Home décor project Make an artichoke ornament PIG MONEY BOX

KELSEYmedia

PINCH PROJECT

ISSUE 46

£5.75

UNDERGLAZES & STAINS

PLUS: • Studio owner’s journal • Novice blog

Meet the team...

Jacqui Atkin Artichoke art p22

Simon Shaw Bubble vase P8

Linda Bloomfield Underglazes & stains p32

Tracey Parsons Baubles pt 2 p73

Doug Fitch Diary column

Jeni Jacques Studio potter’s journal p36

p 58

PACKED WITH INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS FOR YOU

PINCH, COIL, SLAB

AND THROW

Issue 46

LEARN TO THROW Beautiful bubble vases!

SEE INSIDE! HANNAH MCANDREW

SLIP TRAILING GLAZING

K KELSEYmedia

Home décor project

ISSUE 46

£5.75

UNDERGLAZES & STAINS PINCH PROJECT

Make an artichoke ornament PIG MONEY BOX

PLUS: • Studio owner’s journal • Novice blog

001 Clay Craft Cover Issue 46.indd 1

03/12/2020 18:07

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, Alan Ault, Paul Bailey, Linda Bloomfield, Billy Byles, Doug Fitch, Jeni Jacques, Kevin Millward, Alan Parris, Tracey Parsons, Simon Shaw Project photography: Philip Wilkins Art Editor: Rob Terry; rob@focusedondesign.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT SALES Talk Media Sales Simon Hyland, 01732 445327 simon.hyland@talkmediasales.co.uk

On the cover this month are vases from our thrown project, on page 8

Welcome T he first snow of the year has just fallen as I write this, and Christmas is drawing close. It’s a been an unforgettable year, and not for very many good reasons. We have been challenged in ways we could never have imagined, and for some businesses it proved unsurmountable. I salute all of you who have managed to adapt, think quickly on your feet and change the way you operate. My heart goes out to everyone who did all of those things and yet still couldn’t win. I hope and wish that next year is better for all of you.

This month, we welcome Jeni Jacques, owner of Lemon Studio, as she begins a regular column sharing her experiences of running a studio and offering very useful business advice and tips along the way. You can read the first

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installment on page 36.

We first featured Jeni back in issue 36, and I’m sure that you’ll find her story inspiring and helpful.

I’m eternally grateful to all our contributors for their hard work and dedication. They make ClayCraft what it is; a magazine that inspires potters, whatever their level of experience, to be creative and to learn new skills. Big thanks too to our advertisers, especially for their continued support through this very difficult year. It is much AVAILABLE NOW

appreciated.

I hope that, whatever form your Christmas takes, you have a happy and enjoyable break from everything, and can go into 2021 feeling refreshed and optimistic.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Rachel Graham, Editor

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Issue 46 ClayCraft

3

Contents

35

Issue 46

22

36 8 6

News

8

Project 1: thrown vase Is this bubbles, rolls or hoops?

Whatever it’s called, we like it!

31 Me and my Pot Mark Harris’ altered slabwork

32 Linda Bloomfield Underglazes and stains, explained by the expert on glazes

18 Slip-trailing Hannah McAndrew explains the different types of tool, and the methods she and Doug use

32

22 Project 2: art for the home An artichoke-inspired decoration

35 Me and my Pot Sue Eyre’s raku pot

36 Diary of a studio potter Jeni Jacques shares her experience

46 18 4

ClayCraft Issue 46

CONTENTS

PINCH, COIL, SLAB

AND THROW

57 Reader offer

Reader offer: ClayCraft apron ❯❯ ❯❯72

Pottery for beginners

Basic techniques and 22 handbuild projects

62 73 Confessions of a novice £12.95

Baubles part two… on to the decoration!

A variety of methods gave mixed results

Jacqui Atkin and Rachel Graham

76 Back issues

38

Find a project you missed, complete your collection, or add to your reference library

77 Courses Do you need to find someone to fire your work?

Looking for a course now the restrictions are lifting?

Search our free directory

82 Next issue Find out what’s in store for you in the next packed issue

70

73

38 Meet the potter Jacqui Atkin talks to Simon Shaw, master of the barium glaze, about his life and work with clay

46 Project 3: pig money box A lovely project to give to a child PACKED WITH INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS FOR YOU

70 A time of change Paul Bailey speaks to Wendy Kershaw about how she has had to adapt

44 ClayCraft SPECIAL subscriptions OFFER! Save money and have the magazine delivered to your door.

You know it makes sense!

Issue 46

SEE INSIDE! HANNAH MCANDREW

SLIP TRAILING GLAZING

UNDERGLAZES & STAINS

£5.75

This piece can be cast or pressmoulded, depending on your equipment

AND THROW

Beautiful bubble vases!

PINCH PROJECT

Home décor project

Make an artichoke ornament PIG MONEY BOX

PLUS: • Studio owner’s journal • Novice blog

Issue 46 ClayCraft

001 Clay Craft Cover Issue 46.indd 1

ISSUE 46

62 Project 4: decorative tile

PINCH, COIL, SLAB

LEARN TO THROW

K

Big changes in the workshop, and the Covid mugs are ready!

KELSEYmedia

58 Doug’s Diary

5

IN 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

S W E N WINNER'S KILN INSTALLED

Stef Baxter is delighted with his Northern Kilns Little Chief, installed by Pete.

Stef Baxter, the winner of our Northern Kilns competition, has now had his Little Chief installed.

Delighted with his win, Stef told us more about himself.

"I first began doing pottery in 1986 at Cardonald College, Glasgow, at HND level. It was a fantastic course with superb and inspirational teachers. The course didn't just teach us; it trained us in great detail about pottery and ceramics.

The course lead on to an HNC where we grew to understand how and why kilns worked, clay, glaze, form, and aesthetics too.

"I volunteered in a nearby pottery workshop for a few years and began teaching night classes at the college while working 'normal' jobs during the day. Pottery continued to be a constant with me for a few short years until I was offered the position of running Pitlochry Pottery in Perthshire. This lead to jobs and travel to Ireland, England, Greece and Crieff (Buchan Thistle Pottery), and a brief time with Armitage Shanks (Barrhead Sanitary Works).

6

ClayCraft Issue 46

"I studied to BA (Hons) at Glasgow School of Art, again with some superb and inspirational teachers.

I loved the idea of having a qualification in pottery with the word "Hons" in it, as it's Glaswegian slang word for 'hands'! I took my post-grad in secondary school teaching and gained further experience: primary school art teaching, a Sensory Impaired school and working with adults with learning needs. I now volunteer for Beatson Cancer charity taking relaxing pottery painting classes, something that I am really fond of.

"Along the way, I had to buy second-hand kilns, endlessly maintaining and repairing them. I'm pretty sure that has added a decade to my receding hairline, at the very least.

"Winning the Little Chief from the fabulous people at Northern kilns was a godsend. Perfect timing. They have a great reputation for knowledge and helpfulness, and I still can't believe I actually won a prize in connection with pottery. A first for me. And

I believe this one's for you…

Northern Kilns always give comprehensive training when they install a kiln. very grateful I am too.

"There has been a huge amount of interest in ceramics and pottery recently due to people needing solace from the stress of current events, seeking wellbeing, relaxation and crafty-creativeness.

"The Pottery Throw Down has had a fantastic effect on business too. People seem to have a better appreciation and knowledge of what we do as potters

and ceramists.

"I would like to express a heartfelt 'thank you' to you folks at ClayCraft (I have every issue), and again to the kindness of Northern Kilns, especially thanks to Jen, and Pete who delivered the kiln. Superb instruction and a good laugh too.

"Thank you very, very much."

Stef teaches at his studio in Govan: stefbaxterpottery.com

IN THE NEWS

THE TALE OF TWO POTTERS

Philip Leach throwing a chawan off the hump.

This excellent video spends two hours in the company of Philip and Frannie Leach as they talk about their lives and their work while demonstrating their very different techniques and methods. Be prepared to start taking copious notes as they generously share their knowledge, peppered with Leach family stories, travel anecdotes and practical tips. The film-makers' informal approach makes it feel as if you've just dropped in for a cup of tea and a chat, and the time flies by.

Watch as Frannie makes and decorates pressed dishes, recounting her training with Philip's father Michael, her life in the Bahamas and how she met Philip. Third-generation potter Philip describes his travels around the world while he throws tea bowls off the hump and then applies slip-trailed decoration.

The number of golden nuggets of practical pottery information is staggering, and it certainly bears rewatching more closely to make sure you notice them all. We think it's a resource that you'll find yourself referring back to, time and time again.

This fascinating video is available for £19.99 as a DVD or download at artisanmasterclass.co.uk/ collections/philip-frannie-leach-pottery, and the makers have kindly offered ClayCraft readers a 10% discount. Simply enter CC10 at the checkout, sit back and enjoy!

Günter Hermans Studio potter from Bavaria uses a KG750 A kiln

ROHDE kilns.

Enjoy your results.

”That special moment, when I open my ROHDE kiln is still exciting – after so many years!“ ROHDE has been producing kilns and machinery designed to meet the highest standards since 1982. The company’s ongoing pursuit of technical advancement creates outstanding quality and efficiency that you can rely on.

For the joy of your creations.

Learn more about Günter’s story www.rohde-online.net/artist

www.rohde-online.net

SKILL SCHOOL

PROJECT

ONE

ROLL VASE

It’s difficult to describe the shape of this vase! It has variously been described as a bubble vase, a wobbly vase and hoop vase, but none seem quite right, so we have settled on ‘roll vase’ because it reminds us of the Michelin man’s squidgy rolls! Maybe you have a better description for it?

8

ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

You will need: ■ 1.4kg (3lb) clay – stoneware or earthenware ■ Tools for throwing – water bowl, sponge, ribs, cutting wire

2

To decorate: ■ 2-3mm masking tape – available from craft outlets or online ■ Craft knife or scissors ■ Glaze to suit clay type

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 rim and applying gentle pressure

1

Open out the centre by pressing the fingers of your right hand down through the clay to within 6-10mm of the wheel head. Use your left hand to steady the right as you work.

3

Prepare the clay by kneading it well to remove any possible trapped air.

You can work directly on the wheel head if you feel confident about lifting the vase off when finished, otherwise fix a batt to the wheel head – for details visit: claycraft.co.uk/how-to Form the clay mass into a rough cone shape.

Dampen, but don’t flood, the surface of the batt or wheel head. Position the clay as close to the centre as possible.

Centre the clay. You can see full instructions on how to do this on our website but begin by dribbling a little water over the surface then cone the clay up between both hands to get it to the correct consistency.

Continue by pushing the clay down with the right hand while supporting the edge with the left. This will level it off and bring it to centre.

Continue to support the right hand with the left as you draw the clay back towards your body until the base is opened to a width of approximately 10cm.

The resulting mass should look like a thick doughnut.

Now compress the clay in the base by running your fingers or the side of your knuckle over the surface several times, working from the centre to the outer edge.

Compressing the clay in this way helps prevent cracking during drying and firing.

TIP

To check the thickness of the base, stop the wheel, then press down into the clay with a pin. Drop your finger down to the clay and hold it there as you lift the pin out. This will clearly show you the thickness of the base

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

ONE

7

4 Pinch and lift the wall between the fingers and thumb of your right hand. The shape will look cup-like as you begin this. Maintain the left-hand position on the opposite side of the wall to steady the lift as the shape rises, and to keep the clay to centre.

Lift the wall again the same way to create a tall cylinder with an evenly thick wall throughout.

5 Lift the clay to a thick, conical cylinder shape – narrower at the top than at the bottom.

Compact the clay at the rim.

8

6 Change the position of your hands to pull the wall upward to a cylinder shape.

Place your left-hand fingers on the inside, with the tips of your right-hand fingers (or side of the knuckle) on the outside, opposite those on the inside.

Raise the wall, maintaining the conical shape.

10 ClayCraft Issue 46

Collar the rim in slightly by placing your hands either side of the neck of the cylinder and applying gentle pressure.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

9

Now use a rib to form the shape in three sections, in the following way: Beginning at the base, with your left hand inside the cylinder, push outward onto the rib to belly the shape.

This will remove surface slurry in the process, giving you a clearer outline of the forming shape.

10

As you get to the widest, mid-section of the first roll, change the angle of the rib and apply more pressure from the outside to close the shape in again.

Repeat this outward and inward pressure to form two more rolls, allowing a little excess at the rim to form the collar.

11

Compact the clay at the rim.

12

Clean away any clay and slurry remaining on the wheel head so that you can clearly see the shape at the base of the form.

Cut a bevel at the base with the tip of the rib to help locate the cutting wire later.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

ONE

13 Now return your left hand to the inside of the form to support the shape, then work over the surface again with the rib to really define the three sections and fully refine and smooth the clay.

14

When happy with the shape and proportion of the vase, carefully collar in the rim to a balanced size by placing the finger and thumb of your left hand around the neck then easing the clay inward with the fingers of your right hand.

12 ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

15

Now pull up the neck section as you did the wall, then use the rib again to refine the shape and delineate where the neck begins.

16

Return to the outline shape and really define the detail of the pot using the tip of the rib to create sharp angles between the rolls.

17

Quickly run a sponge over the rim to neaten it up and

round it off. (DO NOT over-work the sponge on the rim, it will have a detrimental effect on the surface quality of the clay.)

18

The vase is now finished in terms of throwing. Holding a cutting wire taut between both hands, carefully underwire the pot once, then lift it off the wheel head between both hands and place it on a waiting board.

Allow the form to dry out thoroughly before bisque firing.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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13

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

ONE

ADAPTING THE SHAPE A

19

Following the same method, you can easily change the proportions of a vessel like this by either, widening (as shown here) or narrowing the size of the base belly-out, then decreasing the size in different proportions as you reach the rim. The rolls don’t have to be equal – you could alternate deep and shallow, for example.

DECORATING THE VASE

1

Place a protractor over the top of the vase. Then, holding it in place, carefully divide the rim into equally spaced sections. Mark the divisions with a pencil.

2

Run the tape vertically from the marked positions to the base, making sure it sticks properly in the angles between the rolls.

3

Run a length of the tape around the base as a line to glaze to.

14 ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

4

Pour enough glaze into the vase to fully cover the interior surface, then turning the form slowly to ensure even coverage, pour the excess glaze out.

5

Paint a second, complementary glaze colour over the exterior of the pot.

Work the glaze over the lines and down to the base tape but not over it.

If using a brush-on glaze, apply as many coats as recommended by the manufacturer, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. (Note: If dipping or pouring a glaze, only one application is required.)

6

Neaten up the rim with a final coat of the interior glaze, making sure it’s applied up to the line of the exterior glaze.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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.

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

ONE

9

7 Carefully remove the tape from the base and sides of the pot.

Allow the vase to dry out thoroughly before firing to your glaze’s optimal temperature.

8

If the glaze bled under the tape in places, carefully remove it with a stiff brush. This can be a little tricky, but it’s easier if you use a small, short-bristled brush.

TIP

The cheap white bristle brushes available in discount stores are great for all sorts of applications in the studio and can be cut down to a suitable size for jobs like this at almost no cost at all

16 ClayCraft Issue 46

The vases shown here have been glazed in Mayco Orange gloss, Green tea and Frost. Fired to Cone 6 (1220°C, 2232°F) You can easily change the finish of the vase by alternating colours, or even making each stripe a different colour – have fun creating your own colourways.

Inspiration can strike at any time That’s why you can order from Clayman Supplies 24/7 via our online store, with click and collect available. Discover our range and receive technical advice with every purchase.

CLAYMANSUPPLIES.CO.UK | SALES@CLAYMANSUPPLIES.CO.UK | 01243 265845

ONLINE & IN STORE

BATH POTTERS SUPPLIES www.bathpotters.co.uk

What do a bicycle inner tube with the case of a biro pen, and a milk bottle with a quill attached have in common?

The answer; they are both used as slip trailers in the Fitch & McAndrew workshop in Galloway, and are just two of a number of different types. Hannah McAndrew explains the tools used to create this traditional technique oug Fitch and I make slipware pottery. My ‘thing’ is decoration. Of all the various ways of decorating that slip offers, it is the trailing of it that fascinates me.

Doug trails less often, and his methods and tools are somewhat different from mine. He often describes our contrasting styles by saying that the type of slip trailing that he and I do is akin to our handwriting. My writing is tidy and accurate and his, in his own words, is illegible and consequently abstract in nature!

D

 Doug using his milk bottle trailer.

