Home of our show.
And we're in week three.
The judges do seeketh
the master of clay,
but with ten potters left,
there is a lot to play... for.
This week they must make an ode
to their hometown,
so welcome to
The Great Pottery Throw Down.
- Yay!
- Bravo! Bravo!
Thank you. Chill out, Rose.
- Last time...
- I have no idea what I'm doing.
...the potters constructed
slab-built wall clocks.
Would you want that
on your wall?
Yes.
And while Cellan proved
it was his time to shine...
It's fantastic.
Honestly, I'm really proud
of you for doing that.
- - ...AJ...
- Ooh, Jesus.
...battled with a breakage.
But it was Zahra...
I'm not gonna swear.
...who failed
to beat the clock...
It doesn't hang on the wall,
so not quite fit for purpose.
...and was sent home.
This time, the potters create
a sculptured homage
to their hometowns.
There's a lot of mills
round my hometown of Preston.
Come on, Tenbury Wells.
And throw a tribute
to our home in Stoke.
- It's not perfect, but...
- Whose rim is?
- Concentrate!
Who will be home and dry?
Should have thought about that.
And who will be homeward bound?
- It's falling apart.
- Evil, evil clay.
We're back at the
potteries in Stoke-on-Trent,
but for today's challenge
our potters will be focused
on places far more familiar.
It's an ode to hometown
challenge. Interesting one.
Quietly looking forward to it.
I'm definitely winging it again.
But it worked last time.
I just wanna do it again,
because here is somewhere
where if you put in that work,
it is noticed,
and it all feels worthwhile
at the end.
Hello, potters.
For your main make challenge
this week,
the judges would like you
to hand-build and sculpt
an inanimate object, an ode
to your hometown, if you will.
Your hometown can be
where you were born, raised,
where you live now,
or maybe just the place
you were the happiest.
So, for me,
Chelmsford Megabowl, 1997.
Your inanimate object
can be a landmark, an invention,
or maybe even some produce,
but it must represent
your hometown.
Keith, what's your advice?
This inanimate object
has to look realistic.
These sculptures
are gonna be placed on a plinth.
They wanna look impressive.
They wanna look like statement
pieces of your hometown.
This is a once-fired challenge
using a clay that fires white.
Now, you won't be using
any color.
You'll only have
black underglaze
to enhance your sculptures.
Think about how you're gonna use
that black underglaze
to really accentuate
the surfaces and the textures
you put in.
If you get that contrast
of black and white right,
it could be spectacular.
So you've got one firing,
two colors,
three hours.
Your time starts now.
I have to be
super organized.
Love it. In the zone.
To create
their hometown homage,
the potters have been given
porcelain paper clay,
which contains paper,
pulp, and paper fibers.
I've never used it before.
This clay is really weird.
It's not like
ordinary clay at all.
As the clay dries,
the paper dries within it,
helping to hold its form
and prevent cracking.
Mine's so wet.
But while in its raw stage,
the more you manipulate
this clay,
the wetter it becomes.
When you start
to move it around a lot,
it becomes a lot more liquid.
Better when it dries out.
It's a bit easier to work with.
So the potters have to decide
how best to prep their build.
Just gonna go for slabs first,
so they have time to dry out,
and then go and make
all the finer details.
And the clay itself.
I'm not wedging it at all,
'cause for me it went
too soft after I'd wedged it,
so I want to keep it quite firm.
- You're a noisy bugger, Tom.
I am. I'm sorry. Can't help it.
Is it entirely necessary?
So we've asked
our wonderful potters
to make an ode
to their hometown.
So this porcelain paper clay
is just fantastic
for what we've asked them to do.
Once it's fired,
it's incredibly strong,
but you've got to get
to that stage, haven't you?
If you overwork this clay,
you are on a slippery slope.
In my mind, things like formers
make perfect sense
because, actually,
you can very quickly
manipulate that clay into shape
without touching it too much,
'cause the moment
you start overworking it,
all of that moisture comes out
and it becomes very short,
almost like
a shortcrust biscuit.
Yeah, and it's gonna be
really, really interesting
to see how our potters
apply that black underglaze
to their given sculptures.
This is a once-fired challenge.
They are glazing these pieces
at the point
at which the clay is still raw.
But once it's out of the kiln
and this clay has gone
pure, brilliant white,
you're gonna see every single
speck of that black underglaze.
You are.
There really is nowhere to hide.
