Page 74 - ClayCraft - Issue 35 (January 2020)

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Confessionss
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STARTING IN BUSINESS o n f e s s i o n s
of a novice
A LOT OF BOTTLE
Three, to be precise. I can’t tell you how good it feels to fully
finish a piece within the space of a week or so

only eight feet square, with a whole wall
taken up by deep shelving, but I think
I’ve made the best use of space I possibly
could, and it doesn’t feel small at all; it’s
A s you can imagine, I’ve been just cosy and perfect. As a result, I’ve
really been able to get on with the
revelling in my new studio
shed; pottering about, making
top of that, having the bigger kiln in the
pots, glazing pots, moving equipment serious business of playing with clay. On
around to find the right spot and shed next door has meant that much
shock of shocks, I’m even more firing is possible. It occurs
enjoying cleaning! to me that it would’ve been
Sometimes I head out much easier all this time if
there in the evening, turn I’d kept on going to
on the lights and heater, lessons, or signed up to an

close all the blinds and open studio where firing  This one flopped – cutting it
apart shows I’d gone too thin at the
listen to music or a was included!
shoulder area.
podcast as I work. It’s I really fancied throwing
those oil bottles from issue conical, so rather than try to make it
32, although I had a sneaky conform to the shape on the pages, I
feeling that I wouldn’t get round decided to let it go the way it wanted. I’m
to the stopper part (this turned out to be becoming more aware that this tactic –
true). I think I attempted five of them in following the clay instead of following a
total, with three making it through to plan – is not going to do me any favours
firing. I’m much more fussy these days long term. Soon enough I’ll need to
about what I fire because I’ve got a big become more skilled at throwing the
backlog of old work that I wish I hadn’t things I intend to throw, but for now I’m
bothered with… I don’t really enjoy still happy to go with the flow even if it
glazing and, to make it worse, some of isn’t what was intended, as long as I like
the pieces will deserve smashing even if what’s happening.
I do glaze them. A few of them I’m I really enjoyed making and using a
keeping for glaze tests, others for when I foot tool with an old store or credit card,
have tried and tested glazes that I’m sure as per the instructions. However, I
will enhance rather than ruin them. snipped away at it while sitting at the
I found the bottle shape pretty tricky wheel, which meant that some of the
to throw. This was partly because I tend slivers of plastic pinged away from the
to try for a narrow base right from the scissors to disappear on the floor and
start and this project called for a wide under the shelves. I must admit I had a
one. It turned out that I’m not so good at sneaking suspicion that one might have
 Snipping an old plastic card into a going narrow at the top when I’ve dropped into my reclaim bucket. Lo and
foot tool is amazingly e ective – just

don’t drop the shards in your reclaim. started wide at the base. This was behold it turned up, spiking my hand, as
Circled: The handmade foot tool therefore extremely good practice. I’ll I wedged that reclaim back into a ball.
works so well I’ve given it its own never learn if I just stick to my comfort I’ve uploaded a video of my reclaim
space in my tool box. zone. The first attempt started to look process, including the moment I found
74 ClayCraft Issue 35