Episode 3 The Great Pottery Throw Down


Episode 3

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Transcript


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'Nope, it's still not the bit between the programmes in the 1960s.

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'It's week three.'

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Ooh!

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'And I'm not getting any better.'

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SHE LAUGHS

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Previously, in The Great Pottery Throw Down...

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Oh, my God!

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..it was sink or swim for our potters.

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HE LAUGHS

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Jim made quite a splash...

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..and was awarded Top Potter.

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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But a broken basin sent Nigel's prospects down the plughole.

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I came for the crack, and that's what, ultimately, I got.

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Now our judges, master potter Keith Brymer Jones

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and ceramic artist Kate Malone have set three more challenges...

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I've just got to try and stop shaking.

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..including a main make where sparks will fly...

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Ooh, come on! Something work!

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..a spot test to get them thinking...

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Mind's gone a bit blank now.

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..and a throw down to leave them gasping...

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Do keep breathing!

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-Oh, my lord!

-Take your time.

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That's it, that's it.

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Don't worry, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine.

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SHE GASPS

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-# Got a feeling inside

-Can't explain

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-# It's a certain kind

-Can't explain

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-# I feel hot and cold

-Can't explain

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-# Yeah, down my soul, yeah

-Can't explain

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# Can't explain

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# I think it's love

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# Try to say it to you

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# When I feel blue

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# But I can't explain. #

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The potters are back for three more challenges

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and five more days.

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But, sadly, not everyone will be able to take part.

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Joanna has decided not to continue for personal reasons.

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I really wish Jo well.

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She left on a real high because her basin was lovely.

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She helped me a lot, she gave me a lot of advice, different skills,

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different techniques, so I'm going to miss Joanna.

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I know it's a really difficult decision for her to make.

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I'm looking forward to today, new challenge ahead

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and can't wait to get stuck in.

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Top Potter for the week, that'll do for me.

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It feels good, I'm not going to deny that. It feels good.

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I'm looking for any way I can break Jim's arms.

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Got to take him out of the competition now.

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The enemy has definitely reared its head.

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If we go into this and the nerves get the better of me, I've got no chance at all.

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So, I need to keep cool. I need to stay calm.

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My fear is the time, as usual.

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Good morning, potters.

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-ALL:

-Good morning.

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Exciting times, cos we're about to unveil this week's main make,

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and rumour has it that sparks are going to fly.

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We want you to make 10 long-necked vases, all on the wheel,

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they have to be identical in size and shape.

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And remember a pot has character.

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It has a foot and a lip, a shoulder and a belly.

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You're going to choose five of your vases to carry through

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to fire with the raku technique.

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Sparks fly everywhere, it's earth, air, fire and water.

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It's a crazy technique, breaking all the rules that

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we've been following up till now.

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And it's really exciting.

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Making raku vases is the most technically demanding

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and dangerous challenge so far.

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I'm not feeling confident today, really.

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In the next five days, they'll have to throw 10 identical vases,

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dry and bisque fire them, choose the best five to decorate

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and put through the risky raku firing process -

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a centuries-old Japanese technique that'll see them putting their vases

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directly into temperatures of 1,000 degrees C for a rapid firing,

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removing them, still red hot,

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and covering them with combustible material,

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then plunge them into water.

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And clean away the burnt surface to reveal the

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incredible colours and textures that only the chaos of raku can create.

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It's the funky, punky style of glazing, isn't it, and firing?

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-HE LAUGHS

-Yeah.

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Normally you have to heat gently and cool gently,

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and everything has to reduce the shock.

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And it's so volatile, you never really know what you're going to get.

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This one's beautifully developed, isn't it?

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It sort of speaks of the process, doesn't it?

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This is really elemental, this is like fire,

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this is like sort of under the ground in the magma of the Earth.

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Yeah, I mean the decoration is still alive on the pot, isn't it?

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You're looking at which areas to leave unglazed

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because it's the body that turns black.

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They've decided to have that line there, that is not accidental,

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that's what I want to see the potters doing.

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Deciding, executing, showing us how clever they are.

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The throwing technique that we're asking them to do is also a challenge.

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You're really working against the force of physics, really,

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cos you're wanting to collar in this long neck,

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and as you collar it in, you've got to keep it under control.

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Some of the potters actually might do something with the necks,

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they might bend the neck, they might distort it,

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or they might make a feature out of it.

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There's great scope for the shape and the form to be quite different.

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The potters now have just two and a half hours

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to throw 10 identical long-necked vases.

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Using the same amount of clay, to kick off with,

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is a very good starting point.

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And because they'll eventually be plunged into the unforgiving

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raku firing process, they're using a specially formulated clay.

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God, this stuff's really soft.

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It's soft, really soft.

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It contains grog, clay that's been fired,

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ground down to a powder and mixed back in.

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It makes the clay more resilient to the massive

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and immediate temperature changes in raku firing.

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This task is probably my nemesis.

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It's controlled, it's perfection.

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Keith is going to be looking for 10, not five, not six.

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He wants 10 vases on the table.

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In the time allowance, that's going to be pretty tough.

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I think we've got about 15 minutes on each form.

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It's going to be tight.

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I mean, Matt's already started throwing.

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Yeah, there's no point waiting around is there?

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It's a challenge to throw 10 identical.

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I don't know if any of the others have had a practice,

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but I've had a good practice at this.

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The current Top Potter, Jim,

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is making sure his clay is well-prepared.

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I've never been top at anything, to tell you the truth.

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I think I grew a palm tree once.

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That was about 12 stone, and I won a trophy!

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But raku could still result in a very familiar situation for Jim.

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There's been a number of disasters with my pot making over the years.

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Opening the kiln door and finding every piece broken or cracked.

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I actually did cry, probably the only time I ever had,

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I had tears in my eyes for the loss.

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Not so much these days, obviously you learn as you go along.

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Older and wiser.

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To make a thin neck bottle you have to throw, obviously,

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the base so you can get your hand in.

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For the upper section, obviously you can't get your hand inside,

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so you literally have to collar in,

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and I think this is a bit of an exercise in collaring in.

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Collaring with real throwing is about taking the clay in and up,

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and the best way to collar is to create speed on the wheel,

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so that as you gently go up the form, as you draw the clay in,

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you're increasing the speed and that will draw it right in,

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so we can create height and narrow forms with collaring.

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Collaring can be difficult at first

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because you go against your natural instincts to speed up the wheel to draw the clay in.

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And things can start to go wobbling at the top,

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but you've just to keep your courage

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and carry on until you get to that lip.

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I don't know if I've got time. So not good.

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This is a tricky throwing task and for people that aren't strong at throwing,

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you know, it's going to be that much more difficult really.

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SHE GASPS AND SCREAMS

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I screamed because I was finishing off a little bit,

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something happened inside, it's caught and it just...

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I'm not going to name names at this point, but there's one or two bods that are struggling.

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HE CHUCKLES

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Not that I find that amusing at all.

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I just...

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Messed up.

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My least skilled area is throwing.

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I mean it's OK, but, it's... It's not that good.

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I want to be better at what I do.

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But I'm not good enough, for me.

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I want my work to be sought-after.

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Is that vain?

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It'll be fine, honestly, it'll be just fine.

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To ensure their vases are the same size,

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the potters are using throwing gauges,

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pointers that can let them know at which height to stop collaring in.

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But Matthew's making twice the effort

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to ensure his vases are identical.

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Have you noticed the double pointer?

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So, it's a mark for its hip and a mark for its top of its lip.

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Whatever their approach, throwing the first vase successfully...

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I've just got to try and stop shaking, would be helpful.

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..will have create a feel and rhythm for the remaining nine.

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HE SIGHS

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You've got to be pleased with that, are you?

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I am chuffed, the first one done.

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-Well, hopefully you'll get into it.

-I'm hoping.

-Yeah.

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All right, good luck. Carry on, though, great start.

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-Oh, God!

-We're going to go now!

