Innholdsfortegnelse for #43 i ClayCraft

Welcome When Debbie Page got in touch with us about what she has been doing during lockdown, I felt it was very timely and would provide our readers with valuable information about one particular aspect of being a potter. Over the past 10 years or so, the importance of having a digital presence has been steadily growing, and the knock-on effects of lockdown highlighted just how vital it is to be able to pivot. I’m not keen on the word ‘pivot’; it’s become a bit of a business-speak cliché lately, but having the ability to change direction and move forward is just what’s been needed. When the arts trails and shows stopped, and workshops had to close, Debbie threw herself into learning more about how to improve her business skills…

PROJECT ONE THROWN TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER This is a handy item to make because surely we all need a toothbrush holder in the bathroom? Simon’s great design makes it super-efficient and fit-forpurpose, and you can easily match it to your décor with a suitably coloured glaze Simon runs group and individual sessions in throwing and handbuilding techniques from his South Liverpool workshop. IG: @simonshawclay E: simonshaw61@icloud.com T: 07505 237 593 You will need: ■ 680g (1 ½lb) clay – earthenware or stoneware, colour of choice ■ Throwing tools – water bowl, batt, sponge, rib, cutting wire ■ Glaze to suit clay type DIFFICULTY RATING Before you begin: This project is best thrown on a batt. To find instruction on how to throw a pad to affix a batt, visit claycraft.co.uk/how-to Fix a batt…

SURVIVING LOCKDOWN POTTERS IN LOCKDOWN From trailblazer to online entrepreneur My name is Debbie Page. I’m based in South Oxfordshire and run Debbie Page Ceramics out of my Yellow Shed Pottery. I am a veteran of local arts trails and craft fairs in and around the Oxfordshire/Berkshire area, eg Henley Arts Trail, Caversham Arts Trail and Oxfordshire Artweeks. At the beginning of 2020, I had been feeling overwhelmed in my efforts to juggle family, my teaching responsibilities, and my pottery business. Then lockdown hit. To be honest, it was pretty scary in March. The trails, workshops and courses were cancelled or postponed indefinitely, and I felt I needed to take control of my business. The spring trails and shows are a significant source of income and, alongside the cancellation of…

PROJECT FOUR FLOWER PETAL BUD VASE This sweet little bud vase is lovely enough to grace a surface with or without flowers in it and looks especially delicate if a coloured transparent glaze is used to decorate the surface DIFFICULTY RATING You will need: ■ White firing clay – earthenware or stoneware ■ Glaze to suit clay type in single coloured transparent or 2-3 colours in transparent Begin by forming 225g (½lb) of well-prepared clay into a cone shape, as shown, then place the narrow end of the cone in the palm of one hand. Press down into the centre of the cone with your thumb until you can feel some pressure in the palm of your hand. Begin to pinch out the wall of the pot from the base…

BLACK BURTON CLAY DIGGING THE BLACK BURTON CLAY Lee Cartledge of Bentham Pottery shares a fascinating insight into digging his local clay If you were a potter 100 years ago, digging and processing the clay was actually part of your job description. Nowadays it is all too easy; you just make an order to a company in Stoke-on-Trent and magically a ton of clay gets delivered to your doorstep in convenient 12.5kg quantities, lovingly packed in plastic bags. The reason most potters now buy clay rather than dig their own is that clay is relatively cheap, and digging it and processing it is timeconsuming and back-breaking work. Plastic-packaged processed clay is a modern invention. Most people think that pottery making begins by opening a bought bag of clay. This has…

Doug’s DIARY (Photo: Layton Thompson) There’s a real sense here that summer is coming to an end, with the relentless rain turning the workshop lawn into marshland and holding up the progress of the various projects that are underway outside. One result of having a metal roof is that we’re always very aware of the rain, and its percussive soundtrack, which so regularly accompanies our day. At times recently it’s been almost deafening. The flowers in the tubs and planters of the little workshop garden still have a way to go yet, before they lose their place to wallflowers and daffodil bulbs in preparation to deliver next spring’s welcome cheer. I’ve enjoyed that little garden this year. It’s gated, so we could stop the children from accessing the front garden of…

