Table of contents for #75 in ClayCraft

A s promised, Jacqui came to stay and we beetled off to Potfest at Glynde Place. I’d been last year, and was impressed by both the number of exhibitors and the venue. It really is the perfect location, with the marquees ranged in front of the stunning house, and shuttle buses running to and from Glynde station making it easy to get to. As I said at the time, it’s nice to have such a large event held so far south, and I’m pleased that it looks like becoming a permanent venue. This year was even better, and while the weather wasn’t particularly kind – there were some bitter winds when the sun went in, and I believe it rained on the days either side of our visit – the…

Before you begin: Look for some images of cats in a pose that you like. If you have a cat of your own, take photos of it to make your sculpture more individual. Alternatively, the internet is always a good resource, and Pinterest has a wealth of images you can use as a reference to work from. Print the images off if you can, so you can have them close by as you work. Note: Our cat is modelled in a stretching pose, but the principles for creating this sculpture will be the same no matter what the shape. You will need: ■ Awhole bag of grogged clay like Craft Crank or Raku Body ■ Cutting wire ■ Loop tools ■ General tools for fine details 12 NOW BE…

You will need: To make the mould ■ Asmall object to use as a model for your mould – see step 1 for suggestions ■ Clay to set the models in and make cottles ■ Plaster ■ Measuring jug, water, newspaperlined bowl for waste 1 Being a collector of things that you think will ‘one day be handy’ eventually pays off if you have the room to store the stuff, and this is a case in point as the item used to make these moulds has been in the studio for at least 35 years! To make our moulds, we have used the two halves of a vending machine container for a child’s toy – the sort found in fairground arcades etc. However, you could use a small ball as…

After several years of looking for larger premises and being repeatedly let down, the new unit ticks all the right boxes and boasts a large shop on two floors, a café area, a huge warehouse and offices. The opening attracted a host of visitors and was a great success. There's plenty of free parking, and the coffee's pretty good, too! Grant Pratt explained: “We got the keys on May 24th last year, and it’s been full-on since then, wiring, building, reglazing the windows, adding the mezzanine, sorting out the warehouse, fitting out the shop and bringing stuff over from Tilehurst. There was an unbelievable amount of stuff there. I don’t know how we got it all in!” “We’d exhausted all the options, then we found this site. It’s perfect, and we…

I tseems an age since I last wrote my diary, although, in reality, I don’t think it is. It’s probably the change in season that makes it seem like such a different world from just a few weeks ago when I last sat down to write. Never has spring felt so welcome. There’s a solitary swallow soaring above the garden, feasting on the first bugs of the season. At the bottom of the Glen, on the outskirts of Dumfries, the hedgerows are full of leaves, making our visits to town much more exciting. Our immediate surroundings, higher in altitude and on the edge of exposed moorland, are a couple of weeks behind, but the blackthorn is flowering now, and I noticed this morning that the buds on the pear tree…

Ceramic Wales is thrilled to offer a one-of-a-kind experience that celebrates the diverse creativity of ceramics in Wales, while combining plants and food to give visitors a truly memorable day out. The event, ‘Pots, Plants and Food’, takes place at Bodrhyddan Hall in North Wales, close to the mountains of Snowdonia and an area of outstanding natural beauty. Visitors can explore the stunning gardens and house while enjoying the many exhibits and activities on offer. The focus of the event is to highlight the very best of ceramics; with over 80 makers providing a visual showcase of contemporary ceramics. The event brings together local and national artists, collectors, and enthusiasts to share their passion for this truly diverse art form. There are two focus exhibitions: 'Made in Wales' featuring the…

Linda Bloomfield is a scientist turned potter. More glaze recipes can be found in her books, Special Effect Glazes (Herbert Press 2020), Colour in Glazes (Herbert Press 2019) and The Handbook of Glaze Recipes (Bloomsbury 2014) When light falls on an object, some of the light is absorbed, and the colour we see is the remaining, unabsorbed part of the colour spectrum. For example, a cobalt glaze absorbs the yellow light and we see a blue colour, the complementary colour in the light spectrum. Black objects absorb all the light, so we see no colour. One way to make a black glaze is to add a mixture of colouring oxides to a glaze. Each oxide absorbs a different colour of light and together they make a black glaze. I often…

We’ve just done our first outside firing weekend here at Cheshire Clay Studio, trialling our spanking new outside firing area. We started to develop the outside area last year and very unfortunately were badly let down by the contractor who said they would clear the area and build a covered space for us. We retired hurt, poorer and licking our wounds, and the outside area went on hold. Fortunately, Liz’s very practical husband had a small window in his diary, which Liz quickly filled for him, and he did the work for us, finishing up in mid-March this year. So now we have a lovely big space and a covered area for those less-than-perfect days. We already own three raku kilns and three dustbins for smoke-firing, but Lisa yearned for…

SCOTLAND STEF BAXTER POTTERY Courses: Handbuilding & throwing day class drop-in. Night and weekend classes. 1-1 tuition & Raku classes. Suitable for all levels. Open access coming. Dates: see website Location; Govan, Glasgow stefbaxterpottery.com CLAY WORKS STUDIO Courses: All levels from beginners to intermediate. Taster courses, general pottery and throwing courses. Open access facility for more advanced makers coming soon Dates: See website Location: Dumfries & Galloway clayworksstudios.co.uk DUNDEE CERAMICS WORKSHOP Courses: Classes for all levels from beginner to intermediate, for individuals and groups. 1-1 tuition available. Open studio access and kiln hire for members Dates: Throughout the year (see website) Location: Dundee dundeeceramicsworkshop.com FORGAN ARTS CENTRE Courses: All levels and ages catered for in hand building, throwing & Raku 12 pottery classes per week plus specialist technique weekend workshops…