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I'm just using a credit card just to take a little bit

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off the bottom to give it a bit of lift.

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Why would you ever use a credit card for anything else?!

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THEY LAUGH

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I can't concentrate. I need to get into a rhythm,

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and you can't do that...if you're constantly interrupted, actually.

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That's the truth of it.

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I have to be in absolutely the right frame of mind to be creative.

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I quite like a quiet atmosphere when I'm potting,

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but it's got to be calm,

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and, actually, quite often, the best throwing I do is in total silence.

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I'm pernickety about detail.

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I love things to be finished properly.

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I want every piece to be just right.

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I feel like I just need to be able to get into a zone, and I'm not there.

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I pot, in ideal circumstances, undisturbed.

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I think I'm probably a bit of a primadonna potter.

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-You're halfway through, guys. Halfway through.

-Oh, my...

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-Jeez.

-What?

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I'm not going to have five at this rate.

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Shame, shame, shame.

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James and Sandra have thrown just two vases.

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Jane, Tom and Sally-Jo have managed three,

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but none of them are able to keep up with Jim and Matthew.

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I've done six.

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I want to alter these towards the end,

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and I'm hoping for a good bit of time to do that

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because there are some features I'd love to add to these.

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Yeah, we're rocking along now.

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I'm in the zone, as they say.

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# Keep on running

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# Keep on hiding

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# One fine day I'm gonna be the one

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# To make you understand

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# Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be your man. #

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I'm up to number five now.

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You can't rush art, it sort of naturally happens.

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This is where I get a bit arty.

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The shape that I've designed is a bit on the bottom-heavy side,

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and I just wanted a bit more of a nice curve over, really,

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which is why I'm altering the neck, the profile.

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When they're together, they're going to look like little people talking to each other.

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That's the look I'm going for.

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Oh, shoot.

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My neck is not working.

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It's weak, and it wants to collapse.

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I can't leave it like that, actually.

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-BLEEP.

-Forget that.

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I need to chill out a bit.

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Just lacking in the right state of mind, I think.

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30 minutes left, guys.

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You've got 30 minutes left.

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-SHE LAUGHS

-No way!

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Is that a laugh of joy, Sandra?

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SHE GIGGLES

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30 minutes, yay! 30 minutes, that's loads of time!

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This is definitely not going to be quite tall enough, but...

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I think at this point, if it ends up as a vase, then...it's a result.

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I'm just not really worrying too much about what they look like,

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I'm just going for quantity.

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They're very nice, though. I mean, they look like five sisters.

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Some of them are more supermodel, and some of them are more...

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-Personality!

-Personality.

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This is not about other people, this is about your own mind-set

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and your own battle with yourself.

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Jim is the first to complete all 10 of his vases,

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giving him plenty of time to add a little flourish.

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Kate mentioned they want a bit of personality on these pots,

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and I'm going to give it to them!

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Well, Jim's happily decorating 10 bottles at the moment.

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I'd love to be doing that.

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You've got four minutes, girls and boys. Four minutes.

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All your vases need to be in the drying room as well,

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so I don't want to encourage a mad stampede.

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Do you want to come up here?

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Four...

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three...

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two...

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one - time's up!

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HE SIGHS

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-Oh!

-Well done.

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THEY CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER

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Was that hard work, that?

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-It was horrific.

-Horrific?

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I know I've only done eight,

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but I'm chuffed that I got eight out, to be honest.

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Far too stressful for me!

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I think if the seven I'd done were perfect, I'd be really happy,

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but the seven I've done aren't even perfect.

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Everyone was stressed, no-one spoke hardly, even Jim,

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he didn't say anything at all and he talks a lot.

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Did my 10.

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I got a couple finished as I'd like and, er...

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That was all right, that was good fun. I liked that.

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I'm not a hugely proficient thrower, and I felt that today.

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I felt I was really struggling.

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I didn't enjoy it.

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Middleport Pottery, lying in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent,

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has been a working factory for over 150 years.

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By the mid 19th century, the ceramics industry employed

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over half the city's population.

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A huge army of craftsmen and women

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delivering British tableware to the entire world.

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The skills used then are still in use today,

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and our potters are about to be tested on one technique

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that's endured not just for centuries, but millennia.

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This is your spot test.

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It's where the judges like to put you through your paces

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with a particular pottery technique.

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This week we're going to put your slip decoration skills to the test,

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and what we want you to do is take this ancient technique

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and apply it with a contemporary style.

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I'm sure you're all desperate to see what it is you're going to be

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putting this slip on.

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You can remove your cloths now.

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Gorgeous, a little family of jugs!

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They need to relate to each other, they need to be part of a group, a set.

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You're going to have 75 minutes

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and because it is the spot test, you do it without the judges watching.

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So, off you go.

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Potters, get decorating.

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Before glazes, there was slip.

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-HE SIGHS

-Well...

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Slip is clay that has been watered down and coloured.

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Thousands of years ago, it emerged as the first means

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by which potters could add colour to their work.

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Mind's gone a bit blank now.

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Kate and Keith will want to see decoration that can only be

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achieved with the unique way slip is applied.

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Dipping.

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Pouring.

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Brushing.

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And trailing, which is using one of these.

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I could practise on the bench, I suppose.

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To decorate a pot isn't just putting a pattern flat onto a pot,

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it's considering the shape of it.

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If you imagine someone wearing a tight lace dress,

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the pattern is stretched over wide bits

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and it's looser over a narrow bit.

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So, there's this lovely play between surface and form.

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I'm looking for continuity through the three jugs,

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and there's quite a bit of spontaneity in there.

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So often with slip you only get one chance

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because of the very nature of the application.

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That's it, it starts drying on the surface of the pot straightaway.

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I'm just incising some lines.

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This is going to give me almost like an outline to fill in.

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Get a theme going and then something comes from that.

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I love dancing, I'm just thinking dancing feet.

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I'm going to try and draw with slips and create a little bit of a...

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I'm going to start with the middle size, so then I can scale it up and scale it down,

0:17:070:17:10

and they'll probably feel more like a family after that.

0:17:100:17:12

I'm trying to think about different slipping techniques

0:17:120:17:15

that I haven't done for ages.

0:17:150:17:16

I might blob stuff on.

0:17:160:17:18

You've got to try something.

0:17:180:17:20

It might work, it might not work.

0:17:200:17:22

Sandra is painting with the slip to create transfers

0:17:220:17:25

she can later apply.

0:17:250:17:27

I'll put it on top, somewhere round the side, and the top.

0:17:270:17:30

That's the idea.

0:17:300:17:31

I haven't done this for a while, so I'm not sure.

0:17:310:17:34

Tom has decided to use dipping to create his slip design.

0:17:340:17:38

I'm planning to create two panels, one on either side.

0:17:380:17:41

I do like minimalism.

0:17:410:17:43

I quite like traditional slip decoration,

0:17:460:17:49

so my risk is of reverting back to what I'm used to

0:17:490:17:53

and they don't want traditional, they want contemporary.

0:17:530:17:56

Yeah, I'm going to try a bit of sgraffito.

0:17:560:17:59

So, sgraffito means "to scratch into",

0:17:590:18:01

which, I believe, is where the word graffiti comes from,

0:18:010:18:04

from where they used to scratch into cave walls.

0:18:040:18:07

I don't know, you might have to check that one.

0:18:070:18:10

I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I'm going to try and blend it.

0:18:100:18:13

So, it's going to go black, up to red, up to white,

0:18:130:18:15

and I'll put some paper on,

0:18:150:18:17

which I'm going to peel back cos I'd love a black stripe going down it.

0:18:170:18:20

-Oh, that's very clever!

-What do you think of that?

0:18:200:18:22

-You're dead clever, you, and everything.

-Yeah, thanks.

0:18:220:18:25

45 minutes, guys. You've got 45 minutes left.

0:18:250:18:28

There's no way.

0:18:280:18:30

I just need to dry the wax off before I put the next layer on top,

0:18:300:18:32

otherwise it'll just drag everywhere.

