0:00:05 > 0:00:09'Nope, it's still not the bit between the programmes in the 1960s.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10'It's week three.'
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Ooh!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13'And I'm not getting any better.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:14SHE LAUGHS
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Previously, in The Great Pottery Throw Down...
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Oh, my God!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22..it was sink or swim for our potters.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23HE LAUGHS
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Jim made quite a splash...
0:00:28 > 0:00:30..and was awarded Top Potter.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:00:32 > 0:00:37But a broken basin sent Nigel's prospects down the plughole.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I came for the crack, and that's what, ultimately, I got.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Now our judges, master potter Keith Brymer Jones
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and ceramic artist Kate Malone have set three more challenges...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I've just got to try and stop shaking.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53..including a main make where sparks will fly...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Ooh, come on! Something work!
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..a spot test to get them thinking...
0:00:58 > 0:00:59Mind's gone a bit blank now.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..and a throw down to leave them gasping...
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Do keep breathing!
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- Oh, my lord!- Take your time.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06That's it, that's it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Don't worry, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09SHE GASPS
0:01:15 > 0:01:19- # Got a feeling inside - Can't explain
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- # It's a certain kind - Can't explain
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- # I feel hot and cold - Can't explain
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- # Yeah, down my soul, yeah - Can't explain
0:01:29 > 0:01:31# Can't explain
0:01:31 > 0:01:32# I think it's love
0:01:32 > 0:01:34# Try to say it to you
0:01:34 > 0:01:36# When I feel blue
0:01:36 > 0:01:38# But I can't explain. #
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The potters are back for three more challenges
0:01:45 > 0:01:46and five more days.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But, sadly, not everyone will be able to take part.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Joanna has decided not to continue for personal reasons.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55I really wish Jo well.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58She left on a real high because her basin was lovely.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00She helped me a lot, she gave me a lot of advice, different skills,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03different techniques, so I'm going to miss Joanna.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05I know it's a really difficult decision for her to make.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I'm looking forward to today, new challenge ahead
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and can't wait to get stuck in.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Top Potter for the week, that'll do for me.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It feels good, I'm not going to deny that. It feels good.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I'm looking for any way I can break Jim's arms.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Got to take him out of the competition now.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22The enemy has definitely reared its head.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26If we go into this and the nerves get the better of me, I've got no chance at all.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28So, I need to keep cool. I need to stay calm.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30My fear is the time, as usual.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Good morning, potters.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35- ALL:- Good morning.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Exciting times, cos we're about to unveil this week's main make,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and rumour has it that sparks are going to fly.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48We want you to make 10 long-necked vases, all on the wheel,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51they have to be identical in size and shape.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53And remember a pot has character.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56It has a foot and a lip, a shoulder and a belly.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01You're going to choose five of your vases to carry through
0:03:01 > 0:03:03to fire with the raku technique.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Sparks fly everywhere, it's earth, air, fire and water.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It's a crazy technique, breaking all the rules that
0:03:10 > 0:03:12we've been following up till now.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And it's really exciting.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Making raku vases is the most technically demanding
0:03:19 > 0:03:21and dangerous challenge so far.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I'm not feeling confident today, really.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29In the next five days, they'll have to throw 10 identical vases,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32dry and bisque fire them, choose the best five to decorate
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and put through the risky raku firing process -
0:03:36 > 0:03:39a centuries-old Japanese technique that'll see them putting their vases
0:03:39 > 0:03:44directly into temperatures of 1,000 degrees C for a rapid firing,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46removing them, still red hot,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and covering them with combustible material,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51then plunge them into water.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56And clean away the burnt surface to reveal the
0:03:56 > 0:04:01incredible colours and textures that only the chaos of raku can create.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It's the funky, punky style of glazing, isn't it, and firing?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- HE LAUGHS - Yeah.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Normally you have to heat gently and cool gently,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and everything has to reduce the shock.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15And it's so volatile, you never really know what you're going to get.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17This one's beautifully developed, isn't it?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19It sort of speaks of the process, doesn't it?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21This is really elemental, this is like fire,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24this is like sort of under the ground in the magma of the Earth.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Yeah, I mean the decoration is still alive on the pot, isn't it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30You're looking at which areas to leave unglazed
0:04:30 > 0:04:32because it's the body that turns black.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35They've decided to have that line there, that is not accidental,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38that's what I want to see the potters doing.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Deciding, executing, showing us how clever they are.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The throwing technique that we're asking them to do is also a challenge.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49You're really working against the force of physics, really,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52cos you're wanting to collar in this long neck,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and as you collar it in, you've got to keep it under control.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Some of the potters actually might do something with the necks,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00they might bend the neck, they might distort it,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02or they might make a feature out of it.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06There's great scope for the shape and the form to be quite different.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11The potters now have just two and a half hours
0:05:11 > 0:05:13to throw 10 identical long-necked vases.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Using the same amount of clay, to kick off with,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18is a very good starting point.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And because they'll eventually be plunged into the unforgiving
0:05:21 > 0:05:25raku firing process, they're using a specially formulated clay.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27God, this stuff's really soft.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29It's soft, really soft.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33It contains grog, clay that's been fired,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35ground down to a powder and mixed back in.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39It makes the clay more resilient to the massive
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and immediate temperature changes in raku firing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44This task is probably my nemesis.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47It's controlled, it's perfection.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Keith is going to be looking for 10, not five, not six.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51He wants 10 vases on the table.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53In the time allowance, that's going to be pretty tough.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57I think we've got about 15 minutes on each form.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58It's going to be tight.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02I mean, Matt's already started throwing.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Yeah, there's no point waiting around is there?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It's a challenge to throw 10 identical.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I don't know if any of the others have had a practice,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11but I've had a good practice at this.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13The current Top Potter, Jim,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15is making sure his clay is well-prepared.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I've never been top at anything, to tell you the truth.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19I think I grew a palm tree once.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22That was about 12 stone, and I won a trophy!
0:06:23 > 0:06:27But raku could still result in a very familiar situation for Jim.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31There's been a number of disasters with my pot making over the years.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Opening the kiln door and finding every piece broken or cracked.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I actually did cry, probably the only time I ever had,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I had tears in my eyes for the loss.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Not so much these days, obviously you learn as you go along.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Older and wiser.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50To make a thin neck bottle you have to throw, obviously,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52the base so you can get your hand in.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56For the upper section, obviously you can't get your hand inside,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58so you literally have to collar in,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and I think this is a bit of an exercise in collaring in.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Collaring with real throwing is about taking the clay in and up,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and the best way to collar is to create speed on the wheel,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18so that as you gently go up the form, as you draw the clay in,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22you're increasing the speed and that will draw it right in,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25so we can create height and narrow forms with collaring.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Collaring can be difficult at first
0:07:29 > 0:07:34because you go against your natural instincts to speed up the wheel to draw the clay in.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37And things can start to go wobbling at the top,
0:07:37 > 0:07:38but you've just to keep your courage
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and carry on until you get to that lip.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I don't know if I've got time. So not good.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53This is a tricky throwing task and for people that aren't strong at throwing,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56you know, it's going to be that much more difficult really.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57SHE GASPS AND SCREAMS
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I screamed because I was finishing off a little bit,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02something happened inside, it's caught and it just...