But, I mean, this piece over
here, it's wonderful, isn't it?
And the way they've decorated
with just that black color,
and it's incredibly dramatic.
All of these
intricate lines,
all of these beautiful leaves
just use that underglaze
to enhance those surfaces.
All of that texture,
it's gone in in the build.
And that's what
we're really looking for,
those observational skills
from their sketches
to their sculptures.
It's gonna be interesting, isn't
it, to see what they choose
and the reasons behind
why they've chosen it.
Yeah, but this whole challenge
is all about the clay
and how they use
this particular clay.
- Hi, Nick.
- Hey, guys. OK, how are we?
What are you planning
for your design?
So, where I'm from, Barry,
there's a beautiful old harbor,
and these ships come in
and sometimes they don't leave.
People like drawing and painting
'em, they're good for wildlife,
but they slowly start decaying
and breaking down.
I kind of get the impression you
like that kind of urban decay.
Yeah, we saw that in your robot,
didn't we?
It hides a lot of sins,
doesn't it?
Whoa. That was a good throw.
Nick and his family love
spending time on Barry beach,
and in order to replicate
the eye-catching boats
dotted around the harbor,
he'll be using a former
for the shape of the hull
and adding plenty of detail.
And has your boat got a name?
Uh, not as yet.
Maybe Ellie, you know.
- An old, rotting boat.
- That's right.
Thank you. I'd be honored.
While Nick focuses
on modern decay,
Anna's goes back
thousands of years.
Down Boa Island,
which is where I'm from,
there is a little graveyard
called Caldragh Cemetery,
and "Caldragh"
means "pagan" in Gaelic.
And on it are two stone carvings
which have been there
for over 2,000 years,
and it kind of looks like
they're keeping
the secrets of the grave.
It's an incredible place.
Tea and cake.
Growing up on an isolated farm
in Fermanagh,
to create the objects
she feels best represent home,
Anna will be using
a combination of coiling
and a suitably ancient
pottery method of pinching.
I'm just using
some wrapped-up paper.
I started with this, and I found
it was a bit too big,
whereas I can pull these out
a wee bit easier.
Or can I? That's...
Well, let's see.
Oh, what you doing, Jenny?
While the majority of potters
are using formers
to support their sculptures...
I'm coiling it.
I'm coiling the whole sphere.
...Miles has chosen
a different route.
I'm making a very large apple,
which is the, um, ode
to my hometown of Tenbury Wells,
which is really famous for
its beautiful apple orchards.
There's the mistletoe
that grows in the apple tree,
so the two go together.
Is this for lunch?
Miles and husband Frank
have been living
in Tenbury Wells for 20 years.
His homage is centered around
their summer apple festivals
and winter mistletoe markets,
and he's planning on coiling
his huge hollow apple
with no former for support.
It's not the easiest clay.
It's not the easiest one
to work with.
But I know it's good
once it's up.
It's about learning
a different kind of language.
Quite fiddly at
the moment, putting all this on.
As the clay contains paper,
any water added is sucked
into the clay quickly,
so the temptation
is to add more moisture.
And then when you put
too much slip on,
it's the whole wet thing
coming back again to haunt you.
Whereas adding too much
can result
in the paper fibers
becoming soggy,
causing the clay to collapse.
I think
the point of this demon clay
is to just really take us
out of our comfort zone
and give us
the ultimate challenge,
which is exactly
what it's doing.
But this clay appears
to have found a friend...
It's actually quite nice.
Quite like it.
...in Tom.
It just feels like,
I don't know, white stoneware.
What I do know
is I'm making a postbox.
Keen festival-goer Tom...
...is recreating one of the two
Victorian Penfold postboxes
he walks past
on his way to work in Bath.
You know, Rich here likes
a stamp or two, collects stamps.
- Yeah, I'm a big fan.
- Oh, brilliant.
First penny black ever
was sent from Bath.
- Really?
- 1840.
The postmaster in Bath sent it
two days before anyone else
in the country.
- Wow.
- How exciting is that?
- Yeah, yeah.
- I might have to get a letter.
Bring out one of my stamps.
I'm gonna
make some letters too.
- Are you?
- Well, they wouldn't be...
You're really excited Rich now.
- Nobody posts letters anymore.
- No, they don't.
- Just not to you.
- No. Maybe that's what it is.
There are still letters
being posted.
I just don't
receive any anymore.