0:18:320:18:34

What's your plan, Jane?

0:18:360:18:38

I'm going for fresh, yeah. I'm so fresh!

0:18:380:18:40

Do you know, I can't actually hear what you're saying cos I've got the gun on!

0:18:400:18:44

It's probably a good thing.

0:18:440:18:45

You get a slip trailer like this, a ribbon one generally,

0:18:450:18:49

then you blob, it's called "le blob".

0:18:490:18:51

Do it in a very blobby kind of way

0:18:510:18:54

and you enjoy it as you're doing it, it's really satisfying.

0:18:540:18:56

Tom's minimalist approach is about to get a little more involved.

0:18:560:19:00

I've done this before and gone straight onto the pot behind.

0:19:000:19:05

I'm just trying to make sure I don't do that.

0:19:050:19:09

-Well, I'm a bit unfamiliar with the old slips, I must say.

-Oh, really?

0:19:090:19:12

There's lots of movement in it, though. I like that.

0:19:120:19:14

Well, that's the general idea,

0:19:140:19:16

sort of frenetic dance movement all around it,

0:19:160:19:18

-but can you see the potential and hopefully the judges will pick up on that.

-Yes.

0:19:180:19:22

I need this layer to dry,

0:19:220:19:23

then I'm going to apply another layer of wax, and then I'm going to brush it over with the black,

0:19:230:19:27

then I'm going to go back and do some sgraffito,

0:19:270:19:29

and hopefully I'll have time to do some slip trailing on top.

0:19:290:19:31

My idea is use as many techniques as possible, and one might be right.

0:19:310:19:34

That's my theory.

0:19:340:19:37

15 minutes to go.

0:19:370:19:39

It seems to go a bit weird in this room - time.

0:19:390:19:42

75 minutes sounds like a long time, but it's not very.

0:19:420:19:45

I'm making a big deal of it.

0:19:460:19:48

It shouldn't be such a big deal.

0:19:480:19:49

Just get on with it.

0:19:500:19:51

There's a massive danger of overdoing it.

0:19:550:19:57

You just need to know when to stop, really.

0:19:570:19:59

This isn't going to work, actually. It's too wet.

0:20:040:20:07

Please work, just work.

0:20:070:20:08

Please work.

0:20:100:20:12

I wish I'd done these a little bit better, actually.

0:20:120:20:14

I've done the best I can here,

0:20:140:20:16

but I think I'm going to get crucified!

0:20:160:20:19

Yay!

0:20:250:20:27

Kind of what I wanted.

0:20:270:20:28

You've got one minute, guys. One minute left.

0:20:320:20:35

It's enough time to do something else,

0:20:350:20:38

and I just, I need to know when to stop.

0:20:380:20:40

I think I've finished.

0:20:410:20:43

30 seconds, potters.

0:20:440:20:46

You've got 30 seconds left.

0:20:460:20:48

Any final little dabs, any final touches,

0:20:480:20:50

any final bits of "le blobbing", Sandra?

0:20:500:20:53

Four...

0:20:560:20:57

three...

0:20:570:20:58

two...

0:20:580:21:00

one!

0:21:000:21:01

Potters, time is up!

0:21:010:21:02

# Went to college, studied art. #

0:21:050:21:07

Because they haven't seen who has decorated what,

0:21:090:21:12

Kate and Keith have no idea whose jugs are whose.

0:21:120:21:15

# But no-one seemed to notice me. #

0:21:170:21:19

So, looking at this one,

0:21:190:21:21

I'm not clear on the message that it's giving me.

0:21:210:21:23

And it's quite a simplistic application of the slip, isn't it?

0:21:230:21:27

And looking at this one, whoever it was,

0:21:290:21:31

a whole ground upon which to work,

0:21:310:21:33

and it's really bringing out the painterly nature of the slip.

0:21:330:21:36

There's sgraffito going on there, there's wax resist going on there.

0:21:360:21:41

There's a level of success to the design.

0:21:410:21:43

So, this is like an abstract painting.

0:21:430:21:45

We asked for something contemporary,

0:21:450:21:47

and it's actually as if there's a painting on the side of a pot.

0:21:470:21:51

Very nicely executed.

0:21:510:21:52

And what they've done with the design is that they've really

0:21:520:21:55

thought about the shape they're putting it on.

0:21:550:21:58

And this, to me, it's truly illustrating the way the slip is.

0:21:580:22:03

I'd love to have been there when they were pouring it,

0:22:030:22:05

cos there's a great pleasure in pouring slip.

0:22:050:22:07

You can really see the energy in that.

0:22:070:22:09

Yeah, and I think these are really strong.

0:22:090:22:11

Because in complete contrast,

0:22:110:22:13

you've got this one which is obviously a very controlled design.

0:22:130:22:16

It's more of an illustration really, isn't it?

0:22:160:22:18

Drawing a figure on a pot,

0:22:180:22:19

which is a really difficult thing to do, whoever did it.

0:22:190:22:22

But I'm asking myself if there is a sense of the painterly nature,

0:22:220:22:27

the gift the slip gives?

0:22:270:22:29

Whereas this one, they've used the medium of slip completely.

0:22:290:22:34

I mean, you could say whoever it was has thrown everything at it,

0:22:340:22:37

including the kitchen sink.

0:22:370:22:38

They're very, very vibrant, aren't they?

0:22:380:22:40

And then, again, we've got something completely different.

0:22:400:22:43

Is this something that we feel that could have been done with another medium?

0:22:430:22:47

Could they have been more generous?

0:22:470:22:49

Could there have been a sense of action that the slip gives?

0:22:490:22:53

So, really, I'm personally looking at who has used the slip

0:22:530:22:57

in the most illustrative and expressive way.

0:22:570:23:00

It's really hard, they set us such a hard job.

0:23:020:23:05

Kate and Keith will now reveal whose jugs have impressed

0:23:060:23:09

and whose haven't.

0:23:090:23:11

Well, in joint sixth, there isn't a seventh,

0:23:120:23:15

is between this board, whose is that?

0:23:150:23:18

It's mine.

0:23:180:23:19

-And this board.

-This one here.

0:23:190:23:21

This showed better illustration of slip application,

0:23:210:23:25

but this one had a better design.

0:23:250:23:28

But we felt that it didn't really show what you could really do with slip.

0:23:280:23:32

Jim is fifth,

0:23:320:23:34

James is fourth,

0:23:340:23:35

and Matthew's eclectic pattern earns him third place.

0:23:350:23:39

So we've got two sets of jugs left, then.

0:23:390:23:41

We've got these ones here.

0:23:410:23:43

-Whose are those?

-They're mine.

0:23:430:23:45

-And we've got these ones here.

-Great.

0:23:450:23:46

This one, very complex,

0:23:460:23:49

lots of things going on there as in terms of technique.

0:23:490:23:53

This one, very simple, really fluent,

0:23:530:23:56

but we love the freshness and we love the energy in it.

0:23:560:23:59

So, in second place, we've gone for yours, Sally-Jo.

0:23:590:24:03

Well done, Sally-Jo.

0:24:030:24:04

And in first place, well done, Tom.

0:24:040:24:07

Well done, guys.

0:24:110:24:12

It's been a big old day today, so go and rest.

0:24:120:24:15

-Well done.

-Well done.

0:24:150:24:18

Oh, well done, you!

0:24:180:24:20

I've put myself under stupid pressure this morning,

0:24:210:24:24

slip trailing like that you've got to be relaxed,

0:24:240:24:26

and you've got to enjoy it,

0:24:260:24:27

cos if you don't enjoy it, the love doesn't come out onto the pot.

0:24:270:24:30

I thought it would be my chance to beat Tom once and for all.

0:24:300:24:34

Or just once.

0:24:340:24:35

You know, you can only be strong at certain things and rubbish at others,

0:24:350:24:39

and I think I've just met my...

0:24:390:24:41

met my least favourite activity so far this afternoon.

