A few weeks ago I posted about my first ever attempt at throwing pottery on the wheel. I’ve always wanted to have a go at making ceramics and I thoroughly enjoyed our workshop with Clover Lee (I’ve written a separate post about it here). This week I was able to collect mine and Mark’s pots – they had all survived and looked great. I carefully wrapped them in newspaper to get them home – they had made it this far I couldn’t let them get damaged now!

Our group selected three colours of glaze to use for our pots: oatmeal, blue, and matt white. I opted for most of my pots to be glazed in oatmeal as it feels quite modern and I love the neutral colour and speckled effect. I also think it’s a great tone for serving food as it lets the colours of the ingredients pop, especially vibrant vegetables like broccoli or asparagus. I chose the blue glaze for my small vase mainly just for variety, but I actually love the indigo, almost denim-like effect it has. I think a bright yellow sunflower would look great in it!

I’m genuinely proud of everything I created during the workshop, but there are a few pieces that I’m especially pleased with. My incense burner was the first thing I made where I wasn’t just playing around or following what the clay seemed to want to do, but I had a clear picture in my head of how I wanted it to look. It felt really big when I first made it but the clay shrinks by about 15% during the firing process and it has turned out exactly the right size! Incense fits perfectly in the middle with a slight lean to the side so that it can burn properly, but still won’t drop ash over the side of the plate. The oatmeal glaze works so well for this as well as it’s a neutral, earthy colour – especially with these sandalwood incense sticks.

A few of my other favourites were the jug, bowl and cup, all in the oatmeal glaze. I like to think of the combination as a matching breakfast set for cereal, milk and tea. We didn’t learn how to add handles during the workshop because we were beginners, but I really like the effect without them as I think they have a modern, sleek look.

I’m so happy that all of my pots survived and that they turned out so well after glazing and firing. I’m definitely going to join one of Clover’s evening classes when I get back from my travels overseas (more on that to come!) and I can’t wait to see what I can learn to make in the future.

Interested in having a go for yourself? Clover Lee runs regular classes and workshops and all the information including prices can be found on her website at https://www.clover-lee.com/potteryclasses. Check out her gallery too!