So if anyone's watching,
letters to Rich, please.
Yes, please. Yes, please.
From letters
that mean a lot to Rich...
From Sydney
and Dora Walker.
...to letters engraved
in her hometown
that mean the world to Lucinda.
In our village,
my great-grandparents
put a water pump
in the middle of the village.
Oh, OK, OK.
And it's got
this inscription on it.
It was because of their love
of the people in the village
and community...
They thought
they'd give something back.
...they gave something back.
What an incredible
historical tie.
Oh, this is cool.
Lucinda's tribute to her rich
family history in Picklescott
will feature three separate
the water pump itself,
plus the surrounding wooden
bench and old stone wall,
each with
very different textures.
I wanna do them proud.
This was
my grandmother's rolling pin,
so it's all part of the story.
Ah, so it's been lovely.
Potters, you're halfway through.
Jenny looks delighted by that.
I don't feel halfway yet.
And it does not look
like an apple.
I'm extruding some mini coils,
because the Victorians loved
putting piping on things.
As the potters are adding
their details...
It's like silly string.
...they need to consider
the best way
of decorating their sculptures
once out of the drying room.
Packing in the wood texture,
crevices and corners,
and bits that the black glaze
can get into,
then rub it away again,
it should just bring it all out.
I was fiddling about with
wire last night in the hotel.
And AJ has come up
with a time-saving method.
Brickwork just takes so long
to draw, so I'm doing stamps,
and then I'm gonna
fill them in later.
I'm doing the Brig o' Balgownie.
It was built in 1320. It's
the oldest bridge in Scotland.
Hailing from Aberdeen, AJ loves
taking walks with partner Kelda
across the historic
Brig o' Balgownie,
which will also feature trees
and the old lamp post
to capture the full essence
of this majestic bridge.
Just sort of focusing
on the main piece at the moment,
and then secure that after.
While AJ will assemble
most of their bridge
out of the drying room,
Josh has decided to not join
any pieces at all
until the decorating stage.
I'm making a cart, just from
my hometown in Portugal.
The bits of wood at the front
which used to hold
the horses in line,
that's gonna be tricky, 'cause
it's gonna be up in the air,
so the cart is gonna be
balancing on its back.
Quite a lot of it's gonna be
standing up on the wheel.
Josh's family
is from Alentejo in Portugal,
and to replicate
the old horse trailers
dotted around the village,
Josh will need to use skills
he imparts on his students
in design technology class.
So there's a lot of engineering
going on there.
There's going to be a coil
on each side,
and that will go inside
the hole on the wheel,
and it should just slip inside.
- What should it do, Josh?
- Just slip inside.
Is that a technical term?
Is that something you use in DT?
Definitely not, no.
Definitely not.
Just make sure I put it on the
right way and stuff like that.
Precision work.
And Josh isn't the only potter
on the wagon.
Cardiff seems like
the right place.
It's where I've spent
most of my life.
So to me it is my hometown.
And the coal wagon just seemed
like an interesting thing to do.
Really lovely to see you, bro.
A train line
that runs past the family home
where Cellan lived
with his three brothers
used to carry coal
from the valleys
to the docks of Cardiff.
But unlike Josh,
Cellan is planning to have
most of his wagon assembled
before the drying room.
I'm gonna have this
all bish, bash, bosh,
'cause in the second half,
my main thing,
I really just wanna attach
the wheels and paint it up.
And from the reigning
potter of the week...
If you're at the top,
you can only go down.
Ah. Classic.
A potter that really wants
to raise her game
after last week...
I'm absolutely going for it.
I've got to redeem myself.
...is Christine.
It's dedicated
to the sewing industry.
There's a lot of mills
round my hometown of Preston.
Prestonians are
fantastic people.
Yeah!
Inspired by Preston's history
as an important mill town,
Christine is using dishes
and cardboard tubes as formers
to create a bobbin, spool,
thimble, tape measure,
and swatch of cotton fabric.
This is the fabric,
and hopefully this is gonna
pull everything together
so I've got a contrast
between the hard lines
of the other pieces,
especially the spool,
and then this flowing feeling
of the cotton.
Another potter
inspired by their hometown
trading history is Jenny.
I was born in South Yorkshire,
home of Sheffield Steel.
I now live
in North Lincolnshire,
home of Scunthorpe Steel,
so it was
an obvious choice, really.