0:24:410:24:45

I consider myself to have come joint sixth, rather than joint last.

0:24:450:24:49

I'm looking forward to doing the raku, yes.

0:24:500:24:53

After drying the long-necked vases for two days,

0:25:080:25:11

our kiln man, Rich, takes them to be bisque fired for a further 24 hours.

0:25:110:25:16

With all their vases fired,

0:25:240:25:25

the potters will now have to select their best five to decorate.

0:25:250:25:29

They look better than I remember!

0:25:300:25:33

Covered up.

0:25:330:25:34

The judges have asked for a set of identical vases.

0:25:360:25:40

Oh, hello.

0:25:400:25:41

So the five they choose need to be as similar as possible.

0:25:410:25:44

They're reasonably consistent, but they look cool.

0:25:440:25:47

Oh, that's terrible, that one!

0:25:470:25:49

Consistency, what does that mean?

0:25:490:25:51

Well, they're consistently terrible.

0:25:510:25:53

-Hi, Sally-Jo.

-Hi.

0:25:550:25:56

We are choosing of the five most consistent!

0:25:560:25:59

It didn't take very long!

0:25:590:26:02

I've gone for these five, I like the surface decoration on these.

0:26:020:26:06

You look like you've chosen your five there.

0:26:060:26:08

Well, when you say choose, it was kind of a more of a...

0:26:080:26:12

necessity.

0:26:120:26:13

Should I rephrase it?

0:26:130:26:14

Not saying you've been forced into plumping for those!

0:26:140:26:17

The potters now have 90 minutes to decorate their five vases

0:26:170:26:21

with any glazes or oxides they choose.

0:26:210:26:24

This is all wax with oxide, which is a good idea.

0:26:240:26:27

So I can wax and oxide at the same time.

0:26:270:26:30

Oxides are metals and they're used to colour glazes.

0:26:300:26:36

On this bottle here, you can see there are

0:26:360:26:39

patches of blue-y green-y colour, and that's copper oxide.

0:26:390:26:43

You can use gold chloride, you can use silver nitrate.

0:26:430:26:46

There are all kinds of effects you can get from these metal oxides.

0:26:460:26:49

Can I put clear over this?

0:26:490:26:52

-Yes, you can. It's not particularly good, though.

-Why?

0:26:520:26:55

You'll just get, um, flossings of pale brown.

0:26:550:26:59

I did some yesterday and I got exactly that.

0:26:590:27:01

-What, with this?

-Yeah.

-Under clear?

-Under clear, yeah.

0:27:010:27:04

D'you know what, I've done quite a bit of raku,

0:27:040:27:07

I have been giving my words of wisdom!

0:27:070:27:10

Not that they want them, particularly, but...

0:27:120:27:14

After a disappointing spot test,

0:27:140:27:16

Jim's raku experience might be about to pay off.

0:27:160:27:20

The secret of raku is not to be too contrived,

0:27:200:27:22

you've just got to dollop it on. It's one of those spontaneous,

0:27:220:27:26

splash it on kind of approaches that really works.

0:27:260:27:29

Some potters are planning to leave areas unglazed...

0:27:290:27:33

Just getting my wax on.

0:27:330:27:34

..covering sections with wax or masking tape.

0:27:340:27:37

Cos I'm putting wax resist on, when I dip it into the glaze,

0:27:370:27:41

they won't be glazed, so that once you fire them,

0:27:410:27:45

they'll carbonise and become black.

0:27:450:27:47

The difference between the wax resist and the masking is

0:27:470:27:50

obviously you've got more control, and you can get more sort of curves

0:27:500:27:53

and stuff with the wax, whereas the masking tape is quite linear.

0:27:530:27:58

Just trying to make them look a little bit more elegant,

0:27:580:28:00

something that I struggle with.

0:28:000:28:02

People have described my pots as being quite characterful.

0:28:060:28:10

Rather than handles I use dimples in the forms.

0:28:100:28:14

They're quite jolly pots,

0:28:140:28:15

and I tend to use quite bright colours to decorate the pots.

0:28:150:28:20

I have trouble with decoration and glazing, that's when I can get

0:28:200:28:26

really frustrated, and it's never quite as good as I imagine it to be.

0:28:260:28:30

You've got to get them on really thick, with glazes with raku,

0:28:300:28:33

that's the one tip that I kept reading,

0:28:330:28:36

make sure your glaze is on thick enough.

0:28:360:28:38

I'm just waxing the bases of a couple of them

0:28:380:28:40

that are going to be dipped.

0:28:400:28:42

Tom won the spot test with a minimalist approach,

0:28:420:28:44

and he isn't about to change strategy.

0:28:440:28:46

I like the simple black and white, and I like the contrast

0:28:460:28:49

between the two, so heavy reduction on black and white crackle.

0:28:490:28:52

And then this one I'm... this one I'm still...

0:28:520:28:55

I'm going to play with a little bit.

0:28:550:28:58

Raku's traditionally Japanese, so I've gone for, you know,

0:28:580:29:01

slightly Japanese theme, and I'm going to put Japanese

0:29:010:29:05

character in here to symbolise a Japanese tea ceremony.

0:29:050:29:09

I really love minimal aesthetics, I love minimal use of colour,

0:29:090:29:13

but the right colour at the right time, and so I think considered,

0:29:130:29:17

careful, modern approach is something I love to create.

0:29:170:29:20

But on the other side, I love organic forms, I love things

0:29:200:29:23

that are asymmetric and are inspired by nature, and I think this complete

0:29:230:29:28

diversity in the styles that I like probably does reflect a bit in me.

0:29:280:29:31

I find it very hard to pinpoint one thing that I like,

0:29:310:29:34

I love...I love everything.

0:29:340:29:36

I think the key to raku is to keep it really simple, actually.

0:29:360:29:39

It's all about the firing and the lustre you get from that,

0:29:390:29:42

so I don't think it pays to be too fussy.

0:29:420:29:44

I've got a few different things that I'm going to try with the glazes.

0:29:440:29:47

Hopefully that will cover some of the fact that the pots aren't

0:29:470:29:52

quite so perfect themselves, I might be able to claw back some points.

0:29:520:29:56

Hi, Tom. Are you feeling quite confident

0:29:560:29:58

with taking this forward now?

0:29:580:29:59

Raku is entering into the unknown so,

0:29:590:30:01

for me, so, yeah, I'm really excited about it.

0:30:010:30:03

It sounds really, like, tribal and wild, like, flames!

0:30:030:30:06

I've seen it on TV and I've read books, but we both know

0:30:060:30:08

that that's not good enough, so we'll see,

0:30:080:30:10

I mean I'm looking forward to it.

0:30:100:30:11

Halfway through, potters, halfway through.

0:30:110:30:14

Oh, my God.

0:30:140:30:16

I don't actually know how the detail is going to come out in the firing.

0:30:170:30:20

It may just run and turn into nothing or it may stay

0:30:200:30:24

and be quite a nice little symbol.

0:30:240:30:25

Good time to try.

0:30:250:30:26

Despite his experience, Jim's now struggling with

0:30:260:30:30

the spontaneity that great raku glazing demands.

0:30:300:30:33

I mean, I'm quite tight with my design work anyway,

0:30:330:30:35

and this is an area where I can't be neat and tidy and tight with

0:30:350:30:38

the design, so...

0:30:380:30:40

But even these are a little bit tight, actually, I should

0:30:400:30:43

be splashing it and really going for it, but I can't help myself.

0:30:430:30:46

With raku, you never really know what you're going to get

0:30:500:30:54

so you can plan it all out absolutely perfectly, you put

0:30:540:30:56

it through the kiln and it will never come out how you expect it to.

0:30:560:30:59

Well, I'm sure there's, like, raku masters that can get

0:30:590:31:02

fantastic control and stuff but I'm not one of them.

0:31:020:31:06

10 minutes left, guys! 10 minutes left.

0:31:060:31:09

I'm so behind, as usual.

