Oxford Clay – Details, episodes & analysis

Colour in pottery is usually created with commercial metal oxides available as a raw material or as an ingredient in stains.

In the first of this five-part podcast series to celebrate the release of the book ‘Eco-conscious Pottery Colour: A guide to colouring ceramics with scrap metals, glass, plant ash and clay’,  we explore what Eco-conscious pottery colour is and why it’s great for Potters, and the Earth. 

*A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

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Resources for Potters:

Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

So many pottery projects involve joining clay together and it’s not unusual for clay to crack apart after it's been joined. 

Join me for this episode where I talk about my 5 simple steps for joining clay together to stop clay from cracking apart! 

*Join clay that is the same level of dryness, you can encourage this by keeping clay in a damp box. 

*Use vinegar to ‘melt’ the joining surface of the clay. 

*Score the surface of the areas to be joined. 

*Use slip on the joint (and superpower this by mixing in paper fibres!). 

*Dry your pottery slowly to prevent some parts from drying faster than others and cracking apart. 

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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After years of practising pottery, I’ve distilled the absolute one thing every Potter needs to know: be kind to yourself!

Although being kind to yourself doesn’t seem like it has anything to do with making pottery! Self-kindness is actually something that superpowers your pottery learning journey and helps you cultivate a growth mindset.

Being kind to yourself is an absolute must for learning any new thing that requires a lot of patience and making ‘mistakes’ along the way - like pottery!

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Using moulds in pottery is amazing! Moulds allow Potters to make the same shape consistently over and over again, create sets of pots, and save time and energy in their making process.

Moulds can be used to make the main body of the pot or for creating decoration. 

In this episode I talk about the 5 types of moulds available to Potters and how each one is used: 

*Press mould

*Hump mould 

*Slip-casting mould 

*Sprig mould (plaster of Paris) 

*Sprig mould (silicone)

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Pottery is a very safe activity but there are certain times when Potters need to protect their lungs from fine powders. That’s where FFP3 face masks come in!

In this episode, I talk about what an FFP3 face mask is, how it works, and four scenarios when a Potter would need one:

*When making pottery glazes or clay.

*When sieving plant ashes. 

*When scraping dry clay.

*When applying glaze to pottery by spraying.

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Did you know that clay is actually made from lots of different materials such as crushed rocks, ball clays and china clay? 

Making your own clay can be a great option for Potters who want to know exactly what ingredients are going into their clay to minimise the environmental impact of their pottery. Making clay yourself can be cheaper than buying it commercially and you can save the time, effort and CO2 emissions of haulage to get (heavy!) wet clay to you.  

In this episode, I talk you through the ingredients and process I use to make my own stoneware clay. Firstly by creating a casting slip, that I later reclaim back into clay for throwing!

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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There is some incredible equipment out there that is not necessarily made for the handmade pottery industry, but Potters can use it for amazing results!

In this 2 part episode series I’ll tell you about 16 of my favourite pieces of non-pottery equipment that I regularly use to make my pottery.

There's actually so much great equipment out there that I had to split this topic into two parts!

In part 2 I tell you about how I use these things in pottery: 

*Silicone spatula

*Gardening Scoop 

*Stone Pestle and Mortar 

*Slate Table Mats 

*Tea Towel

*Flexible Bucket (also known as a Flexi Tub) 

*Tupperware boxes

*Makeup brushes 

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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There is some incredible equipment out there that is not necessarily made for the handmade pottery industry, but Potters can use it for amazing results! In this two-part episode series I’ll tell you about 16 of my favourite pieces of non-pottery equipment that I regularly use to make my pottery.

There's actually so much great equipment out there that I had to split this topic into two parts!

In Part 1 I tell you about how I use these things in pottery:

*Cellulose Decorators Sponge

*Microfibre Cleaning Cloth

*Plasterer’s Bucket

*Electric Paddle Mixer

*Enamel Pie Dish

*Vegetable oil

*Bamboo Kitchen Roll

*Catering Electric Stick Blender

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

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Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Did you know that vinegar has several uses in pottery?

In this episode, we explore three excellent ways Potters can use vinegar in their work, from helping to stick clay together, to thickening slips and even as an ingredient in making homemade pottery colouring oxides!

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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Slip casting is a fantastic way of making pottery. It allows Potters to make the same shape of pot over and over again, saving time and effort. Slip casting also allows Potters to make sets of items and standardise their making process to ensure they can consistently replicate the quality of their pots.

At Oxford Clay, I've been slip casting for a number of years now and have experienced a lot ups and downs with learning the process! In this episode, I talk about the 10 best slip-casting tips I’ve learned over the years, from making your own casting slip to adding paper to the slip recipe to strengthen the clay!

The stoneware slip-casting slip recipe mentioned in this episode can be found in the book Eco-Friendly Pottery: 30 Simple Ways to Make Your Pottery Practice More Ethical and Sustainable, by Oxford Clay available on the Oxford Clay website or on Amazon.

Links for the Eco-Friendly Pottery Book with the slip recipe:

Amazon

Oxford Clay website

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube

✨Support the Podcast

-------------------------------

Resources for Potters:

⭐ Pottery Paperback Books available from Amazon

Free Pottery Guides:

🆓 Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):

🆓 Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze firings (includes full kiln firing schedule)

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