0:08:02 > 0:08:06I'm not going to name names at this point, but there's one or two bods that are struggling.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07HE CHUCKLES
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Not that I find that amusing at all.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12I just...
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Messed up.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17My least skilled area is throwing.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22I mean it's OK, but, it's... It's not that good.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23I want to be better at what I do.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But I'm not good enough, for me.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I want my work to be sought-after.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Is that vain?
0:08:29 > 0:08:33It'll be fine, honestly, it'll be just fine.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37To ensure their vases are the same size,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40the potters are using throwing gauges,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44pointers that can let them know at which height to stop collaring in.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48But Matthew's making twice the effort
0:08:48 > 0:08:50to ensure his vases are identical.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Have you noticed the double pointer?
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So, it's a mark for its hip and a mark for its top of its lip.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Whatever their approach, throwing the first vase successfully...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I've just got to try and stop shaking, would be helpful.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07..will have create a feel and rhythm for the remaining nine.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10HE SIGHS
0:09:10 > 0:09:12You've got to be pleased with that, are you?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I am chuffed, the first one done.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16- Well, hopefully you'll get into it. - I'm hoping.- Yeah.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19All right, good luck. Carry on, though, great start.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20- Oh, God!- We're going to go now!
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I'm just using a credit card just to take a little bit
0:09:31 > 0:09:33off the bottom to give it a bit of lift.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Why would you ever use a credit card for anything else?!
0:09:35 > 0:09:37THEY LAUGH
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I can't concentrate. I need to get into a rhythm,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and you can't do that...if you're constantly interrupted, actually.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49That's the truth of it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53I have to be in absolutely the right frame of mind to be creative.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55I quite like a quiet atmosphere when I'm potting,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57but it's got to be calm,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01and, actually, quite often, the best throwing I do is in total silence.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I'm pernickety about detail.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05I love things to be finished properly.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I want every piece to be just right.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I feel like I just need to be able to get into a zone, and I'm not there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I pot, in ideal circumstances, undisturbed.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I think I'm probably a bit of a primadonna potter.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- You're halfway through, guys. Halfway through.- Oh, my...
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Jeez.- What?
0:10:25 > 0:10:27I'm not going to have five at this rate.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Shame, shame, shame.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32James and Sandra have thrown just two vases.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Jane, Tom and Sally-Jo have managed three,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39but none of them are able to keep up with Jim and Matthew.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40I've done six.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I want to alter these towards the end,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and I'm hoping for a good bit of time to do that
0:10:46 > 0:10:48because there are some features I'd love to add to these.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Yeah, we're rocking along now.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I'm in the zone, as they say.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58# Keep on running
0:10:58 > 0:11:01# Keep on hiding
0:11:01 > 0:11:04# One fine day I'm gonna be the one
0:11:04 > 0:11:07# To make you understand
0:11:07 > 0:11:10# Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be your man. #
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I'm up to number five now.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20You can't rush art, it sort of naturally happens.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25This is where I get a bit arty.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29The shape that I've designed is a bit on the bottom-heavy side,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and I just wanted a bit more of a nice curve over, really,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35which is why I'm altering the neck, the profile.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40When they're together, they're going to look like little people talking to each other.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43That's the look I'm going for.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Oh, shoot.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47My neck is not working.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's weak, and it wants to collapse.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I can't leave it like that, actually.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- BLEEP.- Forget that.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58I need to chill out a bit.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Just lacking in the right state of mind, I think.
0:12:00 > 0:12:0230 minutes left, guys.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03You've got 30 minutes left.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- SHE LAUGHS - No way!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Is that a laugh of joy, Sandra?
0:12:08 > 0:12:09SHE GIGGLES
0:12:09 > 0:12:1230 minutes, yay! 30 minutes, that's loads of time!
0:12:12 > 0:12:15This is definitely not going to be quite tall enough, but...
0:12:16 > 0:12:21I think at this point, if it ends up as a vase, then...it's a result.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I'm just not really worrying too much about what they look like,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I'm just going for quantity.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28They're very nice, though. I mean, they look like five sisters.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Some of them are more supermodel, and some of them are more...
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Personality!- Personality.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38This is not about other people, this is about your own mind-set
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and your own battle with yourself.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Jim is the first to complete all 10 of his vases,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01giving him plenty of time to add a little flourish.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Kate mentioned they want a bit of personality on these pots,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and I'm going to give it to them!
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Well, Jim's happily decorating 10 bottles at the moment.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I'd love to be doing that.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16You've got four minutes, girls and boys. Four minutes.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19All your vases need to be in the drying room as well,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22so I don't want to encourage a mad stampede.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Do you want to come up here?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Four...
0:13:38 > 0:13:39three...
0:13:39 > 0:13:40two...
0:13:40 > 0:13:42one - time's up!
0:13:42 > 0:13:43HE SIGHS
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- Oh!- Well done.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48THEY CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Was that hard work, that?
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- It was horrific.- Horrific?
0:13:55 > 0:13:56I know I've only done eight,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58but I'm chuffed that I got eight out, to be honest.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Far too stressful for me!
0:14:00 > 0:14:04I think if the seven I'd done were perfect, I'd be really happy,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06but the seven I've done aren't even perfect.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Everyone was stressed, no-one spoke hardly, even Jim,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12he didn't say anything at all and he talks a lot.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Did my 10.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17I got a couple finished as I'd like and, er...
0:14:17 > 0:14:20That was all right, that was good fun. I liked that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I'm not a hugely proficient thrower, and I felt that today.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I felt I was really struggling.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I didn't enjoy it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Middleport Pottery, lying in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37has been a working factory for over 150 years.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40By the mid 19th century, the ceramics industry employed
0:14:40 > 0:14:42over half the city's population.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45A huge army of craftsmen and women
0:14:45 > 0:14:49delivering British tableware to the entire world.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51The skills used then are still in use today,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and our potters are about to be tested on one technique
0:14:54 > 0:14:58that's endured not just for centuries, but millennia.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01This is your spot test.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03It's where the judges like to put you through your paces
0:15:03 > 0:15:06with a particular pottery technique.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10This week we're going to put your slip decoration skills to the test,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14and what we want you to do is take this ancient technique
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and apply it with a contemporary style.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I'm sure you're all desperate to see what it is you're going to be
0:15:20 > 0:15:21putting this slip on.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23You can remove your cloths now.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Gorgeous, a little family of jugs!