0:31:090:31:11

Yeah, I've put a clear glaze over

0:31:110:31:13

some of the glazes that I've dripped on.

0:31:130:31:15

Hopefully the glazes will just keep layering up over each other

0:31:150:31:17

and create some interesting effects,

0:31:170:31:19

but they might just make a mess, so we'll see.

0:31:190:31:21

It's going to run and it's just not going to leave a thick enough coating of glaze.

0:31:230:31:29

For his final vase, Tom's hoping to repeat another technique that

0:31:290:31:32

helped him win the Spot Test.

0:31:320:31:34

I'm going to try and dry out some glaze so that I can thicken up.

0:31:340:31:37

I really don't know if this is going to work.

0:31:370:31:39

As long as I can get it nice and thick.

0:31:430:31:46

I've only got a little bit, though, so I haven't got much to play with.

0:31:460:31:50

There you go, that's better.

0:31:500:31:52

Having messed around with it, I'm now going to mess up the pot.

0:31:520:31:55

If you can imagine that, where the clay is there, it'll be black,

0:31:580:32:01

and where you've got the glaze it'll be white.

0:32:010:32:04

All that fuss for just a few drizzles.

0:32:040:32:07

I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with the decorating,

0:32:070:32:10

so keep your fingers crossed.

0:32:100:32:12

I'm always last at this, I don't know what's wrong with me.

0:32:130:32:16

20 seconds left, guys.

0:32:160:32:17

I'm done when the bell goes.

0:32:170:32:19

Five, four, three, two, one. Time's up, guys!

0:32:240:32:31

Time is up.

0:32:310:32:32

I'm done now!

0:32:320:32:33

While their glazes dry,

0:32:350:32:37

Kate and Keith have one final challenge for the potters.

0:32:370:32:41

The master potters of Stoke needed a sharp eye for form and profile to

0:32:410:32:46

ensure they could turn out beautiful, identical pots over and over again.

0:32:460:32:50

But do any of our potters have the eyes of a master?

0:32:500:32:53

I know you were praying that we'd forgotten about this bit,

0:32:530:32:56

but we haven't, cos it is time now for a throw down.

0:32:560:32:59

The challenge today is about observation and profiling.

0:32:590:33:03

Keith is going to throw two candlesticks

0:33:030:33:06

and you are going to copy them.

0:33:060:33:08

Once I've thrown them, they will be covered over.

0:33:080:33:10

I'll do the smaller one first.

0:33:130:33:15

It's about tuning in your eye and looking at the real detail,

0:33:150:33:19

the character and the accent of the profile.

0:33:190:33:22

I would make sure that you've got plenty of water on your hands

0:33:220:33:25

because you need that water to actually control

0:33:250:33:29

the stem of the candlestick. And you want a nice fluent shape.

0:33:290:33:33

So this one's a fairly simple one.

0:33:350:33:37

Now make sure you centre the clay really well.

0:33:420:33:45

It'll be a good 20 centimetres, probably.

0:33:450:33:48

Wow, it's looking gorgeous.

0:33:550:33:56

OK, guys, complete your sketches of both candlesticks

0:34:010:34:04

and write any notes you need to write.

0:34:040:34:06

Conceal the candlesticks. There, I've found my catchphrase at last.

0:34:110:34:16

OK, guys, back to your workstations, please.

0:34:160:34:20

Two candlesticks, 15 minutes.

0:34:200:34:22

Starting from now.

0:34:220:34:23

BELL RINGS

0:34:230:34:26

So they're all starting with the small one first.

0:34:290:34:31

-Yeah, the easy one.

-Getting warmed up, yeah.

0:34:310:34:34

-Centring it.

-Kneading the clay,

0:34:340:34:35

getting a nice consistency throughout the stem

0:34:350:34:38

so they can profile it.

0:34:380:34:39

Who seems to be going OK, then?

0:34:410:34:43

Jane's started modelling hers, she's really looking at her book.

0:34:430:34:47

Matthew's got a lovely cup shape at the top of his.

0:34:470:34:50

Yeah.

0:34:500:34:51

It's always best to do the delicate bit at the top first,

0:34:510:34:55

so you've got all that support underneath it.

0:34:550:34:57

They really need nice, even pressure on all sides of the stem.

0:34:580:35:03

Now, time-wise, do they need to leave a bit of extra bit

0:35:040:35:07

of time for the big candlestick?

0:35:070:35:08

I would if I were them, yeah.

0:35:080:35:11

Oh, Tom's finished up, well done, Tom. Matthew's finished there.

0:35:110:35:15

Oh, well done, James.

0:35:150:35:17

Halfway through, guys, halfway through your time!

0:35:170:35:20

-Oh!

-Oh, my giddy aunt.

0:35:200:35:21

I've totally made mine little.

0:35:250:35:27

It's a great challenge, actually, tuning in their eyes.

0:35:300:35:33

Matthew seems to be getting a nice bit of height on that one already.

0:35:330:35:37

Tom's got a good shape, it's looking fairly similar to mine.

0:35:370:35:40

It's not quite like that but it'll do.

0:35:430:35:45

Do keep breathing,

0:35:450:35:47

it feels like you've all held your breath for this one.

0:35:470:35:50

You've got one minute left, guys.

0:35:500:35:52

One minute to finish these candlesticks.

0:35:520:35:55

30 seconds left, guys, then these wheels need to screech to a halt.

0:36:000:36:04

Five, four, three, two, one. Time is up!

0:36:130:36:20

Lift your boards off the wheel, please.

0:36:200:36:22

That was really hard.

0:36:230:36:26

-It looks so easy when he's doing it, doesn't it?

-Fun and games.

0:36:260:36:29

Has anyone been able to replicate the profile

0:36:290:36:33

and form of Keith's original candlesticks?

0:36:330:36:35

You've got the general concept on the smaller one.

0:36:350:36:38

You haven't left enough meat down in your base.

0:36:380:36:40

-The big one?

-Haven't quite got the height.

0:36:400:36:43

You've squeezed too hard

0:36:430:36:45

and created those flat flanges rather than the soft bumps.

0:36:450:36:48

Initial observations - very, very good.

0:36:480:36:51

Well, I think in essence he's got it,

0:36:510:36:54

but I was really looking at the difference between the cups

0:36:540:36:56

at the top, and he's actually captured that.

0:36:560:36:58

I'm impressed.

0:36:580:37:00

You've got the height there, that's pretty good.

0:37:000:37:02

Your stems are slightly on the thick side.

0:37:020:37:05

We've got the character of it, but it's just missing that detail.

0:37:050:37:08

I think it's a good copy.

0:37:080:37:10

A bit too thick on the rim, but I'm liking all this detail here.

0:37:100:37:14

It's obviously not tall enough, but overall not a bad shape at all.

0:37:140:37:18

You know, the general concept of the first one, you've got it there.

0:37:180:37:21

The cup is not quite accentuated enough.

0:37:210:37:25

And on the larger one, I would say the pot on the top is excellent.

0:37:250:37:29

-If you'd just added a bit more pressure...

-Yes.

0:37:290:37:31

..just underneath it, it would have given it that bit more finesse.

0:37:310:37:34

The smaller one, really, really nice.

0:37:350:37:38

I'm amazed, actually, that he didn't have this in front of him.

0:37:380:37:40

It is really good.

0:37:400:37:42

It's a really good effort.

0:37:420:37:44

Well, we've got a little friend, haven't we, to the little one?

0:37:440:37:48

And I think you're missing that lovely cupness of the bowl.

0:37:480:37:52

The large one there, the height's not quite there.

0:37:520:37:55

We were testing those powers of observation,

0:37:550:37:57

and it's that essence there which is missing on both of these.

0:37:570:38:01

So, who do Kate and Keith feel has shown a master potter's eye

0:38:030:38:07

for profile and form?

0:38:070:38:09

Seventh place is you, Sally-Jo.

0:38:090:38:11

You pulled up too much at the beginning, and then you also

0:38:110:38:14

squeezed too hard when you were trying to make the lumps.