(Photo: Layton Thompson)

 Doug’s trailing is ‘looser’ than

Hannah’s. (Photo: Layton Thompson)

18 ClayCraft Issue 46

 Hannah McAndrew slip trailing a plate. (Photo: Kim Ayres)

SLIP TRAILING

In the early days of my pottery making, before starting my apprenticeship, I barely ever decorated pots. I didn’t enjoy drawing and assumed it was something that I couldn’t do. I moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2001 to work for Jason Shackleton. Jason had worked at the iconic Aldermaston Pottery, under Alan Caiger-Smith, and also with the larger-than-life personality that was Mary Wondrausch. Thus he employed much decoration in his practice. With Mary, he had learned slip decoration, and in particular slip trailing. As soon as I joined Jason and dipped my toes, metaphorically speaking, into slip trailing, I was hooked.

Everyday tools The trailers that I use most days of my working life are the type that I

used when I worked at Jason’s pottery.

For me, they are a fabulous tool. Made up of a section of mountain bike inner tube, a demijohn cork and the plastic outer case from a biro pen, they are a Heath-Robinson contraption.

The plastic biro tube is cut to around 3” from the nib end and inserted into the cork (masking tape can be used for extra grip if the tube is too slack a fit). The inner tube, about 7” of it, is pulled over the other end of the cork and secured in place with a piece of tightly tied wire. Masking tape over the wire will protect your fingers. Now slip can be funnelled into the open end of the inner tube, before folding over the end and sealing with a bulldog clip. As the trailer empties, the clip is undone and the inner tube folded further, then the clip reapplied, to keep the slip under pressure.

I enjoy the accuracy and consistency of line that I can achieve with these trailers. I keep them in a lidded plastic box when not in use, to prevent them from drying out. A quick shake before use to make sure the slip hasn’t settled out, and they are ready to go again.

I have one trailer for each of the coloured slips that I use.

Well-sieved slip of the correct

 Hannah infilling a trailed outline.

(Photo: Ben Boswell)

consistency is the key to the trailers working effectively without clogging.

The consistency that suits you is going to be a matter of trial and error; mine is a bit thicker than double cream, but not as thick as yoghurt.

Variations on a theme Back in pre-industrial and pre-inner tube days, a cow horn with a sawn-off tip would have been the equivalent.

Graham Taylor tells me that if the slip is of the right consistency, the horn trailer will only run when the tip is in contact with the surface. It can be used for the likes of feathering with a very liquid slip. It's a very different

 Bulb, milk bottle and inner tube

trailers. (Photo: Layton Thompson) Inset above: Hannah’s inner tube slip trailers. (Photo: Layton Thompson)

 Hannah’s slip is thicker than Doug’s. Note how it stands proud of the surface. (Photo: Kim Ayres)

Issue 46 ClayCraft

19

.

Dylan Bowen’s, abstract trailing with the bulb trailers.

Another he employs is an old plastic milk carton, chopped apart and also fitted with a goose quill user experience from my inner tube trailers.

Along these lines, Doug often uses one of a couple of variants. He has an oil pourer made by the American potter Dan Finnegan, which has a long spout, with a goose quill inserted to create the correct aperture of nozzle.

Another he employs is an old plastic milk carton, chopped apart and also fitted with a goose quill (a gift from the late Sidney Tustin of Winchcombe Pottery – the quill, not the milk bottle). He uses these to make a much looser and broader series of lines than I do; his slip also much more fluid than mine. Due to the nature of the runny slip, he only uses this technique on flat forms, (on vertical forms, it would just run off). It is employed to create a very different effect from my more controllable trailers.

The other type of trailers that we use here in our workshop are the



Clive Bowen slip trailing with bulb trailer. (Photo: James Hazlewood)

20 ClayCraft Issue 46

commercially available rubber bulbs.

They come in a range of sizes and suppleness of rubber, and with different tips too. These types of trailer are more liable to ‘fart’ (apologies, but it’s the best description) than the inner-tube trailers.

Dylan Bowen and Russell Kingston have developed their work

using these, forcing the slip from the trailer at speed to enable, spontaneous marks. These types are also used

by Clive Bowen, who is, of course, the Godfather of expressive slip trailing.

By using a thicker trailing slip in a rubber bulb, Paul Young achieves a more controlled line, demonstrating how, by varying the viscosity of the

 A cow horn slip trailer in use by Graham Taylor. (Photo: Graham Taylor)

SLIP TRAILING

 Hannah McAndrew, slip-trailed Echinacea charger, 48cm diameter. (Photo: Shannon Tofts)



Peter Smith using his rubber tube system.

(Photo: Doug Fitch)

material, a particular type of mark can be made.

The aperture of these rubber bulb trailers may be adjusted by insertion of the insulation covering from electrical cable.

I have never used one, but I know that Mark Dally makes a device with interchangeable nozzles, to create a variety of lines and marks, that he

employs to great effect on his pots.

Peter Smith, the anarchist potter, trails slip by sucking it into a pipette via a rubber tube. He subsequently blows down the tube, to emit its contents across the surface of his pieces.

Although Doug and I start with the same basic materials, the end products are very different, and the tools we use to get to these results are the determining factors.

Hannah McAndrew, slip-trailed dot espresso cup, 4cm high.

(Photo: Shannon Tofts)

The key I think, is to try a number of options and find which one or ones will suit your needs and way of working. Each has its own merits and challenges, and it takes a lot of practice to become proficient at any of them, so stick at it.

Good luck, and happy slipping!

Hannah  fitchandmcandrew.com

Doug Fitch, slip-trailed pressed dish. (Photo: Shannon Tofts)

Doug Fitch,

slip-trailed bird dishes.

(Photo: Shannon Tofts)

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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SKILL SCHOOL

PROJECT

TWO

HOME DÉCOR PROJECT This is a sculptural project inspired by the shape of an artichoke. Make this form simply as a lovely thing to have in your home or garden or as a finial for a staircase or gatepost. Scale the size up or down to suit

22 ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

You will need: ■ A groggy stoneware clay, like craft crank. 1.6 1.8kg (3.5 - 4lb) ■ Several short lengths of dowelling in 5mm and 10mm diameters ■ Rolling pin, plastic sheet, 10mm and 5mm thick roller guides ■ Ribs and wooden tools for blending ■ Whirler ■ Cookie cutters in two sizes ■ Tile cutter (optional) ■ Card template of given shape ■ Glaze of choice to decorate

Template

2

Pinch the shape upward from the base to maintain the cone shape, turning the form in your hand continually to create an evenly thick wall.

3

1

From a second 0.5kg (1lb) of clay, pinch a round-bottomed bowl shape until the size at the rim matches that of the first half.

Regularly check the sizes of the sections against one another as you pinch the second half – that way you can stop when it’s just right.

4

Weigh out 0.5kg (1lb) of clay and form it into a rough cone shape.

Open out the centre of the cone by pushing your index finger down through the centre until you meet some resistance at the tip.

Score and slip the rims of the two sections then join them together.

Hold the sections in place for a minute or two, applying gentle pressure to ensure the join will hold.

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Issue 46 ClayCraft

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

TWO

8

5 Roll a coil of soft clay and use it to reinforce the join, blending it onto the form with your thumb.

Cut out a 10cm square using a tile cutter if you have one, otherwise by careful measuring or using a template to cut around.

Transfer the tile to a board.

6 Work over the reinforced join with a rib to remove any excess clay and smooth the surface.

9

7 Take half of the remaining clay.

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 making deep grooves in the surface.

Roll out the clay between the 10mm roller guides to create a small thick slab.

You’ll find that periodically turning the slab will make rolling much easier and give you more control to achieve the approximate shape that you need.

Once rolled out, smooth over the surface of the slab with a rib, to compact the clay.

24 ClayCraft Issue 46

Run your fingers around the edges of the tile to round and smooth them off.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

10

12

Using a round cookie cutter that fits neatly inside the square, lightly impress a circle in the tile.

Score the underside of the circle and its position on the tile.

13

11

Slip both scored surfaces then fix the circle onto the base, pressing it down firmly to squeeze out any trapped air and excess slip.

Work around the join with a wooden tool to remove any slip that may have been squeezed out.

Cut the same size circle out of the remaining slab – if possible, leaving enough room to cut one more slightly smaller circle later.

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

TWO

17

14 Cut out a second, smaller circle and attach it to the base, in the same way, making sure it’s central on the first circle.

When the tube is too large to make it any bigger with the dowel, replace it with a larger diameter dowel and continue to roll until you have a tube with an even, 5mm thick wall.

18

15 Form a short thick coil of clay about 4cm long and 2.5 3cm wide.

Push a 5mm dowel rod through the centre of the coil and out the other end.

16 Roll the dowel back and forth over the work surface to create a tube from the coil.

26 ClayCraft Issue 46

Return to the base section and cut a hole all the way down through the centre with a suitably sized cutter – the image shows the approximate size required.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

19

Check that the wall of the tube is evenly thick and, if required, pinch it out a little more where it’s thicker.

20

Score and slip the rim of the tube and corresponding position around the hole in the base.

21

22

Check the size of the cone on the base for balance of proportion. If the tube seems too tall, carefully cut it down to a suitable size with a sharp knife.

23

Sit the cone back on the base, making sure it’s straight and central, then mark the position with a pin.

24

Fix the tube onto the base and reinforce it around the outer edge of the join with another coil of soft clay.

Blend the coil in with a wooden tool then neaten up with a rib and another suitable wooden tool.

Score and slip the marked position on the underside of the cone and rim of the tube, then fix the parts together.

Reinforce the join again with a coil of soft clay.

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

TWO

25 Blend the coil up onto the cone and down onto the tube, then neaten up the surface using a rib.

The basic form is now complete.

28 Score the lower straight edge of the first leaf and apply some slip to the area.

26 From the remaining clay, roll a final, 5mm thick slab, then using the template on page 22, cut out as many shapes as you can fit on the slab. (Note: you may need to scale the template up or down, depending on the size of your body cone.)

29 27 Before applying the leaf sections to the form, gently pinch around the edges of each to neatly round them off.

28 ClayCraft Issue 46

Fix the leaf in place so that the tip just rises above the top of the cone.

Blend the lower section onto the cone using your thumbs until the join is no longer visible.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

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30

You might find it useful to mark the position of each leaf with a pin before scoring and slipping to attach them. This will help you space the sections, as well as creating a level, providing an obvious area to score.

Add two more shapes in the same way, making sure they are level around the top and equally spaced.

Smooth over the joins with a rib until no longer visible.

31 Now apply a second row of leaves, positioning them so the tip is between each leaf on the first row.

Blend the leaves in place as you did the earlier ones after scoring and slipping relevant areas.

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35 33 It’s important to continue to neaten up and smooth the surface after each row of leaves has been attached.

To finish, make a hole somewhere in the cone to allow for the release of air in firing. Pushing the thin dowel up through the hole in the base so that it pierces the cone is as good a place as any, providing you can safely lift the form to do it.

Allow the finished sculpture to dry out slowly before bisque firing.

34 Continue to apply rows of leaves, offsetting each row between the one before, until the whole cone has been covered.

Use a wooden tool to blend the last row of leaves onto the cone.

30 ClayCraft Issue 46

Once bisque fired, glaze the sculpture in a colour of your choice.

Mayco’s Storm Grey has been applied here, with Green Tea over the tips. Fired to cone 6 (1220°C, 2232°F) in an electric kiln.

ME AND MY POT Clay type: Stoneware Firing temp: 1250°C Build technique: I first build a normal complete slab pot, then I cut it into sections, then rebuild the pot again, twisting and rearranging to make new forms. This involves filling new gaps that have appeared and compensating for new loading points. It is all a bit freestyle because when you dismember a perfectly good pot, it has no structural integrity. It’s all over the place.

Then I endeavour to stop it from collapsing: often I have to use scaffolding while it dries. A couple of them have needed nooses hung from a lamp to stop gravity taking over! Amazingly they go through the kiln firing and stay strong and complete.

Decoration process: I use a variety of liquid pot glazes. They include Fire Engine Red, Royal Blue, Butter Yellow, Green Tea, Amber Quartz, Green Opal, Pewter, Satin Patina, Copper Jade, Blue Hydrangea, Aurora Green, Lime Shower, Sea and Sand.

I can’t stop buying them when I am in Potclays! They are all fired at about Cone 5 or 6.

I also incise the clay using various screwdrivers, linocut tools, wire brushes, anything that works.

Inspirations and influences: I do not seem to be influenced by anyone, at least not consciously. I have come into this cold I have painted for thirty plus years (painting website mark-harris.com). I have only been doing this for about 18 months.

My inspiration comes from lying half-awake in bed, and images of weird pots arrive in my head. I then write them down in a notebook. I then proceed to make them real. It’s kinda fun.

See my work: All my pieces are titled Ceramicons because I was doing an exhibition and when I had set them all set up, I couldn’t figure out a name for them.

I thought that they looked like Ceramic Constructions, but that’s a bit laboured, so I had a flash of inspiration (or it could have a bit of wind), and they became ‘Ceramicons’.

This particular piece is titled Ceramicon 4 and is priced at £350. markharrisceramics.co.uk

Mark Harris

If you would like a piece of your work to be featured, email us at: claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk Issue 46 ClayCraft

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Underglazes and stains

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

here are many options for adding coloured decoration to ceramics, including underglaze, stains and colouring oxides. In this article, I will explain what each of these is and how to use them.

I am obsessed with making my own coloured glazes using colouring oxides, the raw materials that are used to make glazes, stains and underglaze colours.

T

 Raw oxides brushed on under a

transparent glaze.

32 ClayCraft Issue 46

 Ingredients for making underglazes include stains, borax frit and china clay.

There are eight basic colouring oxides: cobalt, copper, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, rutile and vanadium. These are sold as pure oxides or carbonates (a slightly weaker form that converts to the oxide during firing). They often change colour during firing as they react with the silica and fluxes in the glaze. For example, black cobalt oxide changes to blue cobalt silicate during firing. Cobalt oxide gives the most intense colour of all the colouring oxides and less than 1% is needed to colour a glaze a strong blue; other oxides such as iron oxide and manganese dioxide give less intense colours unless you use at least 5% added to a glaze. Some oxides have different colours if fired in an electric kiln or a fuel-burning kiln, so, for example, copper oxide is green in oxidation and oxblood red in reduction where the oxygen intake is restricted.

Oxides can be mixed with water, brushed onto biscuit ware and covered with a transparent glaze or brushed on top of an opaque, white glaze, as in majolica painting. The disadvantage of using raw oxides is that they become dusty when dry and can be smudged when handling and loading into the kiln.

The colours available from oxides include blue from cobalt, greens from chromium and copper, brown or green from nickel and browns from iron and manganese.

The advantage of using oxides is that

they dissolve in the glaze and give a watery depth.

Stains are made by heating together oxides and a stabiliser such as zirconium silicate. Some colours such as bright yellow and bright red can only be achieved using stains (made from toxic cadmium and selenium, they are rendered harmless once made into a stain). As well as stabilising the colour for firing at high temperatures, the zirconium silicate makes the stain opaque. It is also possible to get a true black stain, made from a mixture of oxides including iron, nickel, chromium and cobalt. As the colouring oxides are mixed with other ingredients in stains, they are less concentrated than

 Test plate; porcelain with homemade underglazes and transparent glaze.

GLAZING

raw oxides, and more stain is needed to produce the same colour as an oxide, around 5% mixed into a glaze or 10% in a slip. Like oxides, stains can be mixed with water and brushed onto biscuit ware, then covered with a transparent glaze. As they have already been fired during their manufacture, stains do not change colour during firing.

Underglazes are more dilute still, as they are made from stains mixed with china clay, borax frit and a brushing medium such as CMC (sodium carboxy methyl cellulose) gum, which helps the colour flow off the brush and prevents it from becoming dusty and easily rubbed off. Some commercial underglazes require three coats to be brushed on to provide sufficient colour. You can make your own underglaze using stain, china clay and frit mixed together in equal quantities. Test the homemade stain first on a tile, cover with a transparent glaze and fire vertically to see whether the colour runs. If it is runny, increase the china clay. If it looks dry or pinholed, increase the frit. You can mix primary colour stains to make secondary colours such as orange, or mix stains with oxides, for example, yellow or red stain mixed with a very small amount of cobalt carbonate will make green or purple. Underglazes can be applied to unfired greenware or biscuit ware. The advantage of brushing onto greenware is that the underglaze will be

 Flower bowl by illustrator Alice

Bloomfield, porcelain, underglazes, transparent glaze, gold lustre.