Jenny also went to university
in Sheffield,
and her sculpture is a tribute
to her region's proud history
as the center
of British steelmaking,
like pottery,
another magical process
where one substance
is transformed into another.
So this piece of pouring steel,
it's intended to be
a support for the tilting ladle.
But this clay,
if you play with it too much,
it goes much more
sort of slumpy,
so it'll sort of, you know,
just collapse on itself.
It's definitely
collapsing in on itself.
It's falling apart.
With no support
for his apple...
It's not working.
I can't show that.
...Miles has decided
he's bitten off
more than he can chew.
I'm very stressed,
because I don't have enough time
to be starting again, really,
but it's better to try
and make something
which looks like my drawing,
rather than something
which looks like
something from The Muppet Show.
Guess how long you've got left.
- I reckon half hour.
- 30 minutes, guys.
- You've got 30 minutes left.
- You're joking, please.
For that,
you win an extra ten minutes.
- Brilliant. Cashback.
- Absolutely don't. You don't.
I need to get a shift on.
This is the biggest
piece. This is the main piece.
If he doesn't work,
then none of it works.
Not much time left.
Try and get together what I can,
what's firm enough,
give myself a bit of a head
start when I come to decorate.
I'm just trying
to make this look
a bit more like sand
at the moment.
I'm trying to think how
the water would have washed away
and created
all the little channels.
You can't have a Victorian
postbox without a spike on top.
That's my coal.
Is that
actual coal that you're using?
- Um, yeah, that is actual coal.
- Where'd you get that from?
- I ran outside and nicked it.
- Yeah, there's loads of it!
I'm just trying to put
together the more tricky bits
before I run out of time.
Are you not putting
your bits together, then?
No, not yet.
You're the only one
who hasn't constructed.
- Is that OK?
- Yeah.
These are not leading questions.
I don't have a flipping clue.
This clay, I sort of went
from loving it to hating it
pretty quickly.
I think I'm just beginning
to understand it
now I'm coming to the end of it.
It's starting
to look like an apple.
Ooh, nightmare. Think about
all that time I wasted.
That's five minutes now,
five minutes,
so we do need to start getting
some things in the drying room,
'cause, remember, there will be
a queue, because we're British.
It's just about adding
as much finer detail as I can.
Thought I'd be all right
for time, but I am flapping.
- Your tree's amazing.
- Oh, thank you.
I might make a little bush
as well.
- Why not?
- I got it. I can do it.
This clay is, like,
"I do not wanna be a cat."
It's gotta be a cat
quite quickly as well.
Can't believe
you're doing a cat.
- I'm an idiot.
- Get in there.
Ker-ching.
I've got an apple.
I'm not sure I'm quite back
on track, but I am completing.
- Going in, Josh.
- Yeah.
Off we go.
Yes. Anna's going in.
No pressure,
but loads of pressure.
Oh, I've got the fear
about that. The fear's ensuing.
OK, that's ten seconds.
- Ten...
- OK.
- ...nine, eight...
- OK.
Seven! Tom, you're about
the only one who hasn't gone in.
- Six, five...
- All right, I'm going in now.
- ...four, three, two...
- There's a lot of you in here.
...one.
Nicely done.
Well done, guys. Well done.
- Evil, evil clay.
That was really difficult.
Very challenging.
The hardest thing
we've done so far.
Nothing seemed to go
wrong yet, but the next bit,
'cause my design
is so challenging in shape,
has a lot of pressure.
It took me an hour and a half
to build that first apple.
Second apple, about 25 minutes.
So I reckon, at that rate,
I could have made
a whole basket of them.
As the potters await
their sculptures drying
for decoration,
they face
their second challenge.
- It's like the dentist.
- It's worse than that.
And as usual, they have no idea
what to expect.
Here we go.
Potters, as well as celebrating
your hometowns this week,
we're also paying tribute
to ours,
Gladstone Pottery Museum
here in Stoke.
Your second challenge this week
is yet another throw down,
and you're going to be making,
in honor of Gladstone,
bottle kilns.
Rich, would you like
to demonstrate?
Ooh.
We're increasing
the amount of clay
that you've got this week.
We've got six kilos
of clay here.
Get it into the center.
You're gonna take that lump,
pop it in the middle.
- Oh, it's huge.
- It's massive.
Get it as central as possible
before you start.
Lots of water on your hands,
lots of water on the clay.
Lots of people say "I can't make
big pots with big lumps of clay
'cause I'm small
and I can't push it around."