0:38:140:38:17

In sixth place is James, fifth place is Jane

0:38:170:38:21

and fourth is Sandra.

0:38:210:38:23

We're going now to third place...

0:38:230:38:25

is Jim.

0:38:250:38:27

APPLAUSE

0:38:270:38:29

So we couldn't really decide between first and second.

0:38:290:38:33

Matthew, you got the cups absolutely right.

0:38:330:38:36

Tom, your bases were a bit more defined.

0:38:360:38:40

But we couldn't really decide between the two of you.

0:38:400:38:43

So there is two first place winners.

0:38:430:38:45

Tom and Matthew.

0:38:450:38:47

Well done.

0:38:470:38:48

APPLAUSE

0:38:480:38:50

It's good to know that I'm doing something right.

0:38:540:38:56

Well done, boys. Another good one, another good one!

0:38:560:39:00

I've never made candlesticks before.

0:39:000:39:02

Not sure I will again, but we'll see.

0:39:020:39:05

I may well be in jeopardy of my... of my Top Potter position.

0:39:050:39:10

I think the problem is the competition is just so high

0:39:100:39:14

and the challenges are really tough, so, you know,

0:39:140:39:17

at the end of the day, if the others are better which, to be honest,

0:39:170:39:20

they are well then that, you've just got to be OK with that.

0:39:200:39:23

Finally, the long-necked vases are ready for the raku firing.

0:39:270:39:31

An extreme process that, for safety, has required our kiln man Rich to

0:39:310:39:35

set up specially adapted gas-fired kilns outside the pottery walls.

0:39:350:39:40

Almost everything can go wrong with raku.

0:39:410:39:44

The pots are usually heated up fairly quickly compared to

0:39:440:39:47

most kiln firings, and then you take them out

0:39:470:39:50

and they're cooling down in a few minutes.

0:39:500:39:52

That's a lot to ask of the piece of clay.

0:39:520:39:54

Right, so who's coming next?

0:39:540:39:56

Matt's up.

0:39:560:39:57

The first thing that's most likely to happen is that they'll crack.

0:39:570:40:00

If they're not completely dry they can explode during the firing,

0:40:000:40:05

that's quite dramatic.

0:40:050:40:06

So it is quite a dangerous occupation.

0:40:060:40:09

Who's next?

0:40:090:40:11

Sally-Jo, right. D'you want to grab your pots?

0:40:110:40:13

See you, pots.

0:40:130:40:15

In the raku process, you fire the material till it's red-hot,

0:40:150:40:20

and then you take it out and put it in a container that contains

0:40:200:40:24

sawdust, let's say, it reacts with the sawdust, burns it,

0:40:240:40:28

generates carbon, so you have this wonderfully aesthetically

0:40:280:40:32

pleasing surface material, generated in a very haphazard way.

0:40:320:40:37

Fire her up. Let's go.

0:40:370:40:39

Each potter has picked their own combustible materials in which

0:40:420:40:45

to plunge their vases.

0:40:450:40:47

What they choose will affect their final look.

0:40:480:40:50

I'm going to make a bed of this sawdust, which is oak.

0:40:500:40:54

Oh, you are very high-end with your oak shavings.

0:40:540:40:57

I love it.

0:40:570:40:58

I've got some gorse, some bladderwrack seaweed and some silage

0:40:580:41:04

and some manure, yeah.

0:41:040:41:05

So we should get some interesting smells off that, then?

0:41:050:41:08

And is this a concoction that you've used before?

0:41:080:41:10

No, it's just my countryside.

0:41:100:41:12

How lovely to bring your home to...

0:41:120:41:14

-Well, that's what I thought.

-..the contest.

0:41:140:41:16

The potters must judge

0:41:180:41:19

when to remove their red-hot vases from the kiln - take them

0:41:190:41:22

out too soon and the effect of the glaze will be minimal.

0:41:220:41:26

It's quite nerve-wracking.

0:41:260:41:28

But leave them in for too long and the glaze will melt and run.

0:41:280:41:32

D'you want to check your time?

0:41:320:41:34

-I'm all right, I know when it's time.

-You're all right?

0:41:340:41:37

You're a bit too confident, mate.

0:41:370:41:39

OK, are we ready? Here we go.

0:41:390:41:42

# Dun-dun-dun! #

0:41:420:41:43

Oh, no!

0:41:470:41:48

I meant to do that.

0:41:480:41:50

Boom. Dancing about a bit. I struggle with these tongs.

0:41:500:41:54

Yeah! Whoo! Whoo!

0:42:010:42:04

That's how you do it, don't throw them around like that, though.

0:42:040:42:07

-Nice work.

-Cheers, thank you very much.

0:42:160:42:18

-Job well done, well done.

-Thank you.

-Yeah, it's great.

0:42:180:42:21

OK, let's get these bad boys out.

0:42:210:42:23

Am I sweeping up after this?

0:42:270:42:29

-Quite possibly.

-Can we get some clay?

0:42:290:42:32

Yeah, there's a bag of clay just over there.

0:42:320:42:34

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, sweet.

0:42:340:42:35

He's getting ready to seal the dustbin lid,

0:42:350:42:38

to trap all the air in there.

0:42:380:42:40

By closing the lid, the fire around the vases is starved of air.

0:42:400:42:44

It's a process called reduction.

0:42:440:42:47

As the air is reduced,

0:42:470:42:48

the fire feeds on any remaining oxygen it can find in the clay

0:42:480:42:52

or glazes, producing wild and varied colours and textures.

0:42:520:42:56

I'm going to put the clay around the top of the lid

0:42:560:42:59

so I can seal it off from oxygen.

0:42:590:43:02

By making a tighter seal,

0:43:020:43:04

Matt hopes to achieve an even more intense decoration.

0:43:040:43:07

-Ooh, very dramatic, that is.

-Thank you.

0:43:090:43:11

-They're glowing, they are.

-They are glowing.

0:43:110:43:13

Oh!

0:43:130:43:16

I think James is going to have a bit of a squirt with water,

0:43:160:43:20

which we haven't seen yet.

0:43:200:43:21

Spray that.

0:43:210:43:24

Oh, no!

0:43:240:43:25

I can't do it.

0:43:260:43:28

Matthew and James are leaving their vases in the open air

0:43:280:43:31

before the reduction process.

0:43:310:43:33

The rapid cooling should force the surface glazes

0:43:330:43:36

to contract and crackle.

0:43:360:43:38

Well done, Matthew!

0:43:420:43:44

Yeah! Whoo!

0:43:440:43:45

Well done! Whoo! Whoo!

0:43:470:43:49

That's it, that's it, there you go.

0:43:490:43:53

-I can't grip it.

-You can do it, you can do it.

0:43:550:43:58

Gosh, flipping 'eck.

0:43:590:44:01

-He's not steady of hands with the tongs.

-No, not really.

0:44:010:44:04

-Oh!

-You're OK, you're OK, you're OK, take your time.

0:44:080:44:11

Oh, my Lord.

0:44:140:44:15

Take your time, that's it, that's it, don't worry, you're fine,

0:44:150:44:18

you're fine, you're fine.

0:44:180:44:19

Ah-h! Pick it up, pick it up, Sandra.

0:44:190:44:24

Pick it up, it's not lost.

0:44:240:44:26

There you go, missus. Right, you got it?

0:44:260:44:28

Perfect.

0:44:290:44:30

You just took the end of the bottom off.

0:44:300:44:33

-Amazing.

-It's broken, though.

0:44:330:44:35

-It's all right.

-It's just the base.

-Oh, no.

-It's just the base.

0:44:350:44:39

Away from the heat of the kiln, some of the potters are planning

0:44:430:44:46

to dunk their pots in water whilst they're still hot.

0:44:460:44:49

This should bring out the colours in the glazes,

0:44:540:44:57

but it does come with its own risks.

0:44:570:44:59

-Shall we do this?

-Yeah, are you just going to lower it in?