 No Rose Without Thorns bowl by illustrator Alice Bloomfield. This porcelain

bowl was decorated with underglazes made using cobalt carbonate, red iron oxide, black, red and yellow stains, and green and purple commercial underglazes which give paler colours. The underglazes were covered with a transparent glaze and fired to 1250°C. Gold lustre was then applied and fired to 800°C.

hardened on in the biscuit firing and then will not smudge at the glazing stage.

Underglaze recipe using stain ● Stain 1tsp ● Borax frit 1tsp ● China clay 1tsp

Underglaze blue using oxides ● Cobalt carbonate 1tsp ● Red iron oxide 1tsp ● Borax frit 1tsp ● China clay 2tsp

For darker colours, add more red iron oxide. For pastel colours, add zirconium silicate.

To make the underglaze, mix the dry ingredients with water and add a small amount of gum arabic or CMC gum to help the underglaze flow off the brush. Some underglaze painters grind their underglazes in a ball mill or mortar and pestle or mix using a palette knife on a flat, glazed tile.

Brush on biscuit ware, cover with a transparent glaze and fire. Alternatively, brush on top of a white, opaque glaze before firing.

Transparent glaze 1250°C cone 8 oxidation ● Potash feldspar 34 ● Borax frit 14 ● Whiting 11 ● China clay 13 ● Quartz 23 ● Dolomite 5

White, opaque glaze 1260 °C Cornish stone 38.5 ● Whiting 13.5 ● Dolomite 7.5 ● Zinc oxide 1.0 ● Ball clay 7.7 ● Flint 19.3 ● Zirconium silicate 12.5

After firing the glaze, resin-based lustres can be applied. Bright onglaze colours and decal transfers can also be applied at this stage. These are fired again to around 800°C to soften the glaze surface so that the decoration adheres.

Summary Most concentrated: raw oxides: cobalt, iron, copper or chromium for blues, browns and greens.

Next most concentrated: stains, especially useful for bright yellow, red and black.

Least concentrated: underglazes: containing clay, frit and a brushing medium.

More information on oxides and stains can be found in my book Colour in Glazes.

Health and safety Colouring oxides chromium, nickel, manganese, cobalt and vanadium are toxic. China clay and borax frit contain silica. Wear a respirator mask when measuring powdered ingredients. 

SUPPLIERS ■ CTMpotterssupplies.co.uk ■ Scarva.com ■ Sneydceramics.co.uk Issue 46 ClayCraft

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ME AND MY POT

Sue Eyre Clay type: Earthstone handbuilding stoneware Build: Handbuilt Firing temp: Raku 970°C Decoration process: Fossils made from handmade moulds See my work: sueeyreceramics.co.uk Instagram: sue_eyre_ceramics If you’d like to see your work in the magazine, email claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk for more details

Photos: Jackie Tucker (jackietuckerphotography.com)

DIARY OF A STUDIO POTTER

JOURNAL ENTRY 1 ello, I’m Jeni Jacques. In 2017, I left my long-term career in the public sector to change my career completely by setting up a small pottery studio from my home in Cheshire. This is a record of my journey, and each month I’ll share with you some of the do’s and don’ts, highs and lows, pros and cons of setting up your own creative business to hopefully inspire and prepare you to take the next step!

H

When is the right time to go solo?

Are you creative? Is your mind always thinking about what you want to make next? Do you get positive feedback about your pottery? Maybe you have started to sell some of your work? Do you have a secret dream to have your own studio? For me, all of these things, and more, built up to encourage me to evolve my hobby into a business.

I’ve always been interested in arts 36 ClayCraft Issue 46

and crafts; throughout my childhood, I was constantly drawing or creating, and on Christmas Day, there truly was no better present than Play-Doh. I went to an academic high school so sadly I didn’t pursue my love of art earlier by taking formal qualifications and then after university I fell into a series of office jobs that led me down a different career path. But at evenings and weekends, I could do what I really loved, and so I constantly created art and started taking every pottery course around.

Having filled my own home with my work, I started giving it away to friends and family and then people started asking me to make things for them (my first commissions!). Slowly I began to have confidence that my work was saleable. I would host Christmas Fairs at home to sell the work that I had made throughout the year, and each year more and more people would come.

So why did I do it? Why did I suddenly think that my pottery hobby was the next step for my career? How

did I overcome my imposter syndrome to believe that I could build my own business? Over a number of years, I had built up my knowledge and experience from evening classes, courses, online research and reading everything I could get my hands on about pottery. At work, I had gained teaching qualifications for my role, and I was also a qualified project manager, which meant I was used to taking risks and managing lots of different workstreams at once. In the summer of 2017, I was in between jobs and, rather than apply for another office-based role, I wanted the chance to be creative all the time, to work from home more and to be around to pick my children up from school.

In actual fact, I can’t really take the credit for the final decision. My husband was the catalyst. Having seen the work that I was producing, he matter-offactly asked, why don’t you just ‘get a kiln and set up your own business’. It took someone else to put together the jigsaw pieces of my ambitions and encourage me. So, my advice is to talk

DIARY OF A STUDIO POTTER

It took someone else to put together the jigsaw pieces of my ambitions and encourage me to people – speak to friends and family who know you the most, join online pottery groups on Facebook, share your ideas and ask for feedback; maybe there is someone who could mentor you at your pottery class? Or even drop me an email. The pottery family is very friendly, and there are so many people who are keen to encourage others and are very happy to share their wisdom.

It’s so important to vocalise your ideas, and talking them through will help you to see what can and can’t be done, and help you formulate a plan.

Now when I say plan, I don’t mean that you have to have fully formed bank-approved business plan. That would be far too overwhelming at the beginning, but you do need to have some clear aims for what you want to do, as this will help you work out what

the costs will be and help you make some rough calculations about how much you would need to earn per month to pay the bills – and hopefully have some profit. I had some simple ideas about what I wanted to achieve and how I could do it. My ideas were thus…

■ Take a three-month sabbatical from my career ■ Convert the front room of our house into a small studio/classroom (working from home would keep the overheads down, but I would need to invest in public liability insurance and insurance for running a kiln) ■ Buy a secondhand kiln, clay, glazes and pottery equipment (if my business failed, I could resell these, or keep them for my hobby) ■ Make some pottery and find some

outlets to sell it at, eg via local shops, artisan markets etc.

■ Teach a few classes a week to some willing participants ■ Build a website and set up social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram If after three months it looked like there was enough interest in my work and my classes and that we weren’t living on beans, then I would extend the trial for another three months.

And so, armed with my list, I crossed my fingers and decided to give it a go. I set up my own business as a sole trader and established Lemon Studio. Little did I know how many amazing people I would meet, that within 12 months I would have to crowdfund to replace my kiln, and within 18 months I would be converting a ramshackle farm building into amazing studios, a classroom and shop for myself and a group of local creatives and that I would be selling my work in galleries and National Trust shops across the Northwest.

But here’s the thing. If I can do it, then so can you, and I want to show you how… 

Jeni Jacques Lemon Studio Tel: 07813333235 Email: jenijacques@btinternet.com lemonstudio.co.uk

Next month I’ll be talking about creating a trademark Issue 46 ClayCraft

37

MEET THE POTTER – SIMON SHAW It’s always fascinating to read how potters become established and make a living from their work because, let’s be honest here, being a potter isn’t the easiest way to earn a crust! Achieving the goal of actually being able to pay your bills from the sale of your work suggests a level of success, but being successful is difficult to quantify. Most potters would question the idea anyway because it is ephemeral and depends on so many things, not least the changing tastes of the buying public and the depths of their pockets any of us who choose clay would argue that clay actually chose us, and our ClayCraft thrower, Simon Shaw, is just one such person. We recently had a lengthy telephone conversation about his life and work.

Yes, I did say telephone. Not Zoom or Skype or WhatsApp – a good oldfashioned ear-to-ear conversation!

Simon told me how he left school at 16 and went straight to Wirral College of Art & Design because he knew he didn’t want to take an academic route through further education or pursue a mundane, 9-5 type job. Art and sport had been the subjects he had been most

M

interested in at school and although academically okay (his words), his worst nightmare was the thought of going to an office every day.

The course Simon enrolled on was Foundation Art and Design and, as many of you will know, courses like this introduce the student to all disciplines – fine art, printing, textiles, among many others, and of course, ceramics. Simon was smitten as soon as he touched clay and knew this was what he wanted to do.

From the Wirral, his next move was to Braintree College in Essex to do a diploma course in ceramics. It was a three-year course, but he lasted only one year – it was the early 1980s, Simon was 17 and living in a caravan on a turkey farm. “It was about as much fun as it sounds,” he told me, “but in fairness, I was a poor student who was easily distracted!”

As a parent, I would argue that 17 is an age of easy distraction, and let’s face it, when can you be, if not at this age?

However, this initial year was enough for Simon to learn to throw well, and to reinforce his commitment to clay, even if he didn’t want to pursue it at college.

Wanderlust

 Raku firing in 1987 38 ClayCraft Issue 46

Having ducked out of college and it still being the early ‘80s, Simon spent several years travelling and working in potteries as a production thrower, including Birkenhead, Nantwich, the Isle of Wight and Bristol. The German term ‘Wanderjahre’ springs to mind here. Literally meaning ‘wander year’, it’s a historical term used to describe the time spent by a craftsperson,

 Tall woodfired jug. 2001 travelling to increase their skills, and this is really how Simon saw himself at this time.

By the late ‘80s, the decision was made to set up his own workshop, and

MEET THE POTTER

For many makers, one route to getting your work seen by a wider audience and finding suitable outlets is to participate in trade shows Simon settled back in the Wirral, where he made lots and lots of tinglazed tableware. His income was supplemented by some part-time teaching of students with special needs at Wirral Metropolitan College, and at the same time, he also started selling work to galleries.

For many makers, one route to getting your work seen by a wider audience and finding suitable outlets is to participate in trade shows like the British Craft Trade Fair Harrogate, and Top Drawer, Earl’s Court. These were two that Simon tried back in the day, and they really helped him establish himself as an individual maker.

Of course, it’s a rare potter that can make a living from their own work alone. Often several sources of income are required to make a whole, so to add to his arsenal, Simon began to make blank wares for other potters. This, he

told me, was great training because absolute precision was required. He could easily have an order for 100 plates, and the same number of dishes, bowls, mugs, jugs etc. So with all these strings to his bow, he was comfortably able to make ends meet.

It was always Simon’s intention to be a full-time maker, but in 1993-1994 he did his teacher training. It was a pivotal time for him, as he found there were great teaching opportunities open to him, but then he was offered the chance to go and work in a pottery in Bermuda. It was an offer he couldn’t turn down, and after going out there a couple of times to do short stints of work, he finally moved there permanently. At that time, there was a good income to be made from wealthy Americans visiting from the cruise ships! The initial contract was for a year, but he ended up staying for two and a half. Being there allowed him to

 Potters' get together with Alan

Newton, Simon Griffiths, Mark Smith and John Scott, 2010.

travel further afield to places like Baltimore and New York in America, and also Cuba.

“Travels informs,” he told me, and all these places had their influence, but he particularly liked the emphasis on things in Cuba and laughed as he declared, “It brought out the radical socialist in me.”

Return home Simon returned to the UK in 1997 and set up again in the North West. To

Bottle forms/ leather hard. 2012

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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.

GLAZE SCIENCE

were only prepared to offer sale or return, then in the mid-1990s the big ceramic events like Earth & Fire, Art in Clay and the Potfests emerged, offering makers another way to reach the buying public. For several of these years Simon did Potfest in the Pens, eventually graduating to The Park and other shows like Art in Clay.

Itchy feet

 Repetition thrown mugs, 2015  Slab vases. 2016 make a living now he realised he needed to take a more mercenary approach to production because a mug might only bring in £4 in real terms, but he could sell a vase or similar vessel for at least four times that amount with little more effort.

At this point, I asked which makers if any had influenced Simon over the years and he said that while at college he had been drawn to makers like Walter Keeler, Peter Smith and Svend Bayer, because of their throwing skills essentially, but also their individual approaches to surface. Later, as he began to develop his own style and experiment with surfaces, Emmanuel Cooper entered the mix because of his extensive glaze development, with a particular interest in his textured, cratered glazes. Simon liked the matt blacks, reds and blues and experimented with these using a process of elimination.

By his own admission, Simon is ‘not much of a decorator’. He is much more interested in the form and getting the proportions right. When he finally developed his wonderful blue glazes, they were instantly popular, and he associates this time with Tony Blair winning the election – it was a time of change and new beginnings. People were shrugging off the old and embracing the possibility of a brighter future in all walks of life, and it marked 40 ClayCraft Issue 46

a change in aesthetic taste. Suddenly bold colour became popular to match hopes for brighter times. It is often the case that our memories of a change in circumstance can be related to another momentous event, so we always know exactly when that changing point happened.

Galleries were continuing to sell Simon’s work. Some bought, others

By 2000, Simon had no teaching but was managing to keep going through wholesaling his work. However, he was beginning to get itchy feet and felt he needed a new experience, so he took up an offer to work with Mike Goddard in Bequia near St Vincent in the Caribbean. It was a mad and wonderful two months spent living on an old galleon. Following this spell, he made several short-term trips to Zakynthos and Norway, to work with ceramic artists like Hanne Mi Sauge and Monica Eide among others; essentially Hand built “Animal”. 2018

MEET THE POTTER

Hand built “Warrior”. 2018

decorators who needed a maker for their work. In addition to this, he spent several weeks every year in Iona, producing work for other makers.

Throughout the whole of this time working in other countries, Simon continued to make and sell his own work through galleries and at ceramics events, then in 2005 he saw an exhibition of Jean-Nicolas Gerrard’s work in a Pots from France exhibition and was bowled over by the natural

Wall disc 2019

looseness of the work. It impressed him enough to start thinking about the way he made his own work, and a slow change began.

2014 saw yet another move when Simon and his wife SallyAnne moved to Calder Stones Park in south Liverpool, where they set up a studio and gallery – Sal working alongside Simon making bespoke leather handbags.

Almost every day, someone would come in to see him to ask about classes, and it sparked the idea that it might be lucrative to start running them. There is still great demand for classes because so many courses in colleges have closed, and Simon said he can have up to 100 people on the waiting list at any one time. Amazingly, at least four of the students who started at the beginning are still with him, which has to be testament to Simon’s teaching and the fact that he likes to keep the numbers small – a maximum of five in

Lidded jar. 2018 Round lidded jar. 2019 one session, so that he can give them his full attention. The classes have a strong social element for many of the students, in addition to the learning, and great friendships have been forged over the years.

The classes have been a blessing in disguise through the economic downtimes of recent years.

The students are loyal and come back continuously, but running the classes has had the added benefit of introducing a whole new audience to ceramic events and the wider ceramic world. Many of the students have become collectors, travelling to different events around the country to seek new makers. I often think the knock-on effect of some things can be really substantial and beneficial in ways we could not have anticipated, and this has certainly been the case for Simon.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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GLAZE SCIENCE

I use a variety of clays. I tend to change or modify the clay more than I change glazes

Big Build at Potclays with Wayne Clark and Margaret Curtis. 2019

Big Build at Potclays. 2019 At this point in our conversation, I have to tell you that there was a great kerfuffle on Simon’s end of the phone when his dog sneakily pinched his sandwich – it was a good few minutes before calm was restored. It still makes me chuckle to think about it because Simon was so indignant!

Freer working style So, we talked on about his work and how it has changed, and he told me the most significant difference is that he has moved more to hand-building 42 ClayCraft Issue 46

sculptural forms after acquiring a large extruder two or three years ago. The freer style of working can clearly be seen in these pieces, and Simon said the change of environment had also introduced new possibilities. The Big Build at Potclays with Geoff Cox in 2019 also had an influencing effect.

With equipment at his disposal that he hadn’t worked with before, his thinking was definitely moving in a different direction. He says he is really most interested in working with a limited palette but pushing form to see what is possible.

In recent years, Simon has been doing some extra teaching at Glyndwr university where, along with Wendy Lawrence and Wayne Clarke, they have established another annual event, ‘Ceramic Wales’. He stresses that he is only a small cog in the organisation; Wendy and Wayne do the lion’s share of the work, but it’s something he is immensely proud of.