ORDER OUR NEXT ISSUE TODAY AND GET FREE DELIVERY ISSUE 44 ON SALE OCTOBER 16 DON'T MISS OUT! PAY THE NORMAL SHOP PRICE* AND GET THE NEXT ISSUE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. ORDER TODAY! Order online at SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/CC44 Call now on 01959 543747** Quote ref: CC44 Terms and conditions apply. You should receive your copy on or around 16 October. *Delivery is included in the cover price for UK customers only. An additional £1 will be added to any overseas addresses. **Lines open Mon-Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate. Front cover for illustration purposes and subject to change.…

PROJECT TWO THROWN SOAP DISH Another useful item for the bathroom, to match the toothbrush holder in project one You will need: ■ Clay – earthenware or stoneware, approximately 340g (12oz) ■ Tools for throwing: batt, water bowl, sponge, rib, cutting wire ■ Glaze of choice to suit clay type Before you begin: Again, this project is best thrown on a batt. To find instructions on how to throw a pad to affix a batt, visit claycraft.co.uk/how-to Fix your batt onto the prepared pad on the wheel head, making sure it’s properly centred. DIFFICULTY RATING Dampen but don’t flood the surface of the batt, ready to begin. Prepare the clay by kneading to remove any possible trapped air, then form it into a cone shape and place it at the…

ALICE FYLES SUSTAINABLE THINKING Paul Bailey on young maker Alice Fyles This year must have seemed very strange for the ceramics students who were graduating. The hectic shows to which the public flock are gone, replaced with an online version of their work. Each maker has a story to tell, and here we look at a student from Central Saint Martins (CSM) in London – Alice Fyles. Alice was born on her parents' self-sufficient farm in Feakle, Ireland. Accompanied by a dozen chickens, a cheeky goat named Janis and their mad sheepdog Sune, her parents grew their own food, brewed their own wine and lived a simple life. A year after Alice was born, the family, and their way of life, moved to a small village in Sweden called Övra…

GLAZING TROUBLESHOOTING GLAZES Linda Bloomfield answers a reader’s questions about problems with glazing Reader Jacqui asks: “Until March and the dreaded lockdown, I was attending Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) to learn about ceramics and experimenting with the various clays, glazes etc they had. Before the lockdown, I had decided I would like to buy my own kiln and wheel, but I was intending on continuing to attend MAC, as I still had an awful lot to learn. However, having jumped in at the deep end and now with no lifeguard, I have had to rely on Youtube, Google and friends for the answers. I find that the more I seek answers, the more questions I have! Sometimes the answers from the internet conflict too. I have simply got bogged down…

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Confessions of a novice Keeping a lid on it, part 1: Ginger Jars I can count on the fingers of one hand, or possibly even one finger, the number of lids I’ve made since I started making pots. The time had come to take the plunge Of course, this also gave me an excuse to get back to my wheel, which can’t be a bad thing. Since the bells I made in the last issue, I’d been playing with a bit of red iron oxide, wedging it into my usual white stoneware. I love that deliciously smooth pale stuff, but I have to admit to occasional bouts of clay envy when I see people with speckled clay showing off the way it shows through their glazes, or dark clays that…

COURSES Do you run a course that you’d like to see here? Email claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk for free inclusion in our listing For free inclusion in this listing, email: claycraft.ed@kelsey.co.uk If you run other creative courses, register free at craftcourses.com SCOTLAND STEF BAXTER POTTERY Courses: Handbuilding & throwing day class drop-in. Night and weekend classes. 1-1 tuition & Raku classes. Suitable for all levels. Open access coming. Dates: see website Location; Govan, Glasgow stefbaxterpottery.com CLAY WORKS STUDIO Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, general pottery and throwing courses. Open access facility for more advanced makers coming soon Dates: See website Location: Dumfries & Galloway clayworksstudios.co.uk DUNDEE CERAMICS WORKSHOP Courses: Classes for all levels from beginner to intermediate, for individuals and groups. 1-1 tuition available. Open studio access and kiln…