Pottery Group

Welcome to the Pottery Group.

This group is for any U3A member and with any level of experience.

We will use basic techniques to hand build pottery which will be fired and glazed before you take it home.

The sessions will be held in the Old Girls School on Wednesdays (all day) starting from November 2019. Group members are welcome for any 2 hour slot over the day to work on your own projects.

In 5 weeks we aim to make at least two items and learn enough to work on individual projects at a later date.

Clay, glaze and basic equipment will be available but you will need your own.

a large apron or old shirt or oversized t-shirt
a wooden spatula
an old toothbrush
lolly sticks
an old plastic card (credit card or loyalty card)
a box to carry your work home and something for your tools
a small sponge
children's modelling tools if you already have them

If there are any cake decorators in the group with a cake decorators turntable, that would be useful for the second week.

Pottery production is a slow process. Once we have made our pots they will need to dry slowly over several days before they can be finished, they will then be ready for the first decoration and the first firing (bisque to 1000C). They will then need to glazed and fired again to 1080C.

Your work will be in the kiln for up to 12 hours each time and will take 24 hours to cool down.

YouTube resources you might like to look at:-

Jamie Meador
KaransPotsandGlass
bambootoolspottery
Ceramic Arts Daily
The Clay Lady

'Claycraft' magazine is good and there will be books available to look at for inspiration but not for loan.

PLEASE remember to tick the Pottery Group on the group page. This allows me to email you and keep you up to date with what is happening. Group 1 have already been contacted by Susan Ferguson.