Page 28 - ClayCraft - Issue 35 (January 2020)

A POTTERS’ PLAYTIME

AT POTCLAYS

Studio potters are invariably constrained by the size of their kiln, their working space
and inevitably by amounts of material they have access to. Many might like to work
bigger but find their circumstances make this too di cult. Imagine the luxury of a huge
supply of clay and two days to make one big piece from it. If only this were possible, but
interesting things can happen when people work together.

S o here was the idea: Potclays Wayne Clark
has built its business working
would love to
with small-scale makers and
take part in
is always eager to contribute something like
to the development of studio ceramics. this again.
Would the company support this project?
The answer was a resounding, yes.

Mark Winkle – works manager,
Potclays Ltd
“As an employee of Potclays, with 30 years
of experience in clay manufacturing, I
listened intently to Geoff Cox’s idea about
a ‘networking and skills event’ that needed
a venue and materials. This conversation
was held at Potfest Scotland, Scone Palace,
in Perth. It was something new,
interesting, which required forward
thinking, and vision. I was instantly happy
to float this idea with the Potclays
directors, on my return to Stoke-on-Trent,
as I felt it fitted with the company’s aim to
increase knowledge and awareness in And so it began transfer immediately to this size. A whole
studio pottery. After a meeting with Geoff Six potters arrived at Potclays’ reception new world of problems waiting to be
at our factory in Etruria, it was decided on a Thursday Morning in October and wrestled with, if not solved. For everyone,
that our classroom and machinery would were shown to the room where it would it was a most exciting adventure in
be a good place to start this journey into all happen. Two wheels, a wedging table waiting. It wasn’t the intention to fire the
the unknown.” and, just outside the door, two tonnes of pieces; the aim was just to experience
clay on a pallet (160 bags). The objective working on this scale. Potclays could
was for each potter to make one large reclaim all the clay after the event, so
piece over the next two days using up to working on site was ideal for everyone. No
500 kilos of clay. This would be 10 to 20 one knew what would happen, and both
times bigger than any of them had ever parties accepted that it could be a complete
worked before. failure, but all thought it an exciting
All the participants were well- project and undoubtedly something of
established makers with many years’ value would come from the experience for
experience in their own fields, but they both. The first decision – which clay to
were complete novices at working on such use?
a large scale. It seemed unlikely that skills
honed in their present work would Mark again
“With no idea what was needed, we
 Eddie Curtis discovering how decided on 150-1102 Oxidising St
much strength it takes to work on Thomas, (a general-purpose clay). It offers
such a large scale. a professional body that is excellent for
28 ClayCraft Issue 35