I asked if he still values shows – there now being so many of them – and he said he does, although they are not greatly lucrative. They are good in that they keep you in the loop because makers are quickly forgotten if they don’t maintain a public face, but the events themselves are more about meeting up with friends and catching up on the gossip – finding out what others have been doing, etc.

We agreed how sad the European situation is and how we will miss our friends from across the seas. Brexit will cause many far-reaching changes, not just financially but educationally and socially. Still, I am optimistically choosing to believe that the situation will sort itself out to everyone’s advantage again eventually. We have to have hope that good sense will win out in the end!

Having chatted on for so long about Simon’s career, I thought it about time I asked some practical questions – you know, the sort makers are usually asked – about inspiration and working practice. He told me that music and literature inspired him to create more than visual things, and the following answer answers came directly from Simon himself: Firstly, asking about clay: I use a variety of clays. I tend to change or modify the clay more than I change glazes.

My main throwing clays are Staffordshire Stoneware from Potclays if I want a smooth finish. If I’m after more texture, I use Valentine’s Crank or Spencroft Raku. For hand-building, I use the Spencroft Raku, or I mix something up from the above… usually pretty randomly. I like the surprises in the mix.

Squat lidded jar. 2019

MEET THE POTTER

contrast with the matt glazes. I have been developing these glazes over the past 20 years. They are continually being tweaked.

Do you have a loss rate?

The loss rate is maybe 10%. Sometimes there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with the piece; I’m just not happy with it...

Faceted lidded jar with stopper.

2020

About glaze: I mix my own glazes.

I use a tin glaze on the insides of work. My main glazes are heavy on barium carbonate and copper carbonate.

I also use a thin copper oxide/ black iron oxide mix for brushwork. Chunks of broken wine bottle give a glossy

Throwing for ClayCraft magazine.

2020

How do you retail your work now?

Some work is sold from my workshop, and I still do a couple of retail shows each year; Potfest in the Park, Ceramic Wales, etc.

Selling through galleries is still important. I’ve probably sold through a couple of hundred over the years.

A good relationship with a gallery goes a long way. I’ve sold with the following for many, many years.

■ Red Barn Gallery, Melkinthorpe, Cumbria.

■ The Ropewalk, Barton upon Humber, Lincs.

■ Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool.

■ Mostyn Art Gallery, Llandudno.

■ The Art Cafe, Whitby, Yorkshire.

“Relaxing”. 2020

Circled: Wall plate. 2020

I use a tin glaze on the insides of work. My main glazes are heavy on barium carbonate and copper carbonate We have all been adversely affected by Covid, but how exactly has it affected you?

The coronavirus pandemic has obviously had dreadful consequences for many people in many different ways. I have been lucky in that I’ve been able to access my workshop and keep producing work. The downside has been sales from galleries inevitably drying up, cancellation of ceramics fairs and losing teaching income. I think the government response to the millions who have had zero financial help (myself included), is a sad indictment of their innate indifference to the welfare of large numbers of the population.

And so our conversation came to an end having nattered on for quite some time.

Although I do see Simon several times a year, when he comes to my studio to do the throwing projects for ClayCraft, we also meet up at various events, but it’s rare to talk about life and work in such a way. I was struck by how interesting Simon’s life has been, with all his travels, and it occurred to me that the blue of his work really reflects the sea and sky of the places he has lived and worked. Indeed, when I had my gallery in Llangollen, people would come in and be amazed by the depth of colour and sense of a place that the pieces held. I miss looking at them.  Jacqui Atkin Issue 46 ClayCraft

43

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SKILL SCHOOL

PROJECT

THREE

46 ClayCraft Issue 46

PIG MONEY BOX

Encouraging children to save isn’t always easy, but storing their coins in a★★★★★ DIFFICULTY RATING piggy bank like this one is sure to make them more enthusiastic. The brighter the surface decoration, the greater the appeal, especially if the design can be tailored to the child’s specific interests YOU WILL NEED: ■ Red earthenware clay – or clay of choice ■ Selection of modelling tools and ribs for smoothing ■ Wooden spatula ■ Foam for support ■ A selection of low fire glazes in five colours plus white and black ■ Sponge shapes ■ Brushes for glaze application, including a fine liner ■ Latex resist ■ Rubber or cork stopper for the underside (available from many ceramic suppliers)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: The shape of this piggy bank is roughly based on this stylised tin version, but you could make yours a different shape following the basic principles of the build if you prefer. Look for a good and detailed image and work from that.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

47

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

THREE 4

1 Weigh out 225g (½ lb) of clay and form it into a ball.

Rest the ball in one hand then press the thumb of your other hand down through the centre until you feel some pressure in your palm.

Score the rims of the bowls with a serrated kidney then apply slip to both.

Fit the sections together, applying firm pressure to ensure the join seals well. Hold them together like this for a minute or two.

2 Beginning at the base, pinch the ball out gradually, turning it in your hand rhythmically to ensure an even thickness to the wall. Continue until you have a roundbottomed bowl.

5

3 Pinch a second bowl from another 225g of clay, working in the same way until it has the same diameter at the rim as the first half.

Test the size against the first half regularly as you pinch the second section.

48 ClayCraft Issue 46

Reinforce the join with a coil of soft clay and blend it in well with your thumb.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

6

Work over the reinforcement with a rib to remove excess clay and smooth the surface.

You can support the form on a foam bed to do this if it helps.

8

Paddle one end of the form to narrow and shape it to a point. Turn it regularly as you do this, to ensure a balanced shape. The resulting shape should look like a pinecone. Fill in the hole when you have the shape you want.

9

7

Form 115g (4oz) clay into a rough cone shape and open up the centre by pushing your finger or thumb down to the narrow end as you did for the main body. Pinch out the clay, maintaining the conical shape and at the same time trying to introduce some features like the snout.

Make a hole in the form with a pin. This will allow the release of air as you manipulate the shape.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

49

PROJECT

THREE

10 Sit the head in a position you like on the pointed end of the body then, when you’re happy with the placing, mark the position on the body with a pin.

11 Remove the head, then cut out a circle 1cm in from the marked position on the body.

13 Blend the clay from the head onto the body with a finger, making sure the two surfaces are properly sealed together.

Work over the area with a rib to neaten up and smooth the surface.

14 Support the pig body on strips of foam at just the right height for the legs to sit on the surface without bearing any weight.

Roll four, short, conical coils of equal length. Test them against the pig’s body for size and adjust where necessary, then pinch the fat end of each to flatten them a little.

12 Score the area on the body between the opening and marked line with a serrated kidney. Repeat on the inner edge of the head.

Apply some slip to both surfaces, then fix the head in place.

50 ClayCraft Issue 46

15 Position the legs on the body and mark the place with a pin.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

16

Score and slip the marked positions on the body and the corresponding area on the legs then fix them in place, blending each one carefully until seamless.

18

Keeping the pig supported on the foam so that it is still not weight-bearing, roll two small balls of clay and pinch them between finger and thumb to flatten them.

Fix the flattened discs in place on the head to form the eyes, after scoring and slipping the relevant areas.

19

Impress the centre of each eye with the end of a dowel or similar.

17

Smooth over the join on each leg with a rib for a neat finish.

20

Now form two tiny balls of clay that will fit inside the impression in each eye, created by the dowel.

Fix the balls into the eyes with a dab of slip, then impress the centre again with a pointed tool.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

51

.

PROJECT

THREE 24

21 Pinch two equally small amounts of clay into pointed ears. Position the ears on the head and mark with a pin.

Attach the ears after scoring and slipping the relevant areas, then reinforce with tiny coils of clay. Blend the coils in seamlessly.

Determine the size of the hole required on the underside from your chosen stopper.

Remember to allow a little extra for clay shrinkage.

Score the outline of the opening using a pin.

25

22 Form a tiny coil into a squiggly tail then fix it onto the back of the pig in the usual way.

Blend the tail onto the body with a wooden tool.

23 Impress two good holes in the nose, as shown.

52 ClayCraft Issue 46

Carefully cut the circle opening out using a sharp knife, then neaten around the cut using a wooden tool.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

26

Score the outline of the money slot with a pin, then cut it out carefully with the sharp knife.

Neaten around the slot with a wooden tool if required.

27

Allow the pig to dry out completely, supported on the foam the whole time.

Bisque fire when dry.

DECORATING THE SURFACE BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Recommended for this project are Mayco Foundations Opaque for the base colour and Stroke & Coat colours for the decoration. Both types of glaze will fire well from cone 06 to cone 6 (998 - 1222°C;1828 - 2232°F), and many of the S&T colours will fire higher, from cone 06 to cone10 (998 -1285°C;1828 -2345°F) making these glazes suitable for both low and high firing.

1

Blank out each of the pig’ eyes with latex resist.

Note: Copydex works really well and can be watered down a little to make it easier to brush on. Dip your brush in washing up liquid before the latex to help protect it. USE CHEAP brushes from discount stores for applying latex – brushes generally don’t fare well so don’t be tempted to use your best ones.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

53

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PROJECT

THREE 4

2 When the latex has dried, paint the entire surface of the pig with your chosen colour of Foundations glaze.

Apply a second coat if the glaze seems patchy.

Allow the glaze to dry to the touch.

Apply a sparse, dry application of a darker colour over the first shapes, using just the tip of the sponge.

5

Now decant a small amount of a third colour into your palette, load the sponge then dab it in another section of the palette to ensure it is evenly covered, for a solid stamped shape.

3

6

Load your sponge shape with your first choice of S&C colour and stamp the shape randomly over the entire surface of the pig.

Working over the top of the colours already laid down, stamp out a flower shape, again covering the entire surface of the pig, including the head and underside.

54 ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

7

Using a fine liner brush and dark (or black) shade of S&C, outline the shape of each flower carefully.

Continue until all the flowers have been outlined.

9 Fill in the spaces between the flowers with dots of a dark shade of glaze.

8

Apply dots of a bright colour at the centre of each flower.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

55

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

THREE 12

10 Remove the latex from the eyes using a pin, taking care not to mark the surrounding glaze.

Finish with a final dot of yet another colour at the centre of each flower.

13

Mr Pig is now finished, allow the glaze to dry out completely, then fire to your clay’s optimal temperature.

11

Paint the eyes in black.

56 ClayCraft Issue 46

Glazes used were: Mayco Foundations White for the base.

Stroke & Coat: Sour Apple, Pink, Sunkissed, Ruby Slippers and Black.

Fired to cone 05 (1046°C,1915°F) in an electric kiln.

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(Photo: Layton Thompson)

Doug’s Doug Fitch

DIARY

T

he constant wind and relentless November rain have swept away all but the last colours of autumn. The deciduous trees stand bare and dormant against the grey skies, with the exception of the rusty beech leaves that rattle in the breeze, and a few yellow, resilient blackthorn leaves that hold on stubbornly, as though in futile denial that winter is almost upon us.

The forest nearby is, as the forest always is, evergreen and dominant on the landscape and the wind turbines on the distant horizon generate power and money for those with power and money.

I’ve just returned after taking the children for a necessary breath of fresh air in the fields behind our house, wearing their new wet-weather suits.

They looked so toasty; I got soaked!

Everywhere is muddy, but despite all the adverse weather conditions, it is still a very beautiful place to live, and life is relatively easy during this time

The new workshop ‘roundabout’, Hannah and Fred on the fantastic Tom Knowles-Jackson turntable.

58 ClayCraft Issue 46

Hannah with a board of her owl mugs, on their way to the bisc kiln. of social distancing.

Spring bulbs are planted in the workshop garden, and winter cabbage in the vegetable plot. Anything that is growing is doing so very slowly. The exception being me. The daily workload has not allowed time out to go running, and this is evident in my ever-expanding body; we need to get back to it and soon. Maybe it’s just my winter reserves that I’m accumulating; I’ll tell myself (and Hannah) that.

The workshop continues to be something of a building site, but there have been big developments in recent weeks since our builder returned, and we can see not only a light at the end of the tunnel but also some rather lovely ones hanging from the ceiling.

At last, we have proper electrics, with real live plug sockets, rather than a string of haphazard extension leads, which were probably not wholly safe.

There are two big pendant lights with half dome shades that cast a gentle, ambient glow, and extra lighting provided by a number of wall-mounted Anglepoise-type lamps, positioned over

each specific-work area or wheel.

The electrician had to surface-mount all the wiring, which he pinned to the wall with cable clips. It would be fine like that, but it’s a bit ugly, so I’ve been fixing studwork and then cladding over the top with tongue and groove timber. There will soon be very little left to show of what used to be a portable site hut. There’s a lovely calm ambience in here this evening as I sit writing this.

We bought a second-hand window, which has replaced a far smaller one, so that now we have daylight flooding in, and a much-improved view of the garden. Beneath it, the builder removed the original stainless-steel sink and fitted a vintage butler’s sink in its place, set in a sturdy bench constructed from scaffolding planks. This will be much more useful when dealing with the big buckets etc, that we use in the workshop, and altogether a more pleasant thing. We bought a clay trap to prevent the drains from getting blocked and a water heater so that we now have hot running water. Such

KILNS

Walking with the children in the field behind our house. That’s the workshop roof on the far right.

The new kiln site. luxury we have never known before.

The wood burner is blazing away in the corner at last and we’re loving it in here, although I lost a batch of pots due to drying too fast. It’s going to take a little while to get used to the new atmospherics.

Plans to build the wood-fired kiln that we’d hoped to get underway earlier in the year are about to be brought back to life. You may remember we had a big lean-to roof constructed on the back of the workshop to house it. It’s been a really useful space for storing all sorts of building clobber, but trying to get insurance on a kiln in a wooden shed, next to a wooden house, next to a forest has proven impossible. I’m sure we could have made it safe with the addition of fireproof sheeting etc., but we’ve decided to change our plans.

Instead, we’ve commissioned a master blacksmith friend of ours, Adam Booth, to build us a galvanised steel structure at the end of our garden on a piece of land that we don’t use. He’s made a start on it, so it should be with us soon.

In the meantime, we’ve organised a man with a digger and many tonnes of gravel to prepare the plot, which will be happening in the next week or two.

The temptation is to carry on sorting out the workshop until everything is panelled and painted, but we really need to get started with making again.

I’ve got to admit though, I’d rather just

get it finished.

However, the Online Exhibition was such a tremendous success that we have a huge order list, quite a lot of which is required by Christmas.

Hannah has been making mug orders in the past few days. She is such a talented production thrower and can make and decorate rows of virtually identical pots. I’m in awe of her skills.

She’s just finished a board of owl mugs.

Last week we had to take a flying visit to Edinburgh to the studio of our photographer Shannon Tofts, to get a new batch of pots photographed. These were to post on our website, ready for an online event called The Digital Craft Festival. Edinburgh is in a higher tier of Covid control, so we had to drop

the pots off and head to the beach to stay away from people, and there we picnicked in the howling wind and torrential rain, while Shannon took the shots. It was not the greatest fun!

They were mostly small pieces, as that’s all we had time to make by the deadline, mugs, small plates, bud vases etc.

The Digital Craft Festival is the brainchild of Sarah James. Sarah is the founder of The Contemporary Craft Festival, a high-quality show that usually takes place in Bath, Bovey Tracey and Cheltenham. Of course, none of those shows could happen this year. We were supposed to have been demonstrating at the Bovey Tracey one in Devon. Sarah devised this digital version to keep the spirit of the Festival alive and so it comprised of demos, talks, interviews, films, workshops and much more, delivered on Zoom, Instagram and YouTube.

Participants sold work from their web sites, and it was remarkable how many

A big new bench that I’ve just built to house the slip and glaze buckets.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

59

.

Doug’s

DIARY

Our new woodburner. The walls above have yet to be clad. We’re going to make tiles for the hearth. members of the public engaged. We did a demo on Zoom, showing our contrasting approach to slip decoration and around forty-five people logged on to watch.

Sarah is an inspirational woman, full of energy and with extraordinary vision, to make an event like this so successful.

It has been such a relief to be able to keep going during these difficult times, and only made possible by adapting, to make use of the virtual world. We feel very fortunate and greatly appreciative that our customer base has supported us and supported us well. We have had our most successful year ever in terms of sales, without having to leave the workshop.

As I sit here writing this, Hannah is packing pots that sold over the weekend, for dispatch to places as far-flung as Halstead and Ohio.

The Michael Cardew oil lamp, with Garth Clark’s book, appropriately leaning against his old kick wheel in our workshop.

The income that we have generated this year has enabled us to do so much to turn this place into a properly functioning workshop.