0:15:28 > 0:15:32They need to relate to each other, they need to be part of a group, a set.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35You're going to have 75 minutes
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and because it is the spot test, you do it without the judges watching.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41So, off you go.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Potters, get decorating.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Before glazes, there was slip.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- HE SIGHS - Well...
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Slip is clay that has been watered down and coloured.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Thousands of years ago, it emerged as the first means
0:15:56 > 0:15:59by which potters could add colour to their work.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Mind's gone a bit blank now.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Kate and Keith will want to see decoration that can only be
0:16:04 > 0:16:07achieved with the unique way slip is applied.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Dipping.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Pouring.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12Brushing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16And trailing, which is using one of these.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I could practise on the bench, I suppose.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22To decorate a pot isn't just putting a pattern flat onto a pot,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24it's considering the shape of it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26If you imagine someone wearing a tight lace dress,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29the pattern is stretched over wide bits
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and it's looser over a narrow bit.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35So, there's this lovely play between surface and form.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I'm looking for continuity through the three jugs,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and there's quite a bit of spontaneity in there.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44So often with slip you only get one chance
0:16:44 > 0:16:46because of the very nature of the application.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49That's it, it starts drying on the surface of the pot straightaway.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I'm just incising some lines.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57This is going to give me almost like an outline to fill in.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Get a theme going and then something comes from that.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I love dancing, I'm just thinking dancing feet.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I'm going to try and draw with slips and create a little bit of a...
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I'm going to start with the middle size, so then I can scale it up and scale it down,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and they'll probably feel more like a family after that.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I'm trying to think about different slipping techniques
0:17:15 > 0:17:16that I haven't done for ages.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I might blob stuff on.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20You've got to try something.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22It might work, it might not work.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Sandra is painting with the slip to create transfers
0:17:25 > 0:17:27she can later apply.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30I'll put it on top, somewhere round the side, and the top.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31That's the idea.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I haven't done this for a while, so I'm not sure.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Tom has decided to use dipping to create his slip design.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I'm planning to create two panels, one on either side.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I do like minimalism.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I quite like traditional slip decoration,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53so my risk is of reverting back to what I'm used to
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and they don't want traditional, they want contemporary.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Yeah, I'm going to try a bit of sgraffito.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01So, sgraffito means "to scratch into",
0:18:01 > 0:18:04which, I believe, is where the word graffiti comes from,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07from where they used to scratch into cave walls.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I don't know, you might have to check that one.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I'm going to try and blend it.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So, it's going to go black, up to red, up to white,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and I'll put some paper on,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20which I'm going to peel back cos I'd love a black stripe going down it.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- Oh, that's very clever! - What do you think of that?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- You're dead clever, you, and everything.- Yeah, thanks.
0:18:25 > 0:18:2845 minutes, guys. You've got 45 minutes left.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30There's no way.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I just need to dry the wax off before I put the next layer on top,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34otherwise it'll just drag everywhere.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38What's your plan, Jane?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I'm going for fresh, yeah. I'm so fresh!
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Do you know, I can't actually hear what you're saying cos I've got the gun on!
0:18:44 > 0:18:45It's probably a good thing.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49You get a slip trailer like this, a ribbon one generally,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51then you blob, it's called "le blob".
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Do it in a very blobby kind of way
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and you enjoy it as you're doing it, it's really satisfying.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Tom's minimalist approach is about to get a little more involved.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05I've done this before and gone straight onto the pot behind.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09I'm just trying to make sure I don't do that.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- Well, I'm a bit unfamiliar with the old slips, I must say.- Oh, really?
0:19:12 > 0:19:14There's lots of movement in it, though. I like that.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Well, that's the general idea,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18sort of frenetic dance movement all around it,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- but can you see the potential and hopefully the judges will pick up on that.- Yes.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23I need this layer to dry,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27then I'm going to apply another layer of wax, and then I'm going to brush it over with the black,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29then I'm going to go back and do some sgraffito,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and hopefully I'll have time to do some slip trailing on top.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34My idea is use as many techniques as possible, and one might be right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37That's my theory.
0:19:37 > 0:19:3915 minutes to go.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42It seems to go a bit weird in this room - time.
0:19:42 > 0:19:4575 minutes sounds like a long time, but it's not very.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I'm making a big deal of it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49It shouldn't be such a big deal.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Just get on with it.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57There's a massive danger of overdoing it.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59You just need to know when to stop, really.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This isn't going to work, actually. It's too wet.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08Please work, just work.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Please work.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I wish I'd done these a little bit better, actually.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16I've done the best I can here,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19but I think I'm going to get crucified!
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Yay!
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Kind of what I wanted.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35You've got one minute, guys. One minute left.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's enough time to do something else,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and I just, I need to know when to stop.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I think I've finished.
0:20:44 > 0:20:4630 seconds, potters.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48You've got 30 seconds left.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Any final little dabs, any final touches,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53any final bits of "le blobbing", Sandra?
0:20:56 > 0:20:57Four...
0:20:57 > 0:20:58three...
0:20:58 > 0:21:00two...
0:21:00 > 0:21:01one!
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Potters, time is up!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07# Went to college, studied art. #
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Because they haven't seen who has decorated what,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Kate and Keith have no idea whose jugs are whose.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19# But no-one seemed to notice me. #
0:21:19 > 0:21:21So, looking at this one,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I'm not clear on the message that it's giving me.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27And it's quite a simplistic application of the slip, isn't it?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31And looking at this one, whoever it was,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33a whole ground upon which to work,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and it's really bringing out the painterly nature of the slip.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41There's sgraffito going on there, there's wax resist going on there.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43There's a level of success to the design.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So, this is like an abstract painting.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47We asked for something contemporary,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and it's actually as if there's a painting on the side of a pot.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Very nicely executed.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And what they've done with the design is that they've really
0:21:55 > 0:21:58thought about the shape they're putting it on.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03And this, to me, it's truly illustrating the way the slip is.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I'd love to have been there when they were pouring it,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07cos there's a great pleasure in pouring slip.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09You can really see the energy in that.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Yeah, and I think these are really strong.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Because in complete contrast,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16you've got this one which is obviously a very controlled design.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18It's more of an illustration really, isn't it?
0:22:18 > 0:22:19Drawing a figure on a pot,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22which is a really difficult thing to do, whoever did it.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27But I'm asking myself if there is a sense of the painterly nature,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29the gift the slip gives?