I lock my left arm into
my body more, which supports it.
When you're pushing that clay
upwards and inwards,
I'm then just leaning
my body weight onto the clay.
You're using
the heel of your hand more,
rather than perhaps fingertips.
So once
you've got that centered,
you're then gonna go in
with your fingers,
straight down in the middle,
to make your base.
OK.
So this width
that I've started with,
I've set, and that's the width
I want to end up with.
First push up
is literally just about
starting to move
that clay upwards.
Never let that clay
move outwards,
because the moment you do,
you're never gonna get it back.
And then I'm gonna literally
collar this in.
All the way from the bottom,
right the way up to the top.
Having a good look there, Ellie?
It looks... It's just magic.
Look at Ellie's face.
At the rim,
you only want to leave
enough space
to get your hand in.
First lift, force your hand in,
pick up a bit of clay.
Lift that from the base
all the way up to the top.
Second lift, pull all that clay
up from the bottom.
- Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
- Oh, my God.
All the way up to the top.
Try and breathe as well
when you do that.
So use
your wooden template,
and just start to put
a bit of shape in.
You're just gonna do
this sort of action.
Collar that clay right in,
'cause you're now
gonna form the neck.
We're surrounded
by bottle kilns,
so you all know
what they look like, hopefully.
Oh, God, that's big.
I'm looking
for a good, strong rim,
so you know you need to keep
a bit of meat up there
so you can form a nice
strong top to your bottle.
Lift that off, and that,
for all intents and purposes,
is your bottle kiln.
- And here's the blindfold.
So now you've seen how one's
made, how are you all feeling?
- Sick.
- Excellent!
Right, my friends, you can head
back to your wheels.
You have 15 minutes
for this challenge.
- I knew it.
I don't make the rules.
Your time starts now.
- Hang on, so 15 minutes?
- Yeah, get going.
- Don't panic.
- Oh, my goodness me.
These are enormous.
I can't even lift it up.
I'm gonna be groaning a lot,
'cause it's such hard work.
It's so big.
Think of it like yoga.
- Yoga?
- Yeah. Yeah, no, you know...
- Oh, in your zen place.
- Centering, centering yourself.
Centering is so important,
but I'm not in the center yet.
You're taking it slowly,
taking your time?
Yeah, I think if I rush it,
it's just gonna go
horribly, horribly wrong.
- Lean into the clay.
- I'm leaning.
I think it's kind of working.
Christine, you know the wheel's
going round the wrong way?
- Yeah.
- Turn it round.
No, I'm a left-hander.
I always use it this way.
Do whatever's comfortable
for you.
I'll try the other way.
Guys, we've got ten minutes
left. Five minutes already gone.
I can't do it now.
Can you hear
how much I'm out of breath?
Lean that left arm in, Miles.
Lock that left arm
into the body.
My bat is not in the center,
which makes it
a bit complicated,
but I'm gonna
have to ignore that now,
because I just need
to get some height on this baby.
Well done, Nick.
That looks pretty good.
- Would you buy it?
- I wouldn't buy it, no.
I had it just about centered and
thought I'll just perfect it,
and then I knocked it
off center,
and so now
it's really not good at all.
How you feeling, Christine?
Not great,
'cause I'm trying to throw
a different way
than I usually do,
so I'm throwing opposite.
Why did you switch it up?
I'm gonna go back to mine.
Nice work, AJ. Good lift.
A better height
than I thought I'd get.
That's come on a treat.
That looks like a bottle kiln.
It's a big base. I'd be
well chuffed if that was me.
I'll just pull it up
a little bit more.
- Lucinda's doing all right.
- Got a good bit of height.
You have
five minutes left, guys.
Ooh, ooh, ooh. Hold on.
- I'm all right.
- Get that neck in, Josh.
Just gotta start
collaring that top in.
Cellan really needs to start
getting some form in.
I've gone quite wide
at the base.
I've just gotta keep confident
in my ability, that's all.
I'm trying to tidy my bottom
because it was a bit big.
Concentrate!
Does it help when
you're doing delicate work
when an angry man shouts out?
Yeah, yeah, it does.
Nice one, Nick.
I wouldn't mind
a bit more height on that neck.
I'm trying to collar in the neck
slowly but surely.
- AJ's is looking very nice.
- Looks great.
Lucinda's. She's got
a decent shape going on.
- Yeah, she has.