Hannah’s treat to herself has been a fantastic floor-standing turntable, produced by former Throwdown contestant ‘Major Tom’ KnowlesJackson. It’s a really great piece of equipment, beautifully engineered. Not only does it provide her with a huge, smooth-turning wheel head for use when decorating her big chargers, but it’s robust enough that she and the children can use it as an impromptu roundabout, and often do!

When we sell a lot of pots, we like to invest in a significant piece of pottery or two for our collection. What great timing then, straight after our Online Exhibition, to be offered a Michael Cardew oil lamp, made at Winchcombe Pottery in the 1930s. It’s not just any old MC oil lamp, but one that is featured in Garth Clark’s seminal book

Stay Safe mugs available from our website from 15th December.

(Photo: Shannon Tofts)

60 ClayCraft Issue 46

Fieldfares in the orchard money box. Sold during the Digital Craft Festival. (Photo: Shannon Tofts) about Cardew, published in 1976. It’s a book that I’ve pored over since I first started making pots in my late teens, and I would never have imagined that I would own a piece from it. How exciting to be its custodian for a while, and to see it in colour (albeit it is somewhat brown). Its surface is pitted from bubbles caused by too much reduction in the vast bottle kiln at Winchcombe when Cardew was learning how to fire it, very much through trial, and predominantly error.

I can relate to his early struggles so well. Technically it’s a poor pot, but in a historical context, it’s a gem, and we’re thrilled to own it.

I’ll end this diary by presenting, at last, our Stay Safe Covid-19 mugs, that we have made to raise funds for the homeless of Bedford. This is specifically through a charity called SMART, an early conception of which my late father was responsible for founding.

The mugs are made by me and decorated by Hannah. There will be twenty of them available for a minimum donation of £30 including p&p. All proceeds will be going to the charity, so we’ll cover the cost of the postage.

They can be pre-ordered via our website from 15th December. I hope that we can help to keep some folk who are less fortunate than ourselves fed and warm over the festive period.

Well, I’ve run out of space, so here’s wishing you all a safe, and very Merry Christmas! 

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SKILL SCHOOL

PROJECT

FOUR

DECORATIVE RELIEF TILE

The subject of this tile is an image of Buddha, but yours can be of anything you choose. Tiles like these make lovely gifts when mounted on wood or framed, and can easily be individualised by glazing them in different colours

To make the tile:

■ Clay of choice earthenw are or stoneware OR ■ casting slip of choice

To make the mould

■ Clay for making the model

■ Card template of chosen size for tile

■ Modelling and loop tools

■ Tracing paper and paper for design plus pencil

■ Potters plaster and equipment: bowls, weighing scales, water measuring jug

■ Plastic sheet, rolling pin, roller guides (5-10mm thick)

62 ClayCraft Issue 46

■ Surform

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

1

4

Determine what size you want your tile to be and

make a card template to use later.

The example shown is 15cm square.

Cut out a paper template in the same size and draw out your design. Choose a strong but simple image of your chosen subject, with clear outlines.

When you’re happy with the design, transfer it to the tracing paper.

Gently round off the edges of the tile by rolling a batten over them.

2

Working on the sheet of plastic, roll out a slab of clay,

large enough to fit the tile template and making sure you have the roller guides in place either side to ensure the slab is evenly thick.

Cut out the tile using your template. Dispose of the excess clay but leave the tile on the plastic sheet.

3

5 Place the traced design over the tile then draw over the image with a pencil to transfer the outline to the clay.

Peel the tracing off when finished.

Lifting the tile on the plastic, transfer it to a nonabsorbent board. Peel the plastic off when it’s in position.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

63

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

FOUR

9

6 Clearly define the outline of the image by working over the impressed lines with a pin.

Use wooden modelling tools where a loop tool isn’t suitable, to define delicate details in the image.

BE AWARE that this is time-consuming work that requires attention to small details. It’s imperative that you don’t create undercuts as you carve out the image because the plaster will get trapped under them and you won’t be able to get the tile out of the mould. All the carving should have outwardly sloping edges for the best outcome.

Continue to work over the image, carving out the features to create different levels of relief. This will give the tile a 3D effect.

10

7 Now begin to carve out the detail of the image, using a loop tool to create levels and depth.

Add simple stamped feature details where appropriate for your design.

8 As each individual level is created, work over the surface with a rib to smooth it off.

64 ClayCraft Issue 46

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

11

14

Prepare the plaster:

When you have finished carving out the detail of the tile, place the template over the surface to check the shape hasn’t distorted while you were working on it.

If necessary, cut the shape back to square.

Weigh out the required amount of plaster using the ratio of 1 ½ lb of plaster to 1 pint of water.

Measure the water into a bowl and have another newspaper-lined bowl close by.

Gradually sprinkle all the plaster into the water and allow it to be absorbed for a minute.

12 15

Build a shallow cottle around the tile. You can use a

wooden frame, like the one shown, or build one from clay. It should be 2-3cm higher than the top of the model.

13

Seal around the cottle with coils of soft clay to ensure the plaster can’t leak out when poured.

Mix the plaster continuously with your hand (WEARING A RUBBER GLOVE if allergic).

As bubbles surface in the mix, scoop them off with your hand and dispose of them in the lined bowl.

16

When the plaster begins to thicken, pour it over the model to fill the cottle. Ideally, you should aim for at least a 2cm thickness of plaster over the model – preferably a little more.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

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SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

FOUR

19

17 Allow the plaster to go off (set). As this happens, a chemical reaction in the mix will cause the mould to heat up. It’s ready when it has cooled down again.

When this happens, remove the clay from around the edge, then the cottle itself.

Turn the mould upright and remove the surrounding coil strips, plus the model.

20

18 Surform around the mould to remove the sharp

edges. Dispose of the plaster shavings in the newspaperlined bowl.

66 ClayCraft Issue 46

Wipe out the interior of the mould with a damp cloth to remove any traces of clay.

Allow the mould to thoroughly dry out, somewhere warm. This could take a day or two!

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

MAKING THE TILE You have the choice to either press mould or cast the tile.

22

Method 1: press moulding

21

Place the card template over the slab and cut the shape out. Discard the surrounding slab but leave the tile in place on the plastic.

Prepare a block of clay, large enough to fill the mould. 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 making deep grooves in the surface.

Roll out the clay between your 10mm roller guides to create a thick slab – it needs to be thicker than the depth of the mould to allow you to really press it into the surface detail.

You will find that periodically turning the slab will make rolling much easier and give you more control to achieve the approximate shape that you need.

Once rolled out, smooth over the surface of the slab with a rib to compact the clay.

23

Lift the tile on the sheet and position it in the mould, pressing down firmly to ensure the clay is in place and that it’s fully filling the relief detail.

24

Peel the plastic sheet off the tile then continue to press the clay into the mould with your fingers.

.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

67

SKILL SCHOOL PROJECT

FOUR

28

25 Smooth over the back of the tile using a batten held

flat on the plaster surface. Only remove small amounts of excess clay at a time; this will avoid dragging the tile out of the mould.

Pour the mixture into the mould until the level is just above the rim. This will occur naturally because the clay at the edges firms quickly as the plaster sucks the water out of it, thus containing the liquid slip in a frame.

29

26 To release the tile from the mould, lift it at the corners

first with a wad of soft clay, then turn it out onto a board.

Method 2: slip casting

27 Mix your chosen casting slip well until it’s the

consistency of single cream, then decant it through a kitchen-type sieve into a jug, to trap any possible lumps in the mix.

68 ClayCraft Issue 46

Allow the tile to firm up completely in the mould. You will know when it is safe to remove it because the clay will shrink away from the edges.

Turn it out onto a board.

For both making methods, allow the tiles to dry out thoroughly before bisque firing.

DIFFICULTY RATING ★★★★★

GLAZING The tile will look lovely if simply covered in a pale, coloured, transparent, celadon-type glaze that will pool in the detail to define it clearly. However, you can exaggerate the features with underglaze first if you choose.

3

1

Pour, dip or brush the surface of the tile in your chosen glaze. Allow the tile to dry out thoroughly then fire to the clay and glaze’s optimal temperature.

Using underglaze: Paint around the outline features of your design in a strong, liquid underglaze colour.

2

4

Test the tile in your chosen frame before securing it in place.

The tile example shown was press-moulded from white earthenware clay.

Amaco Electric blue velvet underglaze was used to define the detail and a transparent turquoise glaze applied over the top.

Fired to cone 05 (1046°C, 1915°F) in an electric kiln.

Wipe away excess underglaze with a damp cloth until it remains only in the feature detail.

Allow the tile to dry out.

Issue 46 ClayCraft

69

CHANGING TIMES Paul Bailey talks to maker Wendy Kershaw about changes ith the traditional workflow of ceramic makers severely damaged by the pandemic, many have looked to other income streams and the continued development of their work.

One of these is Wendy Kershaw from Scotland. Every two years she has been invited to run a course on how to illustrate on ceramics at the International Ceramics Studio (ICS), Kecskemét, Hungary. That all came to an end this year with the lockdown.

Forced to pivot, the ICS was reborn as an international online course, with the advantage that Wendy would be able to run her course from home.

Wendy explained: “The ICS course organiser, Steve Mattison, came up with the idea of running it online with me and the European students. We were all unsure whether a ceramics course would work online but were willing to give it a try. We were all happily surprised at just how well it did work, with our studios joined up electronically.”

W

 Wendy teaching from her studio.

70 ClayCraft Issue 46

 Wendy with a student in Europe.

If they had any questions, she was there all the time, while working away herself The response from the students has been that in some ways the online course was better, as they had a very close-up view of Wendy’s hands and her work – as if they were watching from over her shoulder. Using this new format for the first time, Wendy was expecting more problems. The students were trying the techniques, but she couldn’t stroll around and see what they were doing, and they couldn’t see each other’s work in progress, but it was surprising how well it did work. If they had any questions, she was there all the time, while working away herself. They interacted well as a group, with everyone seeing what each other had made, hearing all the questions, and

WENDY KERSHAW

This year’s Potfest Scotland.

Potfest Scotland, 2020.

Coffee pot plaque.

The Joy and Champagne Angel.

setting, with a range of tea and coffee pots. I also started making my the sharing trademark figures experiences, flying through the advice and air while holding information. things like gin Wendy creates bottles. This series Teapot narrative illustrations started a demand for plaque. on porcelain, usually in bespoke pieces for the form of panels, but also weddings and other porcelain books and folding screens. celebrations.”

She builds up intricate, rich layers of Although many of the shows Wendy imagery by etching into porcelain with would usually attend were cancelled, needles, then working in stains, she did manage to exhibit at Potfest transfers and on-glaze. Her skilful Scotland, where the new work was techniques and multiple firings showcased. “It was very well attended, produce unique, detailed images. and very well organised. Everyone The themes that she illustrates wore masks, every stand had hand range from the poetry of Keats and sanitiser, track and trace codes were Tennyson, celebrations of the small used, and the signage was clear. joys of life, and her own stories.

“Sales were good! I had one of my She commented: “This year my work best shows ever. There was a great has developed into a more domestic atmosphere, and the sun didn’t stop shining. The grounds of Scone Palace, where the show is held, is a beautiful setting.”

What next? Well, the online teaching is due to be rolled out across America and Canada next, and a portion of Wendy’s studio is now devoted to high-tech equipment and continued development in how best to deliver the courses to a wildly divergent group of students.  See more…

International Ceramics Studio: icshu.org wendykershaw.rhizomatics.org.uk Issue 46 ClayCraft

71

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Confessions of a novice A SLIP-CAST BAUBLE t the end of my last blog, I had finished making my first slip-casting mould and managed a successful test on the kitchen table. “Be careful,” editor Rachel advised, “it’s addictive,” and I could see what she meant. I pictured making a mould of the huge pot I thrown in two parts in the summer, casting endless repeats in the blink of an eye, but that was running before I could walk. First, I’d need to make a batch of baubles using the mould I already had. I set aside a day in which I would cast as many as I could, tidying up my workspace in the pauses while I waited for the slip to harden.

Let’s go back though, to a spot of luck I’d had a few weeks earlier. I’d bought a stash of pottery tools on eBay, which included a reasonable-looking banding wheel. Although I already had two small second-hand ones, neither spun very smoothly, and I was always

A

PART TWO

My first homemade mould had come together beautifully, so perhaps it was inevitable that the decoration would be a bit of a disaster

Painting coloured slip into the mould as a proof of concept.

Once I knew it worked, I had a go at Christmas trees.

finding they were both already in use and wishing I had another.

On arrival, I realised the banding wheel was bigger and of a much higher quality than anything else I had and would probably have cost £100 new. I’d

paid less than £30 for everything, including delivery!

What I didn’t realise, when it arrived, was that there was also a mould strap included. As I read through how to use my newly created mould, however, I Issue 46 ClayCraft

73

.

BLOG

Here I’m wiping back the porcelain

Paper clay stands. They seemed

realised that the ‘universal mould strap’ in the instructions was exactly the same as the one that had arrived in my stash.

Literally the same colour and with the same buckle, everything. It was one of those moments that sort of makes up for half the chaos that’s gone on this year; I needed a strap and a strap had materialised. Having seen a number of very messy mould leakage issues online, I counted myself lucky that with a proper ‘universal mould strap’ (I even say it with inverted

commas, it turns out) I would not be pouring litres of expensive porcelain slip all over my floor.

I did have to watch a few videos, however, to figure out how the thing works! Assembled correctly, it clonks closed, pulling the strap tighter than tight. Assembled incorrectly, on the other hand, it won’t stay tight no matter what you do. I watched the videos and watched them again, then realised the important thing was not to ever let the end come out of the buckle once it was in, thereby never again having to remember which way to thread it.

Anyway, once I’d got the strap sorted, I was on my way. I made about eight baubles over the course of the day, with all but one coming out perfect. The one that didn’t was because I’d opened the mould too soon and it was still half stuck. I gradually decreased how long I left the slip in the mould before pouring it out, discovering how thick each time-period would leave the finished bauble. Word to the wise, though: if you do this, write it down. I’ve already forgotten how long I left it in for!

The one thing I could see might be a problem was the opening. I’d cobbled together a ‘spare’, the extra piece added to the original bauble before casting it, to form the pouring hole in the plaster.

I hadn’t paid much attention to the shape it would make in the top of each bauble, and it turned out that it left a messy hole that was a bit too big. I had

over wax resist.

like a good idea at the time.

Each of these baubles is on one of the paper clay stands…

These two fell over and fused

together. Inset: The first attempt at gold lustre worked fairly well (so long as you don’t look at the other side).

74 ClayCraft Issue 46

… and here is how the stands looked after firing.

just to hope that I could find some bauble attachments that would fit. This later turned out to be more difficult than expected, so in future, I’d be far more careful about this aspect of mould-making.

After the first few baubles, I found myself wondering whether I could use a technique I tried from a project in issue 22. This involves painting coloured slips (Parian, in this case) onto a plaster batt, then pouring the casting slip on top. When it sets, the resulting slab can be lifted off the batt, and the colourful slips lift off with it. It’s a slab that’s decorated before it’s even made! It seemed to me that I could do the same with my baubles. I rounded up my leftover coloured Parian and hastily painted the word XMAS and some holly onto the mould before assembling it and pouring in the porcelain casting slip. Two minutes later and a perfectly pre-decorated bauble emerged like magic! I tried a few more with Christmas trees, first painting yellow

BLOG

and purple fairy lights, then covering them with the green of the tree, knowing that once removed from the mould the lights would be the outermost layer.

Another idea was to paint shapes or words onto the baubles in wax resist, before wiping over them to remove some of the porcelain. Once bisque fired, this leaves the shapes slightly raised, and I planned to add gold lustre to highlight them further. I went a bit mad with messages like ‘Goodbye 2020 and good riddance’, learning that this worked better once the baubles were bone dry because if they started off leather hard, it was easy to overly waterlog them and eventually they’d collapse.

The next problem I needed to overcome was keeping them upright while glaze firing. I fired a few glazed ones in my test kiln balanced upsidedown on their opening, but unfortunately, one of them rolled over and stuck itself to the cookie I’d fired it on. It was that beautiful multi-coloured one I shared a photo of in the last issue.