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Whereas this one, they've used the medium of slip completely.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37I mean, you could say whoever it was has thrown everything at it,
0:22:37 > 0:22:38including the kitchen sink.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40They're very, very vibrant, aren't they?
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And then, again, we've got something completely different.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Is this something that we feel that could have been done with another medium?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Could they have been more generous?
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Could there have been a sense of action that the slip gives?
0:22:53 > 0:22:57So, really, I'm personally looking at who has used the slip
0:22:57 > 0:23:00in the most illustrative and expressive way.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05It's really hard, they set us such a hard job.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Kate and Keith will now reveal whose jugs have impressed
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and whose haven't.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Well, in joint sixth, there isn't a seventh,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18is between this board, whose is that?
0:23:18 > 0:23:19It's mine.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- And this board.- This one here.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This showed better illustration of slip application,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28but this one had a better design.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32But we felt that it didn't really show what you could really do with slip.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Jim is fifth,
0:23:34 > 0:23:35James is fourth,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and Matthew's eclectic pattern earns him third place.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So we've got two sets of jugs left, then.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43We've got these ones here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- Whose are those?- They're mine.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46- And we've got these ones here. - Great.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This one, very complex,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53lots of things going on there as in terms of technique.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56This one, very simple, really fluent,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59but we love the freshness and we love the energy in it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03So, in second place, we've gone for yours, Sally-Jo.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Well done, Sally-Jo.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And in first place, well done, Tom.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Well done, guys.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15It's been a big old day today, so go and rest.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- Well done.- Well done.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Oh, well done, you!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I've put myself under stupid pressure this morning,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26slip trailing like that you've got to be relaxed,
0:24:26 > 0:24:27and you've got to enjoy it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30cos if you don't enjoy it, the love doesn't come out onto the pot.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I thought it would be my chance to beat Tom once and for all.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Or just once.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39You know, you can only be strong at certain things and rubbish at others,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and I think I've just met my...
0:24:41 > 0:24:45met my least favourite activity so far this afternoon.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49I consider myself to have come joint sixth, rather than joint last.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I'm looking forward to doing the raku, yes.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11After drying the long-necked vases for two days,
0:25:11 > 0:25:16our kiln man, Rich, takes them to be bisque fired for a further 24 hours.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25With all their vases fired,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29the potters will now have to select their best five to decorate.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33They look better than I remember!
0:25:33 > 0:25:34Covered up.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The judges have asked for a set of identical vases.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41Oh, hello.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So the five they choose need to be as similar as possible.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47They're reasonably consistent, but they look cool.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Oh, that's terrible, that one!
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Consistency, what does that mean?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Well, they're consistently terrible.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56- Hi, Sally-Jo.- Hi.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We are choosing of the five most consistent!
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It didn't take very long!
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I've gone for these five, I like the surface decoration on these.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08You look like you've chosen your five there.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Well, when you say choose, it was kind of a more of a...
0:26:12 > 0:26:13necessity.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Should I rephrase it?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Not saying you've been forced into plumping for those!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21The potters now have 90 minutes to decorate their five vases
0:26:21 > 0:26:24with any glazes or oxides they choose.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27This is all wax with oxide, which is a good idea.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So I can wax and oxide at the same time.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36Oxides are metals and they're used to colour glazes.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39On this bottle here, you can see there are
0:26:39 > 0:26:43patches of blue-y green-y colour, and that's copper oxide.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46You can use gold chloride, you can use silver nitrate.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49There are all kinds of effects you can get from these metal oxides.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Can I put clear over this?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Yes, you can. It's not particularly good, though.- Why?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59You'll just get, um, flossings of pale brown.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I did some yesterday and I got exactly that.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- What, with this?- Yeah.- Under clear? - Under clear, yeah.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07D'you know what, I've done quite a bit of raku,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I have been giving my words of wisdom!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Not that they want them, particularly, but...
0:27:14 > 0:27:16After a disappointing spot test,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Jim's raku experience might be about to pay off.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22The secret of raku is not to be too contrived,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26you've just got to dollop it on. It's one of those spontaneous,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29splash it on kind of approaches that really works.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Some potters are planning to leave areas unglazed...
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Just getting my wax on.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37..covering sections with wax or masking tape.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Cos I'm putting wax resist on, when I dip it into the glaze,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45they won't be glazed, so that once you fire them,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47they'll carbonise and become black.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The difference between the wax resist and the masking is
0:27:50 > 0:27:53obviously you've got more control, and you can get more sort of curves
0:27:53 > 0:27:58and stuff with the wax, whereas the masking tape is quite linear.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Just trying to make them look a little bit more elegant,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02something that I struggle with.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10People have described my pots as being quite characterful.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Rather than handles I use dimples in the forms.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15They're quite jolly pots,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20and I tend to use quite bright colours to decorate the pots.
0:28:20 > 0:28:26I have trouble with decoration and glazing, that's when I can get
0:28:26 > 0:28:30really frustrated, and it's never quite as good as I imagine it to be.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33You've got to get them on really thick, with glazes with raku,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36that's the one tip that I kept reading,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38make sure your glaze is on thick enough.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40I'm just waxing the bases of a couple of them
0:28:40 > 0:28:42that are going to be dipped.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Tom won the spot test with a minimalist approach,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46and he isn't about to change strategy.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I like the simple black and white, and I like the contrast
0:28:49 > 0:28:52between the two, so heavy reduction on black and white crackle.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55And then this one I'm... this one I'm still...
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I'm going to play with a little bit.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Raku's traditionally Japanese, so I've gone for, you know,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05slightly Japanese theme, and I'm going to put Japanese
0:29:05 > 0:29:09character in here to symbolise a Japanese tea ceremony.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13I really love minimal aesthetics, I love minimal use of colour,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17but the right colour at the right time, and so I think considered,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20careful, modern approach is something I love to create.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23But on the other side, I love organic forms, I love things
0:29:23 > 0:29:28that are asymmetric and are inspired by nature, and I think this complete
0:29:28 > 0:29:31diversity in the styles that I like probably does reflect a bit in me.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34I find it very hard to pinpoint one thing that I like,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36I love...I love everything.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39I think the key to raku is to keep it really simple, actually.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42It's all about the firing and the lustre you get from that,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44so I don't think it pays to be too fussy.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I've got a few different things that I'm going to try with the glazes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52Hopefully that will cover some of the fact that the pots aren't
0:29:52 > 0:29:56quite so perfect themselves, I might be able to claw back some points.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Hi, Tom. Are you feeling quite confident
0:29:58 > 0:29:59with taking this forward now?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Raku is entering into the unknown so,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03for me, so, yeah, I'm really excited about it.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06It sounds really, like, tribal and wild, like, flames!