0:44:590:45:02

Is there going to be some sizzling and cracking?

0:45:020:45:04

Not a great deal, but I'm going to have to find the pots first of all.

0:45:040:45:07

OK. Here we go.

0:45:070:45:09

-Are you going to submerge it completely?

-I am, yeah.

0:45:130:45:16

Oh, easy goes it. Look at all that black on there.

0:45:170:45:21

I know, I've gotta be careful or I'm going to lose that. Whey!

0:45:210:45:24

Oh!

0:45:240:45:25

THEY LAUGH

0:45:250:45:27

I'll get a grip round the belly for that one.

0:45:270:45:29

-Whoa!

-HE LAUGHS

0:45:290:45:33

It's all right, it bounced!

0:45:330:45:35

They're all cracked. There's a great big crack on that one.

0:45:350:45:37

-That's a shame.

-There's only that one that's cracked, isn't there?

0:45:370:45:40

Yeah. Oh, no, they're all cracked, look. Oh blimey!

0:45:400:45:43

I'm going to have to live with that now. Just clean up time.

0:45:430:45:47

What do you reckon, mate, are you happy?

0:45:470:45:49

It's all right, yeah, that's good.

0:45:490:45:50

-Are you going to put them in the water?

-No.

-Why not?

0:45:500:45:54

Because...they'll probably crack.

0:45:540:45:56

-Yeah, do you think?

-Yeah, I do.

0:45:560:45:58

Finally, the vases need to be cleaned to reveal the full

0:45:580:46:01

effects of the raku firing.

0:46:010:46:03

A lot of the pots have been coming out quite black, so...

0:46:030:46:07

-Absolutely.

-..it's obviously all in the scrubbing and the scouring.

0:46:070:46:11

Yeah, and we still don't know what lies under that sheen.

0:46:110:46:13

And that's the wonderful thing.

0:46:130:46:15

So you immerse them in the water, you start scrubbing away at them,

0:46:150:46:19

and all of a sudden this whole thing emerges.

0:46:190:46:21

A lot of the black comes off and it just kind of reveals colour.

0:46:210:46:24

It's a bit better than I expected, actually.

0:46:240:46:26

Overall, I just wish I'd made nicer pots to start with.

0:46:260:46:29

Well, that has a pretty terminal crack on the base of that pot,

0:46:290:46:33

and that is from curing too quickly.

0:46:330:46:37

We'll have to see what the judges think, won't we?

0:46:370:46:39

Regardless of whether they like it or not,

0:46:390:46:41

I'm so proud of myself, cos I've never got a pot all the way

0:46:410:46:44

through to raku like this, so it's a real achievement.

0:46:440:46:47

With the vases buffed up, all that remains is for Kate

0:46:500:46:53

and Keith to decide whose will keep them in the competition,

0:46:530:46:56

and whose will send them home.

0:46:560:46:59

I'm a bit nervous about the judging this afternoon.

0:46:590:47:02

I only made seven out of the ten vases. Last in the throw down.

0:47:020:47:07

Not great, but hopefully my second place in the spot test will help.

0:47:070:47:12

I've come joint-last. I dropped a vessel. I've come fourth.

0:47:120:47:17

It's not good is it?

0:47:170:47:18

I suppose I'm a bit worried. I don't really want to go home yet,

0:47:180:47:20

that's the thing. I think the judges' comments

0:47:200:47:23

have all been fair, but I'm just not quite ready to go.

0:47:230:47:26

Well, potters, that raku firing was a bit exciting, wasn't it?

0:47:310:47:35

LAUGHTER

0:47:350:47:38

Now all the smoke has cleared,

0:47:380:47:39

let's have a look at your long-necked vases, please.

0:47:390:47:42

Tom, you're up first for judging.

0:47:420:47:44

What I'm seeing here is a nice concept in shape.

0:47:580:48:02

They're all looking pretty consistent in shape and form,

0:48:020:48:06

and I'm really loving the crackle.

0:48:060:48:08

And I've picked up my favourite one of the five, immediately it

0:48:080:48:11

sprang to me, but I remember you really composing yourself

0:48:110:48:14

into this sort of spring, and then doing this simple, which can

0:48:140:48:17

look affected, but it is effective, and it's a really beautiful piece.

0:48:170:48:23

The crackle has gone off really nicely on this,

0:48:230:48:26

and I think what you've done with the base is really nice,

0:48:260:48:30

because we asked you to finish them off on the wheel.

0:48:300:48:33

We know you were asked to make ten vases,

0:48:370:48:40

and you didn't manage to fulfil that challenge at the beginning,

0:48:400:48:43

so you had less to choose from.

0:48:430:48:44

What I'm sort of frustrated about is that

0:48:440:48:47

I'm looking at the back of the room, and I'm seeing one of the forms

0:48:470:48:52

that would have sat better with these four than this one.

0:48:520:48:55

-OK.

-And not only that, but you've coincidentally decorated this

0:48:550:48:59

one the most different from all the others, so it stands out even

0:48:590:49:02

-more, it really is like the black sheep of the family.

-OK.

0:49:020:49:05

What I think these four are lacking is a clarity of the message

0:49:050:49:09

that you're trying to put over.

0:49:090:49:10

So, when you were throwing, you should have been

0:49:100:49:12

thinking about the edges that you wanted and the finish.

0:49:120:49:15

And it's the same with the decoration -

0:49:150:49:17

did you want the glaze to end here or did you want it to stagger up?

0:49:170:49:21

I think it's an incredible achievement that you've

0:49:210:49:24

managed to do this with your first ever raku,

0:49:240:49:26

but brief was for five very similar forms.

0:49:260:49:30

They're all very consistent.

0:49:360:49:38

We have an unfortunate mishap here. We saw this, didn't we, in the raku?

0:49:390:49:43

I have to say...

0:49:430:49:45

-TEARFUL:

-..considering you found this a real challenge...

0:49:460:49:51

they are quite remarkably similar.

0:49:510:49:53

I'm increasingly amazed by...your resolve.

0:49:530:49:59

This is a good sign, by the way, when he reacts like this.

0:49:590:50:02

Form's really strong. You did well on the forms, on the original task,

0:50:020:50:06

and the glazes are illustrating all sorts of different

0:50:060:50:09

crazing, different colour, but there's a clarity between the set.

0:50:090:50:13

-I'm really pleasantly surprised.

-Yeah, I'd like to congratulate you.

0:50:130:50:16

-Yeah.

-Jane, will you bring your vases forward, please?

0:50:160:50:19

What a lovely communicative set, and I love the way that your pattern has

0:50:320:50:36

continued from the outside inside, there's a great sense of energy.

0:50:360:50:40

I'm loving the shape. The only thing I would mention is, I'm not sure

0:50:400:50:43

if the blue fleck really adds anything to it.

0:50:430:50:46

In fact, if anything, it probably hides the crackle glaze.

0:50:460:50:49

It looks like you've finished it, and then you've gone,

0:50:490:50:52

"Oh, my God, what else should I do? Quick, do a bit of fleck on it."

0:50:520:50:55

Very definite shape and form.

0:51:040:51:05

And it's interesting actually

0:51:050:51:07

because the surface design of all these is quite sparing, actually,

0:51:070:51:12

there's a lot of black going on here.

0:51:120:51:14

I probably would have wanted to see more of the raku glaze really giving

0:51:140:51:19

its own characteristics to the pot. You haven't let the glaze let loose.

0:51:190:51:23

-And I think each one has bits that work...

-Yeah.

0:51:230:51:26

..but I'm really looking for one where all the bits work,

0:51:260:51:29

and you, I think, have a big experience with raku.

0:51:290:51:32

Thanks very much, Jim.

0:51:320:51:34

We know that you didn't complete the ten that you made,

0:51:360:51:39

-and you selected five.

-Mm-hm.

0:51:390:51:42

Although they're quite different and we're missing some long necks

0:51:420:51:45

here, very clearly, I think you've done really well with the glazing.

0:51:450:51:49

-We know you struggle with your throwing...

