Oxford Clay

By 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

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FAQs about Oxford Clay:

How many episodes does Oxford Clay have?

The podcast currently has 109 episodes available.

Oxford Clay episodes:

March 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 eBooks
⭐ 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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Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
30min
March 03, 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 eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
24min
February 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 eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
24min
February 04, 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 eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
15min
January 21, 2024 45. 10 Best Slip Casting Tips
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 eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
36min
January 07, 2024 44. How to Make a Plaster Mould in Pottery
Plaster moulds are a great resource for Potters. Moulds can be used in pottery to press clay into (a press mould), smooth clay over (a hump mould), or pour liquid clay into (a slip casting mould).
Plaster moulds allow Potters to make lots of the same shapes of pots simply and accurately. At Oxford Clay, I use a one-part plaster mould for slip-casting my work. In this episode, I talk through the step-by-step process of how I make my plaster moulds, by casting the profile of an enamel pie dish into plaster of Paris. You’ll hear how achievable making your own plaster mould really is!
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
✨Support the Podcast
-------------------------------
Resources for Potters:
⭐ Pottery eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
39min
December 24, 2023 43. What is a Clay Body?
What are clay bodies made from and do you need to make your own as a Potter?
Have you ever heard the term ‘clay body’ and been curious about what it means? Well, the ‘clay body’ and clay are the same thing! In this episode, we investigate what clay or clay bodies are made from, how they’re made and three reasons why a Potter may choose to make their own.
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
✨Support the Podcast
-------------------------------
Resources for Potters:
⭐ Pottery eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
21min
December 10, 2023 42. 5 Tips for How to Have Original Creative Ideas in Pottery
If you've ever felt blocked creatively in pottery or like nothing you’re making is any ‘good’ (who hasn’t?) this episode is for you! We discuss five tips for getting your creative flow back and generating original ideas in pottery. Some of them are just about getting out of our own way and not believing the thoughts our brains like to generate about our pottery practice.
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
✨Support the Podcast
-------------------------------
Resources for Potters:
⭐ Pottery eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
23min
November 26, 2023 41. Simple Material Swaps to Make More Eco-friendly Pottery
There are many simple pottery material swaps Potters can do to make their pottery practice more eco-friendly. In this episode, we explore some easy pottery materials to switch from less eco-friendly to more environmentally friendly ones.
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
✨Support the Podcast
-------------------------------
Resources for Potters:
⭐ Pottery eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
17min
November 12, 2023 40. Prioritising Your Creativity with Emily Marston from Emily Marston Ceramics
In this episode, I speak to Emily Marston from Emily Marston Ceramics. Emily runs pottery workshops in Oxford for beginners, and handbuilds pottery and ceramic jewellery from her Oxford-based studio.
Join us for this conversation about the highs and lows of making pottery! Emily tells us about her own creativity, the joy she gets from seeing other people make and fire their pottery at her workshops, and the things she does to prioritise and nourish her own creativity. I hope it inspires you to prioritise and nourish your own creativity too.
Check out Emily’s Pottery here:https://www.emilymarstonstudio.co.uk/
Find out more about Emily’s pottery workshops here: https://www.emilymarstonstudio.co.uk/ceramicworkshops
Follow Emily on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/emilymarstonstudio/
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube
✨Support the Podcast
-------------------------------
Resources for Potters:
⭐ Pottery eBooks
⭐ 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)
------------------------------------
Get your pottery question answered on the podcast!
Submit your pottery question to the Oxford Clay podcast by emailing your question to: [email protected] with the subject line ‘Podcast Question’.
...more
34min

FAQs about Oxford Clay:

How many episodes does Oxford Clay have?

The podcast currently has 109 episodes available.