0:30:06 > 0:30:08I've seen it on TV and I've read books, but we both know
0:30:08 > 0:30:10that that's not good enough, so we'll see,
0:30:10 > 0:30:11I mean I'm looking forward to it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Halfway through, potters, halfway through.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Oh, my God.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20I don't actually know how the detail is going to come out in the firing.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24It may just run and turn into nothing or it may stay
0:30:24 > 0:30:25and be quite a nice little symbol.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Good time to try.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Despite his experience, Jim's now struggling with
0:30:30 > 0:30:33the spontaneity that great raku glazing demands.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I mean, I'm quite tight with my design work anyway,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and this is an area where I can't be neat and tidy and tight with
0:30:38 > 0:30:40the design, so...
0:30:40 > 0:30:43But even these are a little bit tight, actually, I should
0:30:43 > 0:30:46be splashing it and really going for it, but I can't help myself.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54With raku, you never really know what you're going to get
0:30:54 > 0:30:56so you can plan it all out absolutely perfectly, you put
0:30:56 > 0:30:59it through the kiln and it will never come out how you expect it to.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Well, I'm sure there's, like, raku masters that can get
0:31:02 > 0:31:06fantastic control and stuff but I'm not one of them.
0:31:06 > 0:31:0910 minutes left, guys! 10 minutes left.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I'm so behind, as usual.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Yeah, I've put a clear glaze over
0:31:13 > 0:31:15some of the glazes that I've dripped on.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Hopefully the glazes will just keep layering up over each other
0:31:17 > 0:31:19and create some interesting effects,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21but they might just make a mess, so we'll see.
0:31:23 > 0:31:29It's going to run and it's just not going to leave a thick enough coating of glaze.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32For his final vase, Tom's hoping to repeat another technique that
0:31:32 > 0:31:34helped him win the Spot Test.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37I'm going to try and dry out some glaze so that I can thicken up.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39I really don't know if this is going to work.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46As long as I can get it nice and thick.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50I've only got a little bit, though, so I haven't got much to play with.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52There you go, that's better.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Having messed around with it, I'm now going to mess up the pot.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01If you can imagine that, where the clay is there, it'll be black,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and where you've got the glaze it'll be white.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07All that fuss for just a few drizzles.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with the decorating,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12so keep your fingers crossed.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16I'm always last at this, I don't know what's wrong with me.
0:32:16 > 0:32:1720 seconds left, guys.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19I'm done when the bell goes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:31Five, four, three, two, one. Time's up, guys!
0:32:31 > 0:32:32Time is up.
0:32:32 > 0:32:33I'm done now!
0:32:35 > 0:32:37While their glazes dry,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Kate and Keith have one final challenge for the potters.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46The master potters of Stoke needed a sharp eye for form and profile to
0:32:46 > 0:32:50ensure they could turn out beautiful, identical pots over and over again.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53But do any of our potters have the eyes of a master?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56I know you were praying that we'd forgotten about this bit,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59but we haven't, cos it is time now for a throw down.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The challenge today is about observation and profiling.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Keith is going to throw two candlesticks
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and you are going to copy them.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Once I've thrown them, they will be covered over.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15I'll do the smaller one first.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19It's about tuning in your eye and looking at the real detail,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22the character and the accent of the profile.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25I would make sure that you've got plenty of water on your hands
0:33:25 > 0:33:29because you need that water to actually control
0:33:29 > 0:33:33the stem of the candlestick. And you want a nice fluent shape.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37So this one's a fairly simple one.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Now make sure you centre the clay really well.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It'll be a good 20 centimetres, probably.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56Wow, it's looking gorgeous.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04OK, guys, complete your sketches of both candlesticks
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and write any notes you need to write.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16Conceal the candlesticks. There, I've found my catchphrase at last.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20OK, guys, back to your workstations, please.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Two candlesticks, 15 minutes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23Starting from now.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26BELL RINGS
0:34:29 > 0:34:31So they're all starting with the small one first.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- Yeah, the easy one. - Getting warmed up, yeah.
0:34:34 > 0:34:35- Centring it.- Kneading the clay,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38getting a nice consistency throughout the stem
0:34:38 > 0:34:39so they can profile it.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Who seems to be going OK, then?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Jane's started modelling hers, she's really looking at her book.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Matthew's got a lovely cup shape at the top of his.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Yeah.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55It's always best to do the delicate bit at the top first,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57so you've got all that support underneath it.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03They really need nice, even pressure on all sides of the stem.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Now, time-wise, do they need to leave a bit of extra bit
0:35:07 > 0:35:08of time for the big candlestick?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I would if I were them, yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Oh, Tom's finished up, well done, Tom. Matthew's finished there.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Oh, well done, James.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Halfway through, guys, halfway through your time!
0:35:20 > 0:35:21- Oh!- Oh, my giddy aunt.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27I've totally made mine little.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33It's a great challenge, actually, tuning in their eyes.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Matthew seems to be getting a nice bit of height on that one already.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Tom's got a good shape, it's looking fairly similar to mine.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45It's not quite like that but it'll do.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Do keep breathing,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50it feels like you've all held your breath for this one.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52You've got one minute left, guys.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55One minute to finish these candlesticks.
0:36:00 > 0:36:0430 seconds left, guys, then these wheels need to screech to a halt.
0:36:13 > 0:36:20Five, four, three, two, one. Time is up!
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Lift your boards off the wheel, please.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26That was really hard.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- It looks so easy when he's doing it, doesn't it?- Fun and games.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Has anyone been able to replicate the profile
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and form of Keith's original candlesticks?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38You've got the general concept on the smaller one.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40You haven't left enough meat down in your base.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- The big one? - Haven't quite got the height.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45You've squeezed too hard
0:36:45 > 0:36:48and created those flat flanges rather than the soft bumps.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Initial observations - very, very good.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Well, I think in essence he's got it,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56but I was really looking at the difference between the cups
0:36:56 > 0:36:58at the top, and he's actually captured that.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00I'm impressed.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02You've got the height there, that's pretty good.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Your stems are slightly on the thick side.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08We've got the character of it, but it's just missing that detail.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I think it's a good copy.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14A bit too thick on the rim, but I'm liking all this detail here.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18It's obviously not tall enough, but overall not a bad shape at all.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21You know, the general concept of the first one, you've got it there.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25The cup is not quite accentuated enough.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29And on the larger one, I would say the pot on the top is excellent.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31- If you'd just added a bit more pressure...- Yes.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34..just underneath it, it would have given it that bit more finesse.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38The smaller one, really, really nice.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40I'm amazed, actually, that he didn't have this in front of him.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42It is really good.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44It's a really good effort.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Well, we've got a little friend, haven't we, to the little one?