The same thing happened when I tried a batch with clear glazes. I realised that the opening wasn’t really level enough and was potentially not strong enough to support the baubles at their top

 This one fell over and fused to both a red bauble and a cookie. firing temperature. A social media suggestion was to make a porcelain cone to insert as a stand, but it turned out the opening was too small, so instead I made paper clay stands. Unfortunately, those bent, meaning all four baubles in that test-firing fell onto each other and fused together. I now realise the right thing to use is ‘firing rod’, and I’ll be experimenting with that as soon as I put in my next pottery order.

In the meantime, in my first flush of bauble optimism, I agreed with a neighbour to swap a ‘good riddance’ bauble for some homemade face masks.

The masks arrived ages ago, and I’ve yet to produce a good, finished bauble.

This morning I had two bisque-fired baubles remaining, which I planned to try with slightly shortened paper clay

stands, since it may have been their length that allowed them to bend so much. When I came to load the kiln though, there was only one straight enough to reuse. And I dropped that on the floor, breaking it off its base. As I type, those are cooling in the kiln, so – for better or worse – I’ll include a photo.

Now though, no longer under the misapprehension that slip-casting is just a case of churning out hundreds of pieces in record time, and having realised how large the mould would need to be for my enormous two-part pot – it would probably take up half of my pottery shed – I have come to my senses and held myself back. For now...  Follow me on social media via @pottlemuddery

In the meantime, in my first flush of bauble optimism, I agreed with a neighbour to swap a ‘good riddance’ bauble for some homemade face masks

Issue 46 ClayCraft

75

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YORKS ART HOUSE, SHEFFIELD Courses: Wheel, handbuilding, porcelain, raku, figurative, workshops, summer intensive week (chimeneas) Dates: Mon-Sat 10am-9pm Location: Sheffield City centre arthousesheffield.co.uk KATIE BRAIDA Courses: weekly class and day workshops Dates: Every Thursday evening and various others Location: Scarborough katiebraida.com CLAYHOUSE STUDIO Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, handbuilt pottery and specialist workshops.

Dates: See website for details Location: Sheffield S10 5DB theclayhousesheffield.co.uk BOO EVERETT Courses: Day and evening courses in all aspects of hand building with clay. Further courses available in order to decorate the fired bisque. Individual one to one or group sessions. All tailor made to your requirements Dates: The dates are flexible. My studio is always open, so I can fit in with you Location: Castle Howard Estate, North Yorkshire, about 12 miles from York.

E: booeverett@onetel.com boo-artist.com FANCY FROG POTTERY Courses: Various options including: 5 weeks beginner wheel throwing; taster sessions; private groups and individual tuition Location: Scarborough, N Yorks Dates: Various options see website fancyfrogpottery.co.uk FIRED ART DESIGNS Courses: 1:1 wheel work, brushwork, surface decoration. Handbuilding, slab work, coil work. Classes

Dates: Various Location: Pontefract, Yorkshire firedartdesigns.co.uk FIREFLY POTTERY – LEEDS Courses: Pottery courses for beginners & developers. Wheel & hand building workshops for all levels. One-to-one & group pottery wheel lessons Dates: Various Location: Leeds fireflypottery.co.uk JILL FORD Course: Workshop and Day Courses Dates: Thursday evenings & day courses throughout the year Location: York, Tel: 01717 289008 JOY GIBBS PRICE CERAMICS Courses: Weekly pottery workshops, raku and private tuition available Dates: Various Location: Everton, S Yorks thepottery.co.uk GREENWOOD CRAFTS Courses: Handbuilding; throwing from beginners onwards Dates: All year Location: N Yorks tryacourse.co.uk HULL COLLEGE Courses: Specialist Ceramics and Glass Courses to suit a range of abilities.

Full range of techniques covered, within bespoke facility supported by specialist lecturer and technician.

Outdoor firing area, gas reduction facilities Dates: 10 weeks per term – Autumn term: 25th, 26th, 27th September 2019.

Spring term: 8th, 9th, 10th January 2020.

Summer term: 25th, 26th, 27th March 2020 Location: East Yorkshire Tel: 01482 598751 enquiries/view facility 01482 598744 info/enrolment 07961 734 729 lecturer E: npliener@hull-college.ac.uk HULL TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION Courses: Range of courses for all abilities Dates: Various Location: Preston Road Adult Education Centre, Hull hcctraining.ac.uk LEAFY LANE POTTERY BY SUZIE Courses: Hand building courses for all abilities. Learning disabilities, residential homes, schools and private sessions, and sculptures for your home and gardens Dates: Throughout the year and area Location: Hull and East Yorkshire Tel: 07886 841936 E: leafylanepottery@gmail.com NORTHLIGHT ART STUDIO Courses: Evening and day workshops, summer schools and taster days. All levels Dates: Weekly and throughout the year Location: Hebden Bridge, Yorks Tel: 01422 843519 northlightstudio.co.uk OLD STABLES STUDIO Courses: Throwing: bootcamp, weekends, tasters and regular classes Dates: Various Location: Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire JAMES OUGHTIBRIDGE Course: Large Scale Slab Building Dates: Contact for details Location: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire jamesoughtibridge.blogspot.co.uk JIM ROBISON CERAMICS Courses: Week-long Ceramics, and Glaze and surface courses Dates: Various Location: Holmfirth, Huddersfield boothhousegallery.co.uk SCULPTURE LOUNGE STUDIOS Courses: Throughout the year Dates: Contact directly for further

information Location: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire sculpturelounge.com SHEEPWALK STUDIOS Courses: Handbuilding and throwing.

Classes, one to one and workshops – including Christmas reindeer workshop.

Dates : Contact for info Location: Upton, West Yorkshire Tel: 07769955150 E: l.bulleymentceramics@gmail.com sheepwalkstudios.com TWISTED EARTH CERAMICS

by Richard Hedges Courses: Essential techniques for creating animal sculptures. All levels catered for.

1-1 and groups, private workshops, parties, team-building Dates: Various Location: Mobile, or come to me.

Dozens of venues across Yorkshire twistedearthceramics.com WENTWORTH POTTERY Courses: All levels, throwing, decoration.

Half & full-days. 10-week evening class Dates: See website Location: Aldbrough, Yorks wentworthpottery.co.uk

LANCS/CHESHIRE/ MERSEY BALTIC CLAY Courses: Evening and weekend clay courses Dates: Tue, Wed, Thurs (6.30pm - 8.30pm) & Sat Location: Liverpool balticclay.com BLUE BUTTERFLY CRAFTS Courses: Handbuilding.

Weekly 2-hr sessions and day-courses Dates: Various, see website Location: Accrington, Lancs bluebutterflycrafts.co.uk JOAN CHAN Courses: Introduction to clay, handbuilding, throwing, slip casting, glaze workshop Dates: Afternoons and evenings Location: Greasby, Wirral Tel: 07803 848212, E: joancchan@aol.com FB: jccermaics THE CLAY HOUSE Courses: Two 3-hr workshops every month Dates: Various, see website Location: Cedar Farm, Mawdesley, nr Ormskirk, Tel: 01704 807320 theclayhouseatcedarfarm.co.uk CLAYWORKS Courses: Evening & daytime classes for all abilities (with occasional weekend events such as 'Raku', etc) Dates: Weekly throughout the year Location: Southport, Lancashire FB: arthousesca sca-network.co.uk CRAFFITY POTTERY STUDIO Courses: 'Create with Clay' drop-in sessions, with or without input. Regular and seasonal workshops Dates: Various Location: Bury, Greater Manchester craffitycreations.co.uk THE CRAFTY POTTER Courses: Throwing, hand-building & modelling Dates: Various Location: Chorley, Lancashire thecraftypotter.co.uk THE DOWN TO EARTH POTTERY Courses: Hand-building for beginners to advanced. We are always trying out new techniques such as use of decals and coloured clay Dates: Year-round: Tuesday pm

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For free inclusion in this listing, email: claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk and Wednesday eve. Some Saturdays Location: Clitheroe. Lancs E: lesleywoods19@hotmail.com FB: thedowntoearthpottery FIRED 4 U Courses: Guided evening workshops & do your own, clay work and painting ceramics Dates: 1st & 3rd Wednesday 7pm, pre-booking essential Location: Preston, Lancashire fired4u.co.uk PAUL GOULD/MON CERAMICS Courses: Beginners & intermediates Dates: Tuesdays & Wednesdays 2-4pm and 7-9pm Saturdays and Sunday workshops: various dates throughout the year Location: The Wirral monceramics.co.uk GREEN MAN CERAMICS Courses: Pottery Discovery weekends Dates: Various, Location: Colne, Lancs Tel: 01282 871129 LEMON STUDIO Courses: Handbuilding for all levels, taster sessions, workshops and parties Dates: Various Location: Warrington lemonstudio.co.uk PILLING POTTERY/NORTHERN KILNS Courses: From novice to professional: throwing, hand-building, glazing, making glazes, kiln loading, programming kiln controllers, fitting elements Dates: Various Location: Pilling, Lancs pillingpottery.com POT FACTORY Courses: Beginners & more advanced.

Handbuilding, throwing, glazing & playing with clay!

Dates: Afternoons and evenings Location: Liverpool thepotfactory.co.uk THE POTTERS BARN Courses: Adult half & full day: beginners throwing & handbuilding. Intermediate & advanced throwing. Raku & pit firing Dates: Various Location: Sandbach, Cheshire/Staffs border thepottersbarn.co.uk CARLA POWNALL Courses: Throwing, 6-week course, beginner to advanced using stoneware and raku clay. One-off courses on last Saturday of the month.

Dates: Weds am & pm, plus last weekend of the month Location: Wirral E: carlapownall@yahoo.com FB: carlapownallceramics SIMON SHAW Courses: Introduction to the basics.

Small individual classes, max 5 students.

Handbuilding, sculptural, 1:1 throwing Dates: Various Location: South Liverpool E: simonshaw61@icloud.com T: 07505 237 593 IG: @simonshawclay

NOTTS/DERBYS/ LEICS/MIDLANDS SANDY BYWATER @ CURIOUS STUDIOS Courses: All pottery skills, suitable for the beginner or the more experienced Dates: Tuesday afternoons and evenings.

Monthly, Saturday themed workshops Location: Sneinton Market, Nottingham sandybywaterceramics.wordpress.com CAN-DO POTTERY Courses: Hand-building for beginners Dates: Thursdays 10.30am-12.30pm Location: Mellor, Stockport candopottery.wixsite.com/group

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THE CLAY ROOM LEICESTER Courses: Range of classes for all abilities, plus membership scheme for more experienced makers Dates: Throughout the year Location: Leicester theclayroom.co.uk THE CLAYROOMS Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, sculpting from beginners to experienced makers Dates: Various see website for dates Location: Ashbourne, Derbyshire theclayrooms.co.uk CLAY STUDIO MANCHESTER Courses: One-off taster sessions to regular weekly courses and 1-to-1 tuition. Anyone from beginner upwards is welcome. monthly membership scheme for more advanced makers Dates: Various Location: Hulme, Manchester claystudio.co.uk LITTLE MOUSE POTTERY Courses: Adult & children handbuilding & wheel workshops Dates: Throughout the year Location: Keyworth, Nottingham E: enquiries@littlemousepottery.co.uk T: 0115 9375950 FB, IG & littlemousepottery.co.uk MIDLANDS ART CENTRE Courses: Ceramics Open Studio Dates: Various Location: Birmingham macbirmingham.co.uk PARKWOOD THROWING COURSES Courses: Basic and intermediate throwing Dates: 8-week Thurs evenings, weekend courses, taster sessions Location: Nr Alfreton, Derbyshire parkwoodthrowingcourses.co.uk PLAY WITH CLAY Courses: Throwing, toddler clay Dates: Saturday mornings, Tuesday afternoons, throwing weekly by appointment.

Location: Loughborough creationspottery.co.uk POTTERY ARTS Courses: Fun adult workshops teaching specialist techniques decorating functional homewares: jugs, teapots, bowls, mugs, coasters and more, in artist's home studio Dates: Various Location: Melton Mowbray potteryarts.co.uk SEVEN LIMES POTTERY Courses: Varied courses/classes Dates: All Location: Moss Side, Manchester 7Limes.co.uk SEYMOUR ROAD STUDIOS Courses: Weekly/1-day weekend classes Dates: Various Location: West Bridgeford, Notts seymourroadstudios.co.uk THE SHIRE WORKSHOPS Courses: Night school: Mon & Thurs throwing, hand building & decoration.

One-day sculpture workshops twice a month.

Raku days. Visiting guest artists throughout the year. Private & group bookings available.

Pay per hour to come and use our workshop casually. Materials & kiln space available Dates: See website Location: Wilbarston, Market Harborough theshireworkshops.co.uk PAT SHORT CERAMICS Courses: Beginners’ handbuilding workshops Dates: Various Location: Edgbaston, Birmingham patshortceramics.com POTS IN NOTTS Courses: Weekly classes and wheel taster sessions Dates: throughout the year, contact

for more details Location: Worksop, Notts E: lynnestaniland@icloud.com T: 07811 171369 FB & IG: @potsinnotts LINDA SOUTHWELL Courses: Evening classes and one-to-one experiences Dates: Wednesday evenings and by arrangement Location: The Harley Ceramics Studio, Welbeck, Worksop lindasouthwell.co.uk DAVID STOCKS Courses: Beginners Basics, although open to all, including disabled (carers free when accompanying). Pinch pots through to slabs, coil work and throwing and glazing Dates: Thursday Evenings 18.15-21.00 £15 per session (Dorridge), plus Tuesday & Wednesday evenings at the Sense Pears Centre. See web for details of 10 and 8 week courses.

Location: Dorridge Methodists Church and Sense Pears Centre, Selly Oak (see above) RamOnTheRoundaboutPottery@gmail. com for Dorridge, or for Selly Oak contact Sense Pears Centre: sunney.sharma@sense. org.uk WOODSETTON ART POTTERY Courses: A levels are taught by postgraduate production thrower and designer maker with 8 years experience in Stoke on Trent Dates: Various Location: Woodsetton, Dudley W Mids woodsettonartpottery.com @woodsettonpots

WALES JACKIE BARBER CERAMICS Courses: One-to-one throwing lessons Dates: Various Location: Pencader, Ceredigion jackiebarberceramics.co.uk BASE ART STUDIO, GALLERY & POTTERY WORKSHOPS Courses: Handbuilding; throwing; 1-2-1 one-off sessions; parties (adults, children, team-building) Dates: Ongoing, days and evenings Location: Llanbradach, Caerphilly baseart.org CARDIFF POTTERY WORKSHOPS Courses: Handbuilding; throwing; one-off Saturday sessions; 1-2-1 throwing; masterclasses with Anne Gibbs; parties (children, adults, teambuilding); pottery membership tutored & un-tutored Dates: 6-wk day & eve sessions, various Location: Cardiff cardiffpotteryworkshops.com CARMEL POTTERY Courses: 6-week throwing courses.

Hand-building courses. One-to-one lessons. One-off half or full day experiences.

Beginners welcome Dates: Various Location: Carmel, Carmarthenshire E: Carmelpottery@outlook.com T: 07740291608 GLOSTERS Course: Throwing Dates: April, Location: Porthmadog glosters.co.uk JANE MALVISI Courses: Pottery classes, including Raku. All abilities welcome Dates: Mon/Tues/Weds days and evenings Location: Bridgend, S Wales janemalvisi.co.uk MID WALES ARTS Courses: Two-day course on wood-firing kilns. Make your work then fire it Dates: Various Location: Maesmawr, Powys midwalesarts.org.uk

ORIEL BODFARI GALLERY AND POTTERY Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, Raku, etc Dates: Various Location: Bodfari, North Wales orielbodfarigallery.co.uk SIRAMIK Courses: Throwing; half/full days, weekends (accommodation included).

All Covid-19 compliant Dates: Various Location: Carmarthen siramik.co.uk TREE HOUSE POTTERY Courses: Pottery in a real Treehouse. We offer courses & taster sessions for beginners, clay building & potters wheel Dates: Various Location: Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea gowerstoneart.co.uk/tree-housepottery

CAMBS/LINCS PAULA ARMSTRONG Courses: Handbuilding, workshops Dates: Mon, Weds, Fri mornings. Tues, Thurs evenings. Monthly Sat workshops, Sun morning child/family workshops Location: Fenstanton, Cambs parmstrongceramics.co.uk ART BARN GAMLINGAY Courses: Handbuilding, raku and pit-firing Dates: Wednesday and Thursday evening clay classes. 2-day raku making and firing workshops, Saturday 27th April and Saturday 18th May. Clay in a Day class, Saturday 28th September.