-Mm-hm.

0:51:490:51:52

-..if that's OK to say?

-Yep. Lack of experience.

0:51:520:51:55

But, you know, in this task you sort of pulled them altogether.

0:51:550:51:58

Despite the fact of the lack of long necks, I think

0:51:580:52:01

you've pulled them up with your surfaces.

0:52:010:52:04

You were the only one that used two pointers on your wheel

0:52:200:52:24

-to get your...

-Yes.

-..width and also the height.

0:52:240:52:27

Obviously, it's kept you in good stead

0:52:270:52:28

because they are very uniformed, there's a very definite shape to

0:52:280:52:32

them, and they do look like a set of five, which is really, really good.

0:52:320:52:38

Beautiful texturing on the surface, that sense of raku,

0:52:380:52:42

there's so much life in that.

0:52:420:52:44

-And the copper has reduced so well, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:52:440:52:47

This sort of speaks of raku even at its best.

0:52:470:52:50

And, you know, it really does look alive,

0:52:500:52:52

it looks like something out of the barrier reef.

0:52:520:52:54

-I think I'll take this one home.

-Thank you.

0:52:540:52:56

OK, potters, you can go and have a well-earned breather now

0:52:590:53:01

and recover from that judging session, cos Kate

0:53:010:53:04

and Keith have got to collect their thoughts and decide who is

0:53:040:53:08

going to be Top Potter and who is going to be leaving the pottery.

0:53:080:53:11

Off you go.

0:53:110:53:13

I'm really pleased they liked the vases, but I didn't throw ten and

0:53:150:53:20

I haven't done well in some of the other challenges, so I still think

0:53:200:53:23

there's a high chance that it's going to be me leaving the pottery.

0:53:230:53:25

The judges kind of went to town on those, didn't they,

0:53:250:53:28

those vases in there? But that's their job here,

0:53:280:53:30

to compare and contrast us all, so...yeah.

0:53:300:53:34

But they weren't good enough.

0:53:340:53:36

I didn't want to cry on camera. But I didn't quite cry,

0:53:360:53:38

I just kind of...some tears rolled down, didn't they?

0:53:380:53:42

-It's just Keith, he makes me cry!

-SHE CHUCKLES

0:53:420:53:44

Who's looking good this week?

0:53:470:53:49

Well, I'd start with Tom. A concise set.

0:53:490:53:53

He was joint top, wasn't he, with the throw down,

0:53:530:53:56

the candlesticks as well?

0:53:560:53:57

He was, and his spot test with the slip decoration was, well, spot-on.

0:53:570:54:02

But we have to have a look at Matthew, don't we?

0:54:020:54:05

We certainly do.

0:54:050:54:07

Matthew's shapes are brilliant,

0:54:070:54:09

and also consistent throughout the spot test and the throw down.

0:54:090:54:15

We've really seen him sort of come on a good path.

0:54:150:54:18

Who do you think has had a tough time?

0:54:180:54:21

There's Jim. He was the most confident one.

0:54:210:54:23

-Kind of let me down.

-He really scrimped on the glazes.

0:54:230:54:26

Now for the much tougher decision, who's going to leave the pottery?

0:54:260:54:30

That is a toss-up between James and Sally-Jo.

0:54:300:54:35

They both find it hard with their throwing,

0:54:350:54:39

probably Sally-Jo more than James.

0:54:390:54:43

Really, it was down to the fact that they hadn't

0:54:430:54:45

completed their ten vases at the beginning.

0:54:450:54:48

And why, oh, why did James just go for that black sheep of the family?

0:54:480:54:53

Why didn't he choose one of his other bottles?

0:54:530:54:55

Any one of the other bottles would have been better.

0:54:550:54:57

It's really tough to decide between these two, actually.

0:54:570:55:00

Well, guys, as always you've got tough decisions to make.

0:55:000:55:04

-Yeah, we have, haven't we?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:55:040:55:06

The judges have had a really good look at your raku-fired

0:55:190:55:22

long-necked vases, and they've also taken into consideration

0:55:220:55:25

your achievements in both the spot test and the throw down.

0:55:250:55:28

And so they've come to their decisions,

0:55:280:55:30

and first we'll have Top Potter, please.

0:55:300:55:33

Yes, well, Top Potter this week has shown us

0:55:330:55:36

a very good, consistent ten long-necked vases, they showed us

0:55:360:55:42

a very good technique in the firing skills needed for raku firing,

0:55:420:55:47

and they've shown us a real boldness and bravery with their decoration.

0:55:470:55:53

So, Top Potter this week goes to...

0:55:530:55:56

..Matthew.

0:56:000:56:01

-APPLAUSE

-Well done, Matthew.

0:56:010:56:04

Well done, mate. Brilliant.

0:56:040:56:06

And now I'm left with the much tougher task.

0:56:080:56:11

The judges have made their decision,

0:56:110:56:14

and the person leaving the pottery is...

0:56:140:56:17

..James.

0:56:250:56:28

'The competition is just so high.'

0:56:320:56:34

Ultimately, I've got way further than I thought I was going to get,

0:56:340:56:38

so I'm feeling fine about it.

0:56:380:56:41

It was a tough call between James and Sally-Jo.

0:56:410:56:45

His decoration really wasn't up to it,

0:56:450:56:47

and we know he struggles with his throwing.

0:56:470:56:49

Basically, Sally-Jo got through with the skin of her teeth,

0:56:490:56:52

because of her surface design.

0:56:520:56:54

I was worried all day that it was going to be me

0:56:540:56:56

leaving the pottery, but I think the slip decoration

0:56:560:56:59

and also the decoration on the raku bottles have saved the day.

0:56:590:57:02

Oh, my little James, I'm going to miss you so much.

0:57:020:57:04

There were several damaged bits on the pots and all that,

0:57:040:57:07

and I just thought, "They may well come down on me for this,"

0:57:070:57:10

cos I'd already bigged myself up so much.

0:57:100:57:13

I'm grateful to have scraped through to next week.

0:57:130:57:16

It was such a tough decision for Potter Of The Week,

0:57:160:57:18

and what really did it was that Matthew took risks and it paid off.

0:57:180:57:23

If Kate wants one of my vases,

0:57:230:57:24

then it'll be nice to swap and have one of hers!

0:57:240:57:27

It would... I think that'd be a fair trade!

0:57:270:57:30

It's been absolutely incredible. It's been the best thing I've

0:57:300:57:33

ever done in my entire life, and I would do it all again tomorrow.

0:57:330:57:37

-You can feel the tension in the room.

-The potters...

0:57:390:57:42

I'm never going to finish. I love you.

0:57:420:57:44

..have to try and become sculptors...

0:57:440:57:46

-It's just decisions.

-Scary, scary, scary.

0:57:460:57:49

..and build the largest clay creations they've ever attempted.

0:57:490:57:52

Are you sure they didn't say five inch?

0:57:520:57:55

A spot test...

0:57:550:57:56

-It's going on.

-..that keeps on growing.

0:57:560:57:59

I was hoping they would look like strawberries, but they don't.

0:57:590:58:02

And one of the fastest throw down challenges

0:58:020:58:05

that Kate and Keith have ever set.

0:58:050:58:07

-You have ten minutes.

-(Shut up.)

0:58:070:58:10

But who's emerging as a potential champion potter?

0:58:100:58:13

I actually trained making flowerpots.

0:58:130:58:14

I imagine you've got a nice outdoor area?

0:58:140:58:17

'And who's about to miss out on a place in the semifinal?'

0:58:170:58:20

Why've I burst out into a sweat? It's ridiculous.

0:58:200:58:22

It's not a good look, is it? Trying to stay cool.

0:58:220:58:25

Is it because you're not fit that you're sweating so much?

0:58:250:58:28

-You're still quite hot, aren't you?

-You noticed?

0:58:280:58:31

Should have brought a mankini for this challenge.

0:58:310:58:34

LAUGHTER

0:58:340:58:36

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