0:37:48 > 0:37:52And I think you're missing that lovely cupness of the bowl.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55The large one there, the height's not quite there.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57We were testing those powers of observation,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01and it's that essence there which is missing on both of these.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07So, who do Kate and Keith feel has shown a master potter's eye
0:38:07 > 0:38:09for profile and form?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Seventh place is you, Sally-Jo.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14You pulled up too much at the beginning, and then you also
0:38:14 > 0:38:17squeezed too hard when you were trying to make the lumps.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21In sixth place is James, fifth place is Jane
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and fourth is Sandra.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25We're going now to third place...
0:38:25 > 0:38:27is Jim.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29APPLAUSE
0:38:29 > 0:38:33So we couldn't really decide between first and second.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Matthew, you got the cups absolutely right.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Tom, your bases were a bit more defined.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43But we couldn't really decide between the two of you.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45So there is two first place winners.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Tom and Matthew.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Well done.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50APPLAUSE
0:38:54 > 0:38:56It's good to know that I'm doing something right.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Well done, boys. Another good one, another good one!
0:39:00 > 0:39:02I've never made candlesticks before.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Not sure I will again, but we'll see.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10I may well be in jeopardy of my... of my Top Potter position.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14I think the problem is the competition is just so high
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and the challenges are really tough, so, you know,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20at the end of the day, if the others are better which, to be honest,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23they are well then that, you've just got to be OK with that.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Finally, the long-necked vases are ready for the raku firing.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35An extreme process that, for safety, has required our kiln man Rich to
0:39:35 > 0:39:40set up specially adapted gas-fired kilns outside the pottery walls.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Almost everything can go wrong with raku.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47The pots are usually heated up fairly quickly compared to
0:39:47 > 0:39:50most kiln firings, and then you take them out
0:39:50 > 0:39:52and they're cooling down in a few minutes.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54That's a lot to ask of the piece of clay.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Right, so who's coming next?
0:39:56 > 0:39:57Matt's up.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00The first thing that's most likely to happen is that they'll crack.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05If they're not completely dry they can explode during the firing,
0:40:05 > 0:40:06that's quite dramatic.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09So it is quite a dangerous occupation.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Who's next?
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Sally-Jo, right. D'you want to grab your pots?
0:40:13 > 0:40:15See you, pots.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20In the raku process, you fire the material till it's red-hot,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24and then you take it out and put it in a container that contains
0:40:24 > 0:40:28sawdust, let's say, it reacts with the sawdust, burns it,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32generates carbon, so you have this wonderfully aesthetically
0:40:32 > 0:40:37pleasing surface material, generated in a very haphazard way.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Fire her up. Let's go.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Each potter has picked their own combustible materials in which
0:40:45 > 0:40:47to plunge their vases.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50What they choose will affect their final look.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54I'm going to make a bed of this sawdust, which is oak.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Oh, you are very high-end with your oak shavings.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58I love it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04I've got some gorse, some bladderwrack seaweed and some silage
0:41:04 > 0:41:05and some manure, yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08So we should get some interesting smells off that, then?
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And is this a concoction that you've used before?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12No, it's just my countryside.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14How lovely to bring your home to...
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- Well, that's what I thought. - ..the contest.
0:41:18 > 0:41:19The potters must judge
0:41:19 > 0:41:22when to remove their red-hot vases from the kiln - take them
0:41:22 > 0:41:26out too soon and the effect of the glaze will be minimal.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28It's quite nerve-wracking.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32But leave them in for too long and the glaze will melt and run.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34D'you want to check your time?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- I'm all right, I know when it's time.- You're all right?
0:41:37 > 0:41:39You're a bit too confident, mate.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42OK, are we ready? Here we go.
0:41:42 > 0:41:43# Dun-dun-dun! #
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Oh, no!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I meant to do that.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Boom. Dancing about a bit. I struggle with these tongs.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Yeah! Whoo! Whoo!
0:42:04 > 0:42:07That's how you do it, don't throw them around like that, though.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18- Nice work.- Cheers, thank you very much.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- Job well done, well done.- Thank you. - Yeah, it's great.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23OK, let's get these bad boys out.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Am I sweeping up after this?
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- Quite possibly. - Can we get some clay?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Yeah, there's a bag of clay just over there.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, sweet.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38He's getting ready to seal the dustbin lid,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40to trap all the air in there.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44By closing the lid, the fire around the vases is starved of air.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47It's a process called reduction.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48As the air is reduced,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52the fire feeds on any remaining oxygen it can find in the clay
0:42:52 > 0:42:56or glazes, producing wild and varied colours and textures.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I'm going to put the clay around the top of the lid
0:42:59 > 0:43:02so I can seal it off from oxygen.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04By making a tighter seal,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Matt hopes to achieve an even more intense decoration.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- Ooh, very dramatic, that is. - Thank you.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13- They're glowing, they are. - They are glowing.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Oh!
0:43:16 > 0:43:20I think James is going to have a bit of a squirt with water,
0:43:20 > 0:43:21which we haven't seen yet.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Spray that.
0:43:24 > 0:43:25Oh, no!
0:43:26 > 0:43:28I can't do it.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31Matthew and James are leaving their vases in the open air
0:43:31 > 0:43:33before the reduction process.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36The rapid cooling should force the surface glazes
0:43:36 > 0:43:38to contract and crackle.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Well done, Matthew!
0:43:44 > 0:43:45Yeah! Whoo!
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Well done! Whoo! Whoo!
0:43:49 > 0:43:53That's it, that's it, there you go.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58- I can't grip it. - You can do it, you can do it.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01Gosh, flipping 'eck.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04- He's not steady of hands with the tongs.- No, not really.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- Oh!- You're OK, you're OK, you're OK, take your time.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15Oh, my Lord.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Take your time, that's it, that's it, don't worry, you're fine,
0:44:18 > 0:44:19you're fine, you're fine.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24Ah-h! Pick it up, pick it up, Sandra.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Pick it up, it's not lost.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28There you go, missus. Right, you got it?
0:44:29 > 0:44:30Perfect.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33You just took the end of the bottom off.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35- Amazing.- It's broken, though.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39- It's all right.- It's just the base. - Oh, no.- It's just the base.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46Away from the heat of the kiln, some of the potters are planning
0:44:46 > 0:44:49to dunk their pots in water whilst they're still hot.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57This should bring out the colours in the glazes,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59but it does come with its own risks.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- Shall we do this?- Yeah, are you just going to lower it in?
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Is there going to be some sizzling and cracking?