Location: Gamlingay, Cambs/Beds border E: art.barn@hotmail.co.uk T: 07715 206780 FB: Art Barn Gamlingay MATTHEW BLAKELY Courses: Weekend Courses: Throwing, Porcelain throwing Dates: Monthly Location: Lode, Cambs matthewblakely.co.uk DEEPDALE POTTERY Courses: Handbuilding and throwing for beginners and experienced Dates: Weekend and weekday courses, including yurt accommodation if required, throughout the year Location: Barton upon Humber, North Lincs yurtatthechapel.co.uk HILLS ROAD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, plus summer school workshops Dates: Various Location: Cambridge hillsroadadulteducation.co.uk THE POT SHOP Courses: Individual and small groups pottery classes in a professional workshop Dates: Various, throughout the year Location: Lincoln Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @potshop1 Tel. 01522 528994 POTTERYDAYZ Courses: Wheel throwing for beginners and more experienced. Raku courses through the summer Dates: Saturdays, 9.30-3pm Location: Peterborough/East Midlands FB: @potterydayz E: potterydayz@gmail.com ROWAN ARTS CENTRE Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, untutored group for those with experience Dates: Various Location: Cambridge rowanhumberstone.co.uk WOODNEWTON POTTERY Courses: Weekly; throwing, hand building, decorating (Tues/Weds). Clay sculpture Dates: Throughout the year

 If you run other creative courses, register free at craftcourses.com Location: Near Peterborough robbibbyceramics.co.uk ZOO CERAMICS Courses: Half and full day handbuilding workshops, 10-week pottery classes Dates: Various Location: Waddington, Lincolnshire zooceramics.co.uk

WORCS/SHROPS/ STAFFS/HEREFORD ALLYEARROUND POTTERY Courses: Weekly classes; taster sessions; one & two-day courses in throwing, handbuilding and decorating; pottery parties for all ages. All for beginners and more advanced Dates: Various all-year-round!

Location: South Herefordshire all-year-round.org.uk AMERTON ARTS STUDIO Courses: Life sculpture. Working from a life model to create a figurative sculpture.

Step-by-step tuition, beginners welcome Dates: Termly, Saturdays Location: Stowe by Chartley amertonartstudio.com BRITISH CERAMICS BIENNIAL Courses: Beginners & Intermediate Dates: Tuesday & Thursday Location: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire The BCB operates a clay school and a variety of courses throughout the year. britishceramicsbiennial.com EARTH AND FIRE CERAMICS Courses: hand-building, throwing by arrangement, pop-up pottery. 1:1 or small groups, 2-hour intensive lessons Dates: Various, 4-weekly courses Location: Great Haywood, Stafford Facebook: @earthandfireceramics EASTNOR POTTERY & THE FLYING POTTER Courses: Remarkable potter’s wheel experiences for all ages and abilities, run by studio potters Jon Williams and Sarah Monk.

Tasters, days and weekends Dates: Regularly throughout the year (see website) Location: Ledbury, Herefordshire Website: eastnorpottery.co.uk LOVECLAY AT VALENTINE CLAYS Courses: Basic/intermediate/professional/ families. Throwing, slip casting & slip decorating, sculpture, basic ceramic techniques, professional masterclasses, ceramic painting Dates: Evenings & weekends (various) Location: Stoke-on-Trent loveclay.co.uk POP UP POTTERY STUDIO EARTH & FIRE CERAMICS Courses: Beginner courses to learn simple techniques Dates: Tuesday evenings & Friday afternoons Location: Great Haywood (near Stafford), Staffordshire E: carolinefarnellsmith@gmail.com POTCLAYS Courses: Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Throwing, Intro to glazes, Pottery Basics, Moulding and Slipcasting, Tilemaking Dates: Various Location: Stoke-on-Trent potclays.co.uk THE SCULPTURE PLACE Courses: Figurative Sculpture Classes Dates: Weekly sessions: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday (running for 6 weeks) Location: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire thesculptureplace.co.uk STONEHOUSE STUDIOS Courses: Throwing & handbuilt ceramics, sculpture & life sculpture. Portrait drawing, painting, & general art. One off workshops & one-to-one tuition on request Dates: Throughout the year

One offs by arrangement Location: Drayton Basset, nr Tamworth, Staffs stonehousestudios.co.uk WOBAGE FARM CRAFT WORKSHOPS Courses: Various multiple-day throwing workshops Dates: Various Location: South Herefordshire workshops-at-wobage.co.uk

WARKS/N’HANTS/ OXON CATHERINE ANNE CERAMICS Courses: Small groups and one-to-one of all ages and mixed ability.

Throwing, hand building, glazing.

Family sessions during school holidays Dates: Weekdays. Various evenings and weekends available Location: Staverton, Northants catherineanneceramics.com CENTRE OF ENGLAND ARTS Courses: Novice to experienced, including throwing Dates: Weekly, Thursday evenings 7-9pm Location: Nr Solihull coea.co.uk tonycarterpotteryschool.com DAISYROOTS CERAMICS Courses: Beginner’s wheel sessions 1:1 or small groups. Handbuilding techniques taught with support for home hobby with kiln firing service. Paint-your-own pottery & craft studio Dates: Just book!

Location: Crawley Village, Witney, Oxfordshire DaisyrootsCeramics.co.uk M & K RAKU WORKSHOPS Courses: One-day raku workshops run by Mark Compton and Kirsteen Holuj. Bring your own bisque-fired pots or sculptures along or buy pots from us on the day to glaze and fire.

All levels.

Dates: Workshops run monthly from April to October Location: Milton Keynes mkraku.co.uk POTTERYDAYZ Courses: Handbuilding, throwing lessons from Richard Gibbons Dates: Full and half days by arrangement Location: Kings' Cliffe, Northants E: potterydayz@gmail.com FB: potterydayz PUP RUGBY Courses: Pop-up pottery, pay-as-you-go.

Come and have a go!

Dates: Wednesdays, fortnightly Location: Newton Village Hall, nr Rugby FB: @popuppotteryrugby E: puprugby@gmail.com SWANSPOOL CERAMICS Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, all levels.

Open access studio. Weekend courses & oneoff experiences Dates: Termly, year-round Location: Castle Ashby, Northants swanspoolceramics.co.uk

NORFOLK/SUFFOLK/ ESSEX DEBORAH BAYNES Courses: Residential and nonresidential Dates: Weekends (spring/autumn), full weeks (July/Aug) Location: Shotley, Suffolk potterycourses.net BRICK HOUSE CRAFTS Courses: handbuilding, throwing, decoration, mould making, raku in the summer. Beginners to professional welcome. Leisure classes & City & Guilds L2 and L3 courses

Dates: Tues - Friday 10am to 4pm, Sat 10am - 12 midday Location: Silver End, Essex brickhouseceramics.co.uk TONY CARTER POTTERY SCHOOL Courses: Beginners to experienced potters, all hand building, throwing, design, model & mould making.

Small friendly groups, personal tutor.

Dates: Year-round Location, Debenham Suffolk tonycarterpotteryschool.com MARIAM CULLUM Courses: 1:1 tuition in throwing, handbuilding, slip-casting, surface decoration and glaze preparation and application.

Dates: Various - Monday to Friday 10am-4pm Location: Bury St Edmunds mariamcullumceramics.co.uk LIBBI HUTCHENCE, HANDMADE AT BRAMLEY COTTAGE Courses: 1:1 tuition in throwing, handbuilding, surface decoration & glaze making for all ages/abilities Dates: Throughout the year Location: Culford, Nr Bury St Edmunds handmadeatbramleycottage.co.uk KATIE'S POTTERY STUDIO Courses: One-to-one & small group tuition in throwing, handbuilding, decorating, glazing & firing for all ages and abilities. Children's Saturday class Dates: Throughout the year Location: Leiston, Suffolk katiespotterystudio.co.uk SUDBURY POTTERY CLASS Courses: Weekly classes, workshops, one offs and pottery for kids. Various hand building, slab, coil and surface decoration.

All abilities welcome Dates: Weekly, daytime and evening/ some weekends Location: Sudbury, Suffolk sudburypotteryclass.co.uk THAXTED POTTERS Courses: Beginners and intermediates Dates: Various 6-week sessions Location: Thaxted, Essex thaxtedpotters.co.uk DOMINIC UPSON Courses: Adult classes in all the build techniques, running in six-week blocks.

One-to-one classes in throwing taller, thinner and production making Dates: Various Location: Battisford, Suffolk dominicupson.com WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE Courses: Beginners, intermediate, mixed abilities & workshop classes in hand-building, throwing, glazing & decorative surfaces & other techniques Dates: Saturday daytime and evening for 6 or 10 weeks. Terms starts January 2020 & April 2020 Location: Bury St Edmunds wsc.ac.uk

BEDS/BUCKS/HERTS ALONDENE PHILLIPS Courses: Hand-building for beginners to intermediate. 1:1 and small group workshops.

Opportunities to do sgraffito, mishima, slipwork, simple mould making.

Plus creating & applying sprigs, decorative stencilling & printing on clay. Workshops can also be tailored around specialist techniques.

Classes run all year round daytime and evenings between Monday - Wednesday 10.30 - 12.30, 2.30 - 4.30pm, 7-9pm (Due to Covid 19 we will be opening with reduced class sizes of 1-2 people from late July / August - please email for details Ceramics Classes at Home also available with Studio in a box. Kiln firing included. (Within 5 miles of Milton Keynes area only).

Location: Milton Keynes

E: Creativeblockdesigns@yahoo.com T: 07465608771 FB: The Studio at Creative Block Designs ART BARN GAMLINGAY Courses: Handbuilding, raku and pit-firing Dates: Wednesday and Thursday evening clay classes. 2-day raku making and firing workshops, Saturday 27th April and Saturday 18th May. Clay in a Day class, Saturday 28th September.

Location: Gamlingay, Cambs/Beds border E: art.barn@hotmail.co.uk T: 07715 206780 FB: Art Barn Gamlingay ARTSHED ARTS Courses: Hand building, throwing & surface pattern. All levels. Throwing taster sessions, private throwing tuition & sculpture. Pottery parties Dates: See website Location: Ware, Hertfordshire artshedarts.co.uk CHARLIE’S POTS Courses: Intensive day-long Sunday throwing courses for beginners Dates: Various Location: Aylesbury, Bucks E: throwingpottery@gmail.com CLAY WITH CAROLE Courses: Handbuilding, throwing Dates: Various Location: Hitchin, Herts claywithcarole.co.uk CREATIVE CLAY FOR BEGINNERS Courses: Handbuilding, various levels, fulltime/part-time Dates: Various Location:Newbury, Berks newbury-college.ac.uk DIGSWELL CERAMICS COMMUNITY Courses: Beginners’ tuition, support for experienced potters Dates: Tuesdays, Thursdays Location: Letchworth FB: Digswell Ceramics Community E: debbie@debbiebent.com NORTH MARSTON POTTERY Courses: Variety of pottery courses Dates: Contact directly for further details Location: North Marston, Bucks northmarstonpottery.co.uk KATE RADFORD POTTERY Courses: Hand building, throwing and sculpture for all abilities and ages. Electric, gas and raku firings Dates: Weekly courses on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday daytime and evenings, one to one and group sessions available Location: Kensworth, South Bedfordshire kateradfordpottery.co.uk RUBY SHARP Courses: Hand building, throwing, decorating pots, sculpture for home and garden Dates: Throughout the year (weekend & day sessions available) Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire rubysharppottery.co.uk WHERE INSPIRATION BLOOMS Courses: Beginners’ classes, workshops, hand-building, family sessions, pottery room hire, kiln space hire Dates: Year round Location: Chesham, Buckinghamshire whereinspirationblooms.co.uk

WILTS/HANTS/ BERKS ANGELS FARM POTTERY Courses: Residential (B&B) & non-residential.

Throwing, handbuilding, decorating Dates: Sat and w/ends once a month.

Weekly evening classes & Fri am. One-off days for groups, min 4, max 8 attendees Location: Lyndhurst, New Forest, Hants. angelsfarm.co.uk

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For free inclusion in this listing, email: claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk ACTIVATE LEARNING AT BRACKNELL AND WOKINGHAM COLLEGE Courses: Mixed ability adult leisure classes taught throughout the daytime and evening.

All abilities welcome in our well-equipped pottery studio, where a range of pottery techniques are taught by experienced tutors. One-day specialist courses taught throughout the year Dates: Mon – Thurs, daytime and evening Location: Woodley Hill House, Earley, Berks activatelearning.ac.uk/study/subjects/ ceramics-and-pottery Tel: 01344 868600 CÁIT GOULD CERAMICS @ THE BASE Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, general pottery and throwing courses. Pottery parties by appointment Dates: See website Location: Newbury & Reading caitgould.com CERAMICSPACE BRADFORD ON AVON Courses: Full time access and/or practice without tuition (experienced ceramicists), one-off 2.5hrs taster sessions (beginners), adults taster workshops (individuals or groups), mentoring/tutoring/specialist training (1 or 2 days), intensive course (4 days in groups) Gift vouchers: for lessons or taster workshops Location: Bradford on Avon Wiltshire Tel: Julia Warin 07800 778582 E: juliaartscool@btinternet.com FB: CeramicSpace Bradford on Avon CHALKE VALLEY POTTERY COURSES Courses: 2-day courses in spring and autumn, with Jennie Gilbert & Emily Myers, Learn the basics in a relaxed and friendly environment, or improve your skills.

See website for details Dates: Various Location: Broadchalke, Wilts jenniegilbert.co.uk THE CREATIVE CAVERN Courses: Various, inc 1:1 throwing, Dates: Various Location: Winnersh, Berks thepaintnightcompany.co.uk/ pages/the-creative-cavern EASTCOTT STUDIOS Courses: Workshops, classes, drop-in sessions, open access Dates: Various Location: Swindon, Wilts eastcottstudios.co.uk FIRED THOUGHTS ARTS STUDIO & GALLERY Courses: Weekly classes: introductory & advanced.

Throwing & sculpture a speciality.

Open Studio bookings, 1:1 throwing.

Various workshops.

Group sessions & more, see website Dates: Various Location: Market Lavington, Wilts firedthoughts.co,uk JEANNE LEWISTIFF Courses: Small groups or 1-1 in throwing and/or hand building Dates: Contact for details Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire E: Jeannelewi@hotmail.co.uk NEW DIRECTIONS Courses: Exciting range of ceramics courses to suit all abilities in a well-equipped studio.

Taught by specialist tutors and technician.

Dates: Various, see website Location: Reading newdirectionsreading.ac.uk DIANA PATTENDEN Courses: Sculpture, throwing, hand building, Prosecco & Clay sessions, children's parties, hand casting.

All ages and abilities welcome Dates: Daytime, evenings and weekends Location: Newbury, West Berkshire dianapattenden.co.uk

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SASHA WARDELL Courses: Bone china & mould making courses Dates: May to September ( incl.) in SW France /Feb & March in Wiltshire Location: SW France/ Wiltshire sashawardell.com STONEHENGE POTTERY Courses: weekly classes, Tuesday and Thursday, hand building and throwing.

Weekender workshops and group sessions by arrangement Dates: Various all year round Location: Winterbourne Stoke, Near Salisbury and Amesbury Tel: 01980 620328 stonehengepottery@btinternet.com STUPOTS POTTERY STUDIO Courses: Wheel taster sessions, hand building & glazing.

Dates: Every weekend & some evenings Location: Yate, Bristol stupots.co.uk

DORSET/GLOS/ SOMERSET ARTISAN CRAFT CLASSES & WORKSHOPS Courses: Weekly pottery classes - wheel and handbuilding Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays, one-offs by arrangement Location: Bockhampton, Dorchester E: mail@artisan.org.uk ASHBROOK STUDIO Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, glazes.

One-to-one or small group, daily Dates: All year Location: Waterrow, Somerset ashbrook-ceramics.co.uk BANWELL POTTERY Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, modelling, slab work, coil work, tile-making Dates: Weekly evening class, Weds 6-8pm Location: Weston-super-Mare, N Somerset banwellpottery.org BEING WITH CLAY Courses: Clay and mindfulness incorporating handbuilding techniques & mindfulness practises Dates: Weekly or day courses. Maximum of 3 people or 1-2-1. Well equipped and relaxed studio.