- I'm happy with the rim.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
It's not perfect,
but, you know...
- Whose rim is?
- Get that neck in, Josh.
Think about
that shape, Josh.
Didn't quite get the height
that I wanted.
- Get your dobber in.
- Yeah, it's dobbed.
Make sure
there's no water inside
and you've got
a clean bottom, please.
- Take the water out.
- That's me trying to be urgent.
Might be able to just shape now.
- You've got one minute to go.
- I think it's too late.
Finish up your final pieces,
and remember you need to be able
to pull your bat off
and put it on your bench.
- Ooh.
- Hey.
That is a flipping masterpiece!
I don't know how it happened.
Come on, guys, come on.
We've got gin and tonics after.
Yes, please,
I'll have five.
I thought that was just us.
- It is.
- I don't know how I did that.
I couldn't have done any better.
Time to take it off now, guys.
Don't ruin it
at the last minute.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
Well done, guys.
Should have thought about that.
Didn't think I was gonna
get the bat off in the end.
Well done, everybody.
If you'd like to bring up
your bottle kilns for judging.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Keith and Rich are looking for
a well-proportioned bottle kiln
with a nice fluid form, narrow
neck, and a good, sturdy rim.
Lucinda, I can see you've got
a beautifully fluid curve
to the main body of your bottle,
and actually you've managed
to collar that neck in.
And you've got a good upright
vertical top to it.
Those proportions
are fantastic, aren't they?
I mean,
it's a really, really nice form.
Yeah,
it's a great effort. Well done.
Cellan, perhaps
if you'd have got
a bit more height pulling up
that cylinder initially,
and got a slightly straighter
side towards the base,
you maybe would have had a bit
more fluidity to the curve.
You've managed to collar
that clay right the way back in,
which is no mean feat.
Tom, it tucks in a little bit,
which makes it feel a bit more
like a vase perhaps
than that sort of traditional
bottle oven shape.
- Is it clean?
- It is clean.
He's got
a nice clean bottom inside.
- Good. Excellent. Well done.
- That sounds dreadful.
- Thanks, Rich.
I'm sorry. Josh.
If I was a bottle kiln,
it looks a bit like me.
Bit of a stumpy neck.
It's just a bit straight
on the sides there.
It would have been really nice
to see that fluidity
and that shape.
Moving on.
So, Jenny,
yeah, it looks like
you've had a few issues
with the forming of the shape.
Just sort of feels
a bit bottom heavy.
AJ.
Well, I mean,
it's a beautifully fluid form,
got a great narrow neck,
very, very clean, pristine rim.
You've tidied the base.
- You've done a fantastic job.
- Absolutely wonderful.
We've only gotta look out
the window and see one of those.
- Anyway, moving on.
- Moving on.
Looks like you've not
made the most out of the clay.
You've got to the stage
where you've narrowed the neck
but not quite had enough time
to kind of give it that lift.
It's just getting your
hands to manipulate that clay
to what you see in your head,
isn't it?
- Yeah.
- Anna.
The body of it is beautiful.
You know, it's quite voluptuous.
It just feels like the neck
isn't quite there.
Just a bit more collaring in
at the top,
slightly taller with that neck,
would have made
the proportions feel right.
Really good effort.
Really, really nice.
- Well done, Nick.
- You've got a good strong rim.
I would say it just feels like
you've not quite made the most
out of that six kilos.
because actually this form
is quite nice and fluid.
A little bit more height and I
think you would have been there.
- Last but not least...
- Miles.
If I'm honest,
you've probably got
the widest base of everybody,
and it looks like
you've just struggled
to kind of
get that clay back in.
It's really nicely
finished off.
You've really
thought about that.
It's just not quite the shape
we were looking for.
- Can I have another go?
In your own time.
In your own time.
The judges will now rank
the bottle kilns
from worst to first.
In tenth place, we have...
this one.
Miles, just a bit
of a low, squat form
rather than that upright, strong
bottle form with a narrow neck.
In ninth place, this one.
Christine. Could see
where you were going with it.
You started to collar that in.
Just not quite made the most
out of that six kilos of clay.
Jenny is eighth, Josh seventh,
Tom is in sixth, Anna is fifth,
Nick is in fourth place,
and Cellan is third.
In second place,
we have this one.
Lucinda. Great effort.
Beautifully fluid form,
nice, strong rim,
good straight-sided neck.