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Not a great deal, but I'm going to have to find the pots first of all.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09OK. Here we go.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- Are you going to submerge it completely?- I am, yeah.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Oh, easy goes it. Look at all that black on there.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I know, I've gotta be careful or I'm going to lose that. Whey!
0:45:24 > 0:45:25Oh!
0:45:25 > 0:45:27THEY LAUGH
0:45:27 > 0:45:29I'll get a grip round the belly for that one.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33- Whoa! - HE LAUGHS
0:45:33 > 0:45:35It's all right, it bounced!
0:45:35 > 0:45:37They're all cracked. There's a great big crack on that one.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40- That's a shame.- There's only that one that's cracked, isn't there?
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Yeah. Oh, no, they're all cracked, look. Oh blimey!
0:45:43 > 0:45:47I'm going to have to live with that now. Just clean up time.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49What do you reckon, mate, are you happy?
0:45:49 > 0:45:50It's all right, yeah, that's good.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- Are you going to put them in the water?- No.- Why not?
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Because...they'll probably crack.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58- Yeah, do you think?- Yeah, I do.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Finally, the vases need to be cleaned to reveal the full
0:46:01 > 0:46:03effects of the raku firing.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07A lot of the pots have been coming out quite black, so...
0:46:07 > 0:46:11- Absolutely.- ..it's obviously all in the scrubbing and the scouring.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Yeah, and we still don't know what lies under that sheen.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15And that's the wonderful thing.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19So you immerse them in the water, you start scrubbing away at them,
0:46:19 > 0:46:21and all of a sudden this whole thing emerges.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24A lot of the black comes off and it just kind of reveals colour.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26It's a bit better than I expected, actually.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29Overall, I just wish I'd made nicer pots to start with.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Well, that has a pretty terminal crack on the base of that pot,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37and that is from curing too quickly.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39We'll have to see what the judges think, won't we?
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Regardless of whether they like it or not,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44I'm so proud of myself, cos I've never got a pot all the way
0:46:44 > 0:46:47through to raku like this, so it's a real achievement.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53With the vases buffed up, all that remains is for Kate
0:46:53 > 0:46:56and Keith to decide whose will keep them in the competition,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59and whose will send them home.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I'm a bit nervous about the judging this afternoon.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07I only made seven out of the ten vases. Last in the throw down.
0:47:07 > 0:47:12Not great, but hopefully my second place in the spot test will help.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17I've come joint-last. I dropped a vessel. I've come fourth.
0:47:17 > 0:47:18It's not good is it?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20I suppose I'm a bit worried. I don't really want to go home yet,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23that's the thing. I think the judges' comments
0:47:23 > 0:47:26have all been fair, but I'm just not quite ready to go.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35Well, potters, that raku firing was a bit exciting, wasn't it?
0:47:35 > 0:47:38LAUGHTER
0:47:38 > 0:47:39Now all the smoke has cleared,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42let's have a look at your long-necked vases, please.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Tom, you're up first for judging.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02What I'm seeing here is a nice concept in shape.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06They're all looking pretty consistent in shape and form,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08and I'm really loving the crackle.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11And I've picked up my favourite one of the five, immediately it
0:48:11 > 0:48:14sprang to me, but I remember you really composing yourself
0:48:14 > 0:48:17into this sort of spring, and then doing this simple, which can
0:48:17 > 0:48:23look affected, but it is effective, and it's a really beautiful piece.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26The crackle has gone off really nicely on this,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30and I think what you've done with the base is really nice,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33because we asked you to finish them off on the wheel.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40We know you were asked to make ten vases,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and you didn't manage to fulfil that challenge at the beginning,
0:48:43 > 0:48:44so you had less to choose from.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47What I'm sort of frustrated about is that
0:48:47 > 0:48:52I'm looking at the back of the room, and I'm seeing one of the forms
0:48:52 > 0:48:55that would have sat better with these four than this one.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59- OK.- And not only that, but you've coincidentally decorated this
0:48:59 > 0:49:02one the most different from all the others, so it stands out even
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- more, it really is like the black sheep of the family.- OK.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09What I think these four are lacking is a clarity of the message
0:49:09 > 0:49:10that you're trying to put over.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12So, when you were throwing, you should have been
0:49:12 > 0:49:15thinking about the edges that you wanted and the finish.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17And it's the same with the decoration -
0:49:17 > 0:49:21did you want the glaze to end here or did you want it to stagger up?
0:49:21 > 0:49:24I think it's an incredible achievement that you've
0:49:24 > 0:49:26managed to do this with your first ever raku,
0:49:26 > 0:49:30but brief was for five very similar forms.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38They're all very consistent.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43We have an unfortunate mishap here. We saw this, didn't we, in the raku?
0:49:43 > 0:49:45I have to say...
0:49:46 > 0:49:51- TEARFUL:- ..considering you found this a real challenge...
0:49:51 > 0:49:53they are quite remarkably similar.
0:49:53 > 0:49:59I'm increasingly amazed by...your resolve.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02This is a good sign, by the way, when he reacts like this.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06Form's really strong. You did well on the forms, on the original task,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09and the glazes are illustrating all sorts of different
0:50:09 > 0:50:13crazing, different colour, but there's a clarity between the set.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- I'm really pleasantly surprised. - Yeah, I'd like to congratulate you.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19- Yeah.- Jane, will you bring your vases forward, please?
0:50:32 > 0:50:36What a lovely communicative set, and I love the way that your pattern has
0:50:36 > 0:50:40continued from the outside inside, there's a great sense of energy.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43I'm loving the shape. The only thing I would mention is, I'm not sure
0:50:43 > 0:50:46if the blue fleck really adds anything to it.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49In fact, if anything, it probably hides the crackle glaze.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52It looks like you've finished it, and then you've gone,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55"Oh, my God, what else should I do? Quick, do a bit of fleck on it."
0:51:04 > 0:51:05Very definite shape and form.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07And it's interesting actually
0:51:07 > 0:51:12because the surface design of all these is quite sparing, actually,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14there's a lot of black going on here.
0:51:14 > 0:51:19I probably would have wanted to see more of the raku glaze really giving
0:51:19 > 0:51:23its own characteristics to the pot. You haven't let the glaze let loose.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- And I think each one has bits that work...- Yeah.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29..but I'm really looking for one where all the bits work,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32and you, I think, have a big experience with raku.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Thanks very much, Jim.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39We know that you didn't complete the ten that you made,
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- and you selected five.- Mm-hm.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45Although they're quite different and we're missing some long necks
0:51:45 > 0:51:49here, very clearly, I think you've done really well with the glazing.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52- We know you struggle with your throwing...- Mm-hm.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- ..if that's OK to say? - Yep. Lack of experience.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58But, you know, in this task you sort of pulled them altogether.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01Despite the fact of the lack of long necks, I think
0:52:01 > 0:52:04you've pulled them up with your surfaces.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24You were the only one that used two pointers on your wheel
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- to get your...- Yes. - ..width and also the height.
