My background is in science - ever since I finished university (Physics with Nuclear Astrophysics, if you're interested!), I've been working in various jobs that try to connect science with the public, so I love anything where I can get my geek on. In my spare time, I do a lot of crafting - I knit and bake and I was looking for a new creative challenge.
Last January, I signed up for RACC's Handbuilding and Throwing evening class to get my hands on some clay. It's safe to say, I've never looked back! In the last 18 months or so, I've had a huge amount of fun, met some lovely people and created some pieces of work that I'm truly proud of.
Hand-building vs throwing
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to focus on hand-building. Using techniques like pinching, coiling and slab-building, you can create whatever shapes you want, from geometric to organic. I love pieces that are obviously handmade (if it's too symmetrical, you may as well buy it from a shop!) and hand-building lets you work at your own pace, rather than be subject to the tyranny of the wheel.
My favourite pieces that I've made are heavily textured with carving and facets (using tools to create texture), and look like they've been pulled from a quarry or an archaeological dig! I love playing with the contrasts between glazed and unglazed pottery, experimenting with different clays to get an interesting texture or finish in the final product.
Science + art = fun

Glazes are, essentially, chemically similar to clay itself, but with some extra little ingredients (and then mixed with water). Once you apply glaze to the bisque fired clay, it's these special ingredients that give your final piece its unique finish, colour or texture. You can also apply other chemicals (called oxides) to the glaze to add another layer of colour to your object. Then this is fired in the electric or gas kiln. Whilst both of the kilns are basically just ovens for pots (albeit really hot ones), the chemical reactions that they create make for another very exciting opportunity for creating something special.
The magic of the kiln process

This makes the time when you first pick up your pot a very special one - will it look as you imagined it would or will it be totally different? Whilst, sometimes, you can be a bit disappointed, you can also be utterly delighted by something that you had no idea would happen!
On one of my recent pots, I used a glaze that (I thought) would give an all-over sapphire blue, but what came out of the kiln was mostly silvery grey with a full spectrum of colours that spanned turquoise through to a deep violet - I was thrilled! All of these magical factors come together and make your finished pot truly unique. It'd be boring if you knew exactly what was going to happen in the kiln, and the highs and lows of "discovering" your pot makes ceramics deeply satisfying.
Experimenting
Gathering inspiration

Planning more ambitious works

I'm planning to do some more ambitious multi-part projects, like a teapot, and to work on refining my work to make my objects thinner and lighter. I'm thinking about making some pieces to sell in the college's Parkshot Gallery, so keep an eye out! I've also had my first commission - a storage pot for my friend's stained glass studio.
The art school is a fantastic place to learn - our tutor (hi Nic!), our helpful technicians (hi Zoe!) and my fellow students make the class a lot of fun. I'm so glad I gave ceramics a try! So much so I've signed up for the next three terms already...
You can follow Toby on Twitter and keep up to date with his latest creations. If you'd like to try ceramics yourself, have a look at our courses starting in September. Be quick, they fill up fast!
I’ve had a ceramic staircase for two decades already, and they still look great! Technological ceramics for the stairs
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