Oxford Clay

Katherine Tomlinson

Chats about pottery with an environmental focus. Tune in for pottery tips and a discussion of issues in the handmade pottery industry today. Oxford Clay creates resources for Potters seeking a more environmentally friendly pottery practice.

Oxford Clay website: www.oxfordclay.co.uk

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125 episodes
Updated July 26

Episodes125

Newest first

Sep 22, 2024
65. Creating Eco-conscious Pottery Colour with Plant Ashes - Eco-conscious Pottery Colour Series: Part 4
Colour in pottery is usually created with commercial metal oxides available as a raw material or as an ingredient in stains. In the fourth of this special 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 how to create beautiful colours in pottery, using the ashes of plants! *A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here. 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) ------------------------------------
Sep 15, 2024
64. Creating Eco-conscious pottery colour with glass - Eco-conscious Pottery Colour Series: Part 3
Colour in pottery is usually created with commercial metal oxides available as a raw material or as an ingredient in stains. In the third of this special 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 how to create beautiful decorative colours in pottery, using scrap glass. *A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here. 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) ------------------------------------
Sep 8, 2024
63. Creating Eco-conscious Pottery Colour with Scrap Metals - Eco-conscious Pottery Colour Series: Part 2
Colour in pottery is usually created with commercial metal oxides available as a raw material or as an ingredient in stains. In the second 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 how to create beautiful glaze colours in pottery, using scrap copper and iron. *A paper copy of Eco-conscious Pottery Colour is available from Amazon here. 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) ------------------------------------
Sep 1, 2024
62. What is Eco-conscious Pottery Colour? - Eco-conscious Pottery Colour Series: Part 1
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 ----------------------------------- 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
Aug 18, 2024
61. How to join clay together without it cracking: 5 Simple Steps
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Aug 4, 2024
60. Listener Questions: Glaze Crazing and Pinholing
Thank you for your listener questions! This is the first listener question episode, and we're talking about about crazing and pinholing in pottery glazes. The listener questions in this episode are: Is it a defect of the glaze to have pinholes or hairline cracks after firing? Are these fired glazes permeable and will food residues settle in them over time, especially if you only wash them by hand? Can crazed and pinholed pottery go in the dishwasher? 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) ------------------------------------
Jul 21, 2024
59. How to make pottery glaze tests
Experimenting with making pottery glazes is one of my absolute favourite things to do. In this episode, I tell you how I make my glaze tests at Oxford Clay, and how you can do the same! 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) ------------------------------------
Jul 7, 2024
58. 5 Ways to Recycle in Pottery
In this episode, I talk about 5 simple things you can do to recycle resources in pottery! The 5 things I talk about today are: *Collecting Rainwater to use in pottery *Reclaiming used clay back into new clay *Turning scrap metal into colouring oxides *Making pottery glazes from plant ashes *Using glass in pottery to add colour and decorative detail 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) ------------------------------------
Jun 30, 2024
57. Welcoming your Pottery Questions on the Podcast
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) ------------------------------------
Jun 23, 2024
56. 3 Beautiful Green Glaze Recipes Made with Recycled Copper Verdigris
Did you know that you can actually make your own green pottery colourant called Verdigris? Verdigris is an ancient pigment that has been used for thousands of years, and you can make it yourself by recycling scrap copper! In this episode I share 3 beautiful pottery glazes I've made using Verdigris. Green Stoneware / high-fire recipes below: Learn how to fire these stoneware glazes in an electric kiln in this free workbook. Recipe 1: Cornish Stone - 50 Quartz - 25 Whiting - 15 Dolomite - 10 5% Verdigris Recipe 2: Cornish Stone - 40 Quartz - 20 China Clay - 15 Whiting - 10 Dolomite - 10 5% Verdigris Recipe 3: Feldspar - 56 Quartz - 22 Whiting - 13 Plant/Wood Ash - 9 5% Verdigris Recipe 4: (just in case you like this glaze?! / are making a sculpture of an amphibian and need a good glaze for the skin!) Cornish Stone - 40 Plant/Wood Ash - 40 Quartz - 20 10% Verdigris Learn how to make your own Verdigris and use it in your pottery in this video mini-course. Or this book 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) ------------------------------------
Jun 9, 2024
55. How to Make Verdigris and Use it in Pottery
You may have heard the word ‘Verdigris’ used to describe a blue-green colour, or you may have seen it on brass statues or the roofs of buildings. Verdigris is also a pigment that has been used by artisans for thousands of years. But did you know that Potters can actually make their own Verdigris to use in their ceramics?! Making your own verdigris is a great way to avoid using commercial metal oxides, one of the least environmentally friendly pottery ingredients. In this episode, I tell you about how I make my own verdigris and how I use it in the pottery at Oxford Clay as a unique eco-conscious pottery colourant. Learn how to make your own Verdigris and use it in your pottery in this video mini-course. 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) ------------------------------------
May 26, 2024
54. What is Leather-hard Clay?
Leather hard clay is when the clay has dried a little but is still wet enough to work with. Clay is very versatile at the leather-hard stage, stronger, and less prone to breakage like bone dry pottery (also known as ‘greenware’). In this episode, I explain what leather-hard clay is and all the amazing things that can be created with leather-hard clay! From building slab pots, etching decoration and slip trailing, to turning the base of wheel-thrown pots and more! 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) ------------------------------------
May 12, 2024
53. 3 Ways to Make a Totally Unique Pottery Glaze
Any Potter can make their own totally unique pottery glaze! Making your own signature pottery glaze is a great way of creating a unique aesthetic for your ceramics. You may think that making your own glaze is difficult but it's not! If you can follow any kind of recipe, you can make a pottery glaze. In this episode, I talk about 3 ways to make a totally unique pottery glaze: *Tweak the base ingredients of an existing glaze recipe. *Add different colouring oxides to a base glaze. *Make a pottery glaze using plant ashes. If you’re interested in learning how to make a Stoneware pottery glaze, and having a base glaze recipe to make your own unique glaze, you can download the free How to Make a Pottery Glaze workbook here 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) ------------------------------------
Apr 28, 2024
52. My Absolute Number One Pottery Tip
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Apr 14, 2024
51. 5 Different Types of Mould Used in Pottery
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Mar 31, 2024
50. When Do You Need an FFP3 Face Mask in Pottery
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Mar 17, 2024
49. How to Make Your Own Pottery Clay
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Mar 3, 2024
48. 16 non-pottery things that are great to use in Pottery: Part 2
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Feb 18, 2024
47. 16 non-pottery things that are great to use in Pottery: Part 1
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 ------------------------------- 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) ------------------------------------
Feb 4, 2024
46. What is Vinegar Used For in Pottery
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) ------------------------------------