0:52:27 > 0:52:28Obviously, it's kept you in good stead
0:52:28 > 0:52:32because they are very uniformed, there's a very definite shape to
0:52:32 > 0:52:38them, and they do look like a set of five, which is really, really good.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Beautiful texturing on the surface, that sense of raku,
0:52:42 > 0:52:44there's so much life in that.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47- And the copper has reduced so well, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50This sort of speaks of raku even at its best.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52And, you know, it really does look alive,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54it looks like something out of the barrier reef.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56- I think I'll take this one home.- Thank you.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01OK, potters, you can go and have a well-earned breather now
0:53:01 > 0:53:04and recover from that judging session, cos Kate
0:53:04 > 0:53:08and Keith have got to collect their thoughts and decide who is
0:53:08 > 0:53:11going to be Top Potter and who is going to be leaving the pottery.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Off you go.
0:53:15 > 0:53:20I'm really pleased they liked the vases, but I didn't throw ten and
0:53:20 > 0:53:23I haven't done well in some of the other challenges, so I still think
0:53:23 > 0:53:25there's a high chance that it's going to be me leaving the pottery.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28The judges kind of went to town on those, didn't they,
0:53:28 > 0:53:30those vases in there? But that's their job here,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34to compare and contrast us all, so...yeah.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36But they weren't good enough.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38I didn't want to cry on camera. But I didn't quite cry,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42I just kind of...some tears rolled down, didn't they?
0:53:42 > 0:53:44- It's just Keith, he makes me cry! - SHE CHUCKLES
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Who's looking good this week?
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Well, I'd start with Tom. A concise set.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56He was joint top, wasn't he, with the throw down,
0:53:56 > 0:53:57the candlesticks as well?
0:53:57 > 0:54:02He was, and his spot test with the slip decoration was, well, spot-on.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05But we have to have a look at Matthew, don't we?
0:54:05 > 0:54:07We certainly do.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Matthew's shapes are brilliant,
0:54:09 > 0:54:15and also consistent throughout the spot test and the throw down.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18We've really seen him sort of come on a good path.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Who do you think has had a tough time?
0:54:21 > 0:54:23There's Jim. He was the most confident one.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26- Kind of let me down. - He really scrimped on the glazes.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Now for the much tougher decision, who's going to leave the pottery?
0:54:30 > 0:54:35That is a toss-up between James and Sally-Jo.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39They both find it hard with their throwing,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43probably Sally-Jo more than James.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Really, it was down to the fact that they hadn't
0:54:45 > 0:54:48completed their ten vases at the beginning.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53And why, oh, why did James just go for that black sheep of the family?
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Why didn't he choose one of his other bottles?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Any one of the other bottles would have been better.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00It's really tough to decide between these two, actually.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04Well, guys, as always you've got tough decisions to make.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06- Yeah, we have, haven't we? - Yeah, yeah.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22The judges have had a really good look at your raku-fired
0:55:22 > 0:55:25long-necked vases, and they've also taken into consideration
0:55:25 > 0:55:28your achievements in both the spot test and the throw down.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30And so they've come to their decisions,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33and first we'll have Top Potter, please.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Yes, well, Top Potter this week has shown us
0:55:36 > 0:55:42a very good, consistent ten long-necked vases, they showed us
0:55:42 > 0:55:47a very good technique in the firing skills needed for raku firing,
0:55:47 > 0:55:53and they've shown us a real boldness and bravery with their decoration.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56So, Top Potter this week goes to...
0:56:00 > 0:56:01..Matthew.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- APPLAUSE - Well done, Matthew.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Well done, mate. Brilliant.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11And now I'm left with the much tougher task.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14The judges have made their decision,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17and the person leaving the pottery is...
0:56:25 > 0:56:28..James.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34'The competition is just so high.'
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Ultimately, I've got way further than I thought I was going to get,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41so I'm feeling fine about it.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45It was a tough call between James and Sally-Jo.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47His decoration really wasn't up to it,
0:56:47 > 0:56:49and we know he struggles with his throwing.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Basically, Sally-Jo got through with the skin of her teeth,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54because of her surface design.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56I was worried all day that it was going to be me
0:56:56 > 0:56:59leaving the pottery, but I think the slip decoration
0:56:59 > 0:57:02and also the decoration on the raku bottles have saved the day.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04Oh, my little James, I'm going to miss you so much.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07There were several damaged bits on the pots and all that,
0:57:07 > 0:57:10and I just thought, "They may well come down on me for this,"
0:57:10 > 0:57:13cos I'd already bigged myself up so much.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16I'm grateful to have scraped through to next week.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18It was such a tough decision for Potter Of The Week,
0:57:18 > 0:57:23and what really did it was that Matthew took risks and it paid off.
0:57:23 > 0:57:24If Kate wants one of my vases,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27then it'll be nice to swap and have one of hers!
0:57:27 > 0:57:30It would... I think that'd be a fair trade!
0:57:30 > 0:57:33It's been absolutely incredible. It's been the best thing I've
0:57:33 > 0:57:37ever done in my entire life, and I would do it all again tomorrow.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42- You can feel the tension in the room.- The potters...
0:57:42 > 0:57:44I'm never going to finish. I love you.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46..have to try and become sculptors...
0:57:46 > 0:57:49- It's just decisions. - Scary, scary, scary.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52..and build the largest clay creations they've ever attempted.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Are you sure they didn't say five inch?
0:57:55 > 0:57:56A spot test...
0:57:56 > 0:57:59- It's going on. - ..that keeps on growing.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02I was hoping they would look like strawberries, but they don't.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05And one of the fastest throw down challenges
0:58:05 > 0:58:07that Kate and Keith have ever set.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10- You have ten minutes.- (Shut up.)
0:58:10 > 0:58:13But who's emerging as a potential champion potter?
0:58:13 > 0:58:14I actually trained making flowerpots.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17I imagine you've got a nice outdoor area?
0:58:17 > 0:58:20'And who's about to miss out on a place in the semifinal?'
0:58:20 > 0:58:22Why've I burst out into a sweat? It's ridiculous.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25It's not a good look, is it? Trying to stay cool.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Is it because you're not fit that you're sweating so much?
0:58:28 > 0:58:31- You're still quite hot, aren't you?- You noticed?
0:58:31 > 0:58:34Should have brought a mankini for this challenge.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36LAUGHTER