Really, really good going.
First place, AJ.
Fantastic use of the clay.
Great height. Good proportions.
Beautifully pristine surface.
Really lovely bottle oven.
Well done, AJ.
Second challenge
can make or break a day,
so it's good to be even near
the top, let alone top place.
It's really nice.
It was
a stunning piece, my dear.
- Thank you.
- Absolutely stunning.
I came ninth this week.
Slowly clawing my way
up the ladder.
Slowly.
I feel judged.
I want a recount.
The hometown homages
are leather hard,
and it's time
for the potters
to complete
their transformation
- from 2
- D sketches - into 3
- D sculptures.
The decorating
has to look like a drawing.
That's going to be challenging.
I'm quite good
at decoration normally,
so maybe I can put lipstick
on the pig.
The next two hours, I have to
use every moment, definitely,
because I won't be able
to build it otherwise.
It's gonna be stressful.
I've just gotta try my best.
Potters, your hometown tributes
are now leather hard
and ready for refining
and decorating.
Really think about those
refining tools you're gonna use.
Think about what effects
and what surfaces
that you're going to cover,
because that will really affect
the next stage
of the sculptures.
We're looking for really
form-enhancing decoration,
so just don't rush it,
concentrate, and take your time.
Take your time, as long as
it's exactly two hours.
Potters, get decorating.
Focus, kids, focus.
- Sweet.
- This is risky.
- Why did I do this?
- So here's a little apple.
Everything's come out
kind of as expected,
which is a miracle, basically.
Before the potters can begin
decorating their sculptures...
I'm constructing the final parts
of the water pump.
...they need to join
their separate pieces
and complete
any necessary refining.
My cat, he's not finished.
He needs refining.
This sponge,
AJ lent me the sponge,
is honestly one of
the best things I've ever used,
so thank you, AJ, and it's
just perfect for paper clay.
It'll be really good
for removing
the black glaze later as well.
Busy in repair work here.
But before Anna
can begin any of that,
she has a salvage job
on her hands.
These came apart a wee bit.
It was when I was pulling out
the former,
and he tore in a few places.
I'm in a world of pain.
Oh, no, what's going on?
It basically collapsed on me,
so now I'm trying to just get it
into a state
where it can actually stand up.
So you're having to
kind of reintroduce water.
Yes, which isn't a good thing.
No, not when
you've got underglaze to go on.
And after his disaster
in the first stage,
Miles is also concerned
about too much moisture.
It's probably not best
that I start sloshing on
lots of black underglaze,
because that's just gonna
make it wetter
and it might start to sag again,
so I'll have to just be
quite light with my brushwork.
I've gotta get things
put together first,
and then I can start decorating.
Apparently this clay
attaches quite well,
even at the drying stage,
so... I'm hoping that's true.
Another potter who will be
hoping that's true is Josh.
Everything
the right consistency?
I think so. I just need
to decorate it in the next hour.
And I'm planning to do that
while it's still flat,
so I can actually get it on
and just wipe it off properly.
- OK, yeah.
- I'll join in the last hour.
- OK, that's your plan?
- That's the plan.
This clay is a wonder.
You can join it fairly dry,
as long as you wet it
sufficiently and finesse.
- Finesse.
- And finesse. Finesse. Finesse.
- Do I need to say it again?
- No, you don't. I've got it.
Never done anything like this
before. It's a pure risk.
And with their thin slabs,
AJ looks to be taking on
that very same risk.
The bridge is obviously
the main piece of it,
and I want to get going with it,
but if I pick any of that up
just now, it's just gonna crack.
I was gonna construct it
and then paint it,
but I think what
I'm gonna do is paint it flat,
so it has longer to dry,
and then construct it.
The Marquess of Bute
is the person
who developed most of Cardiff.
When I was doing my research,
I saw images of coal wagons
with "Bute" written
down the side of them.
So I'm just getting
all these details done.
Then I'm gonna start taking
it back with a wet sponge.
With just a black underglaze
with which to decorate,
there is nowhere to hide
with this challenge.
Because it's metal,
it's industrial-looking,
I'm gonna let it
stream down the edges.
You can sort of
see it happening.
What I'm gonna do is
let it dry out
before I get the majority off,
'cause otherwise
you ruin the surface.
He says, like he knows
what he's doing.
I have no idea what I'm doing.
When you take it away,
it reveals a little pattern.