Location: Claverham nr Yatton, North Somerset beingwithclay.co.uk CARANTOC ART Courses: Intensive & regular classes available in pottery & ceramic sculpture Dates: Year-round Location: Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset carantoc-art.co.uk CREATIVE CLAY FOR ALL Travelling clay workshops for those who have no access to a kiln. Ideal for community groups. Based in Dorset creativeclayforall.co.uk KAREN DAWN CURTIS Courses: 1:1 throwing; 3 & 6-week courses; pottery practice; Saturday making sessions,; parties & team-building; have a go – throwing Dates: Various, see website Location: Bridport, Dorset karendawncurtis.co.uk PATRICK ESSON Courses: Modelling, coiling, slab work, pinching, throwing Dates: Various Location: Gloucester E: p.esson@aliqua-art-gallery.com RACHEL FOOKS: CERAMICS Courses: Weekly classes and one-off sessions, hand-building & throwing for all abilities

Location: Wareham, Dorset rachelfooksceramics.com KITE STUDIOS CLAY STUDIO Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, glazing, adult & children courses weekly & weekend. One-to-one sessions and pottery birthday parties Dates: Mon-Sat various times Location: Kemerton, Gloucestershire, and London kitestudios.org LANSDOWN POTTERY Courses: For all levels, beginnners and intermediate Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (10 - 12.30) Tuesday evenings (6.30 - 9.00) Location: Stroud T: 01453/298567 E: lansdownpottery@onetel.com CHARLOTTE MILLER CERAMICS Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, mould-making, surface decoration Dates: Termly part-time, taster workshops, pottery parties Location: Bournemouth charlottemillerceramics.com MOON STUDIO Courses: Hand building, throwing, surface design. Taster sessions, short courses, pottery parties, kids clay time & mobile pop up pottery Dates: Weekly classes all year, plus private tuition for individuals and groups Location: Christchurch, Dorset moonstudioceramics.co.uk FB: Moon Studio Ceramics NEW BREWERY ARTS Courses: Variety of ceramic courses Dates: Contact directly for further details Location: Cirencester, Gloucestershire newbreweryarts.org.uk RUARDEAN GARDEN POTTERY Courses: Weekends, week-long Courses: Throwing, Pot Making Dates: Various Location: Forest of Dean ruardeanpottery.com STUPOTS POTTERY STUDIO Courses: Wheel taster sessions, hand building & glazing.

Dates: Every weekend & some evenings Location: Yate, Bristol stupots.co.uk

DEVON/CORNWALL CHRISTOW POTTERY Courses: 2-day saggar & raku-firing weekend workshops with Abi Higgns/Alison West. All abilities Dates: Throughout the year Location: Devon abihiggins.co.uk alisonwestceramics.com GOONZOYLE POTTERY Courses: Wheel, handbuilding, glazing, raku and pit-firing. For all abilities in fully equipped rural studio.

Dates: Morning, Afternoon & Evening dropin workshops throughout the year.

Contact directly for more information.

Location: Camborne, Cornwall FB: Goonzoylepottery marykaunenglish.com LEACH POTTERY Courses: 3 & 5-day throwing, evening classes handbuilding, throwing Dates: Various, each month Location: St Ives, Cornwall leachpottery.com LUCKTAYLOR CERAMICS Courses: Hand building and Raku firing courses for beginners and advanced students. Fully equipped rural studio.

Dates: Various Location: St Buryan, Cornwall E: info@lucktaylorceramics.co.uk

FB & IG: @lucktaylorceramics lucktaylorceramics.co.uk TARKA POTTERY Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate all year round. Taster sessions for individuals or groups, weekly throwing and handbuilding courses. Child/family workshops, parties Dates: Tuesday to Saturday Location: North Devon tarkapottery.co.uk ALISON WEST CERAMICS Courses: Weekend raku, saggar and barrel firing Dates: Various Location: Chagford, Devon alisonwestceramics.com

KENT/SUSSEX/ SURREY/LONDON ART OF MINE Courses: 1-1 throwing tuition, hand building, surface decoration for all ages and abilities.

Birthday parties, team building and taster sessions Dates: Various Location: Maidstone, Kent E: info@thisartofmine.co.uk ART SHOP AND POTTERY Courses: 1-to-1 throwing tuition. One-off taster sessions & longer courses available.

Slabbing, tile making and Kids Clay Club.

Dates: Monday to Saturday 10.00am 6.00pm Location: Brighton & Hove artshopandpottery.com AYLESFORD POTTERY Courses: Raku days, 1-day, 10-week Pottery classes, Mould Making, Glaze Theory & Application Dates: Various terms Location: Aylesford, Kent aylesfordschoolofceramics.co.uk LOUISE BELL CERAMICS Courses: Hand building, surface decoration, simple mould making and glazing for beginners. Taster afternoons and bespoke sessions for up to three people of any level or ability.

Dates: Various Location: Lewes, East Sussex Louisebellceramics.com BURWASH POTTERY Courses: Various handbuilding, decoration. All levels. Classes, workshops, parties, taster sessions Dates: Terms of 6 weeks, various Location: Burwash, East Sussex burwashpotter.co.uk CERAMIC SPIRIT Courses: Weekly, day and evening.

All techniques. Surface decoration, glazing Dates: See website Location: Horsham ceramicspirit.co.uk THE CERAMIC STUDIO Courses: From beginner to professional, plus taster sessions Dates: Various Location: Five Oak Green, Kent theceramicstudio.me.uk CERNAMIC Courses: With Nam Tran; throwing, mouldmaking, raku Dates: Various Location: SE London cernamic.com CLAYNGLAZE POTTERY STUDIOS Courses: Pay as you go pottery for all levels.

Various training days/weekend courses & fine art workshops Dates: Days, evenings & weekends throughout the year Location: West Sussex claynglaze.co.uk

 If you run other creative courses, register free at craftcourses.com CLAYKILNCRAFT Courses: Beginners intensive throwing; mixed intro to pottery; handbuilding & half-day one-off classes covering all aspects of pottery and glazing. All levels catered for but must be 16 and over. Also Open Access Membership.

Dates: Year-round one-offs to 9-week courses & intensive short courses Location: Crystal Palace, SE London claykilncraft.com THE CLAY PLACE Courses: 6-week courses, one-day workshops, bespoke clay days. Hand building techniques, slab, coil, surface decoration Dates: Wednesday/Friday 6-week courses Various dates for one-day workshops Location: Ashurst, West Sussex jwceramics.net THE CLAY ROOM UK Courses: Clay taster workshops; introductory pottery; mould-making & slip-casting; transfer; termly pottery courses; Christmas workshops & private lessons Dates: Various Location: Chelsfield, Orpington theclayroomuk.com THE CLAY STUDIO Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, surface decoration, glazing for beginners/ experienced potters. Raku, smoke-firing and animal sculpture. Weekend workshops Dates: Mon-Fri all day inc evenings Location: Groombridge, nr Tunbridge Wells E: info@theclay.studio THE CLAY WORKSHOP Courses: Throwing, hand-building, glazing, decorating, raku. All levels, inc 1:1s Dates: Various, ongoing Location: Central Eastbourne grahammatthewsceramics.com SU CLOUD CERAMICS Courses: Clay club twice weekly, raku, hand building, porcelain paperclay, various project workshops, 3-week and 6-week courses.

All levels. Daytime/evening & Saturday workshops. Purpose-built studio for up to 6 students Dates: Various Location: Bognor Regis sucloudceramics.com THE CORNER WORKSHOP Courses: Beginner courses for adults. Hand building & a variety of decorating methods.

Small class sizes Dates: Various, weekly Location: Balcombe, West Sussex E: rezacworkshop@gmail.com PETER CUTHBERTSON Courses: Throwing and handbuilding, beginners and more advanced Dates: Weekly regular day and evening classes plus one off weekends by arrangement Location: East Hoathly, East Sussex E: peter.cuthbertson@phonecoop.

Coop JO DAVIES Courses: Throwing classes; for beginners and intermediates with Jo's experienced studio tutors; masterclasses or one-to-ones with Jo for those wanting to improve or refresh their practice Dates: Various Location: Dalston, London jo-davies.com EASTBOURNE STUDIO POTTERS Courses: Throwing, hand building, surface decoration and glazing for beginners and experienced potters. Plus, Personal Project Development with specialist support.

Open access: studio hire available for experienced makers Dates: Weekly courses throughout the year.

Personal Project on Weds 6-9pm.

Location: Eastbourne E: eastbournestudiopottery@gmail.com eastbournestudiopottery.com

FOREST ROW SCHOOL OF CERAMICS Courses: Adult intensive throwing and handbuilding weekly classes. Weekend workshops: raku, soda/smoke firing, animal sculpture, glaze chemistry, slip decorating.

Three-month residential Sept-Nov 2018 Location: Forest Row, West Sussex frschoolofceramics.co.uk GO CREATE Courses: Pottery, sculpture & craft Dates: Various Location: SW London gocreate.co.uk CLAIRE GRIFFITHS Dates: Starting September; Weds 10.00am -12.30pm & Thurs 7.00- 9.30pm Location: Whitstable E: jc.griffiths@btinternet.com HANDMADE IN CHISWICK Courses: Weekly classes and one-off workshops inc 1:1 throwing. Studio time for more experienced learners Dates: Term time for weekly classes, by arrangements for workshops and studio time Location: London, W4 HandmadeinChiswick.com IG: @sylvieopsimath JESS JORDAN CERAMICS Courses: Handbuilding, throwing, decoration, glazing Dates: Various Location: Worthing, W Sx pottyjess.co.uk THE KILN ROOMS Courses: Beginners one-off taster sessions; beginners taster classes: beginner/ intermediate courses in hand-building, throwing, decorating, glazing. Masterclasses.

Open access Dates: Various, year round, plus open access Location: Three studios in Peckham, East London thekilnrooms.com KITE STUDIOS CLAY STUDIO Courses: Throwing, handbuilding, glazing, adult & children courses weekly & weekend.

One-to-one sessions and pottery birthday parties Dates: Mon-Sat various times Location: Kemerton, Gloucestershire, and London kitestudios.org CLOVER LEE CERAMIC Courses: 12-week throwing courses, taster & intensive throwing workshops. Private classes, parties & independent sessions for all abilities Date: Weekly regular, weekends & private bookinga available year-round Location: Clapham South, London clover-lee.com LILLAGUNILLA CERAMIC STUDIO Courses: One-day workshops and Saturday classes in throwing and hand-building Dates: Various Location: Charlton, South East London lillagunillaceramics.co.uk MAZE HILL POTTERY Course: Weekly Evening Classes Dates: Throughout the year Location: Greenwich, London mazehillpottery.co.uk MORLEY COLLEGE Courses: Hand building, throwing, plus summer workshops, beginner to advanced levels, adult and family education.

Dates: Starting in September with various dates throughout the year.

Location: London morleycollege.ac.uk NEW LIFE CERAMICS Courses: Pay-as-you-go weekly day and evening classes for all abilities, throwing and handbuilding Dates: See website Location: Biggin Hill, Kent newlifeceramics.co.uk PADDOCK STUDIO POTTERY Courses: 1-day individual or shared,

throwing, handbuilding Dates: Various Location: Lewes, East Sussex thepaddockstudiopottery.co.uk THE PAINTING POTTERY CAFE Courses: Evening classes: Throwing, coiling, slab & pinch for different monthly projects.

All materials and glazes provided. £35pp Dates: 3rd Thursday of the month 6.309.30pm Location: Brighton paintingpotterycafe.co.uk PARKGATE POTTERY Courses: One-to one throwing Dates: Various Location: Dorking, Surrey parkgatepottery.co.uk THE POTTERS STUDIO Courses: Beginners to intermediate.

Taster sessions, 1-1 tuition, hand building & throwing workshops. Open access memberships for more advanced makers Dates: All year round. See website Location: Hawkhurst, Kent thepottersstudio.co.uk THE POTTERY CORNER Courses: Clay club 4-week evening courses, Handbuilding 5-week Saturday courses, wheel throwing and raku tuition. 5 students max. All levels welcome Location: Chichester, West Sussex thepotterycorner.co.uk DANIEL PRATAP  THE TRIANGLE POTTERY Courses: Throwing and hand building, Taster sessions, 1:1 throwing and regular weekly courses. Beginners and advanced Dates: Day and evenings Location: Farnborough Hampshire E: danielp.ceramics@gmail.com SULEYMAN SABA Courses: Pottery classes Dates: Tuesday and Wednesdayevenings (Clapham), Mondays and Tuesdays (Kingsbury) Location: London (Kingsbury and Clapham) suleymansaba.com SUSAN RAMSAYSMITH POTTERY BARN Courses: Experienced tutor, small groups, throw or hand-build, all abilities.

Dates: Tuesdays am/pm 2 hour sessions, 5/10 weeks or Taster weekends Location: Heathfield, East Sussex experiencesussex.co.uk/ceramics SUTTON COLLEGE Courses: Hand building, throwing, plus summer workshops, mixed abilities, adult and family education.

Dates: Starting in September with various dates throughout the year.

Location: Sutton, Surrey suttoncollege.ac.uk STAR POTTERY Courses: Taster, Weekly classes Dates: Various Location: Lewes, East Sussex hamid-pottery.co.uk THE STUDIO AT CLAPHAM LTD Courses: Taster course, project based workshops, tailored tuition. Beginners Handbuilding Courses. Learn to pinch, coil, slab and throw! Wednesday drop in for experienced enthusiasts.

All levels catered for.

Dates: Various Location: Clapham Near Worthing, West Sussex thestudioatclapham.com IMOGEN TAYLORNOBLE Courses: Weekly pottery classes for adults and children. Suitable for all levels.

Hand-building, glaze mixing & glazing, experimental firing days. Obvara, Raku, & Saggar. 1:1 throwing sessions at my Whitstable studio Dates: Various Location: Espressions Art Cafe, Canterbury imogentaylor-noble.com

TURNING EARTH Courses: Open access studio Tues-Sun for all levels – must be working independently.

Classes available, see website for details/ availability Dates: Open access studio Tues-Sun. Location: Hoxton E2 and Lee Valley E10, London turningearth.org

REST OF WORLD L’APIPOTERIE /E. PENSA  FRANCE Courses: Handbuilding for utilitarian use and animal sculpture. Bilingual course French and English Dates: See website Location: Beaufort sur Gervanne/South East of France in the Vercors regional park E: epensa26@gmail.com DUCTAC, MALL OF EMIRATES UAE Courses: Introduction to ‘Pottery for all’; hand-building & throwing. Trial sessions Dates: Sunday, Monday, Thursday 10-1pm.

Tuesday 6.30-9.30pm Location: Dubai, UAE ductac.org MAS SARRAT POTTERY  FRANCE Courses: Introduction to pottery (handbuilding and throwing). Improver pottery handbuilding and throwing) 5-day courses Dates: See website Location: Cazals, Lot, France jenniegilbert.com Facebook: @cvpotterycourses STACEY MCDONALD POTTERY  USA Courses: Fully equipped, spacious clay studio offering beginner & intermediate wheel throwing, handbuilding and beginner sculpture classes, workshops and special events for adults and children 10 and over.

Cone 6 electric firing, white stoneware and a selection of other clay bodies, glazes made in-house Dates: Ongoing start dates; days, evenings and weekends Location: 12 W. Spring St. Illinois USA staceypottery.com OLD HEAD STUDIO  IRELAND Courses: Handbuilding for all levels, weeklong ceramics, glaze and surface decoration.

On-site accommodation available Dates: May to September Location: Near Louisburgh Co. Mayo, Ireland E: sarah.lyons3@btinternet.com TOTEM CERAMICS POTTERY SCHOOL  SPAIN Courses: Throwing, sculpting, handbuilding, slip casting, general skills for beginners.

Weekly classes & courses Dates: 1-5 day courses, weekly classes, year-round Location: Andalucia totemceramics.com CHRISTINE PEDLEY  CENTRAL FRANCE Courses: Throwing, hand building, and decorating for beginners and advanced students.

Dates: March-october Location: La Borne - France Tel: 0033248267744 Web-site: www.chris-pedley.eu UN PETIT TOUR DE TERRE  FRANCE Courses: All levels, hand-building, surface decoration, making tools, raku, glazing.

Full-board accommodation available Dates: All year round, Monday 9am to Friday 5pm Location: Saint Génies de Comolas, France Facebook: @FredPotierGres SASHA WARDELL  FRANCE Course: Bone china & mould making courses Dates: May to September (incl) in SW France/ Feb & March in Wiltshire Location: SW France/Wiltshire sashawardell.com

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