But the potters
have varying ideas
on how to make
their sculptures look
as much like their sketches
as possible.
You know, I think I'd rather not
look round, if I'm honest.
There's a lot of people
wiping back.
I'm literally trying to make my
- drawing look like it's into 3
- D,
so all of the black
that I'm painting
are the lines on my drawing.
That's my interpretation.
I'm gonna have just a
little play with carving into it
until I kind of come up
with something that I like.
I know a few people are doing,
like, hard lines on it.
I can put hard lines on it,
so I think I will,
just to cover myself,
in case that's what
they're looking for as well.
I'm just putting the underglaze
just on the very end,
and it's more sort of
flicking it up and down.
And you get this flamey effect.
It's weird.
I'm just gonna have to
keep standing back
and just going,
does that look like an apple?
These postboxes,
they're very iconic within Bath.
The Victorians made
the mundane things
really interesting to look at,
which I think is great.
Gotta make sure
I don't put it on too thick,
'cause then
it's too much to wipe off.
This is based
on your hometown in Portugal.
- Do you go there every year?
- Try to.
Mum and Dad are actually
out there now at the moment.
Mumsy. Mumsy loves
being wound up. It's fun.
Mumsy, I guarantee, doesn't like
the fact you call her Mumsy.
That's why it winds her up.
That's why I do it.
You're so annoying. Have you got
brothers and sisters?
A little brother.
He's a good banter warrior.
- A good banter warrior.
- I'm just joking.
- No, he's a good lad.
- OK, please retract.
I'm glad you said that
ironically. I wasn't sure.
- It was ironically, trust me.
- Oh! Thanks, Josh.
- Bye, banter warrior.
One hour gone.
You've got one hour left.
- Tom is laughing.
Laugh all you like, mate.
Still true.
One hour left. Help.
Ah, well, I'm gonna leave him
for another little while.
He's still quite fragile.
I'll get this quarter done here,
and then I'll just go for it.
I'm just putting these pieces in
to create sort of the axel,
and then that will go
through there,
to stick the wheels
onto the cart.
I mean, wood is very different
to clay,
but I'm trying to see
if it can act like it.
I am just putting
the structure in.
Hopefully that will support it
when it stands up,
but I just need to get it done
'cause I've only got
an hour left,
and I haven't built
my bridge yet.
I've gotta stick this on.
Josh and AJ
aren't the only potters
with joining still to do.
I'm currently working
on my wheels.
I need to get my springs done. I
need to get the buffers put on.
I basically have got
a lot to do,
essentially, is what I'm saying.
I've had a bit of a mishap.
I turned my bench over
and it's all come apart,
and I'm hoping I'll be able
to put it back together,
but it's actually very difficult
to put it back together
when it's completely dry.
The potters must ensure
their joins are solid
at this stage...
Pressure's on, lads.
Pressure is on.
...as in the kiln,
the paper fibers
which form the inner support
are fired off,
so only
the porcelain clay remains.
It's gonna be tricky,
but we'll see.
Might potentially have
bitten off more than I can chew.
It's probably
a slightly rushed version of it.
You think 2,000 years ago,
somebody carved this out.
And it still remains.
It's almost mystical.
- This clay's so weird.
- You OK, AJ?
It's still a little bendy
because it's slightly wet,
which means that it absorbs
the slip slower,
so it's harder to stick.
I'm getting the vibe
that everyone's
really enjoyed
working with this clay.
You know what? I'm actually
gonna work with it again.
The more I work with it,
the more I like it.
Does anyone else fancy
working with this clay again?
- No.
- No.
No, it's rancid. Never again.
- It's rancid. There you go.
- It's good for certain things.
That is 15 minutes.
15 minutes, guys.
- Banter or true?
- Absolute true.
15 minutes
for all of you banter warriors.
That's our collective name now.
Really should have
stuck this together earlier.
All I've got left to do is
stick the front on,
tilt it up in the air,
whack the wheels on,
and whack these two logs on,
job done.
Bish, bash, bosh,
my name's Josh.
Still got to scrape
off from the cloth
and create some very white
patches, and then crosshatch.
It's broke.
Maybe I should just
walk away. I don't know.
I feel like I should keep going.
I'd say this has been left in
the harbor for like... 15 years,
and if I kept
hacking away at it,
I could make it
look like 50 years.
I'm having too much fun.
I used
this sort of circle
on the end of this pen lid
to create the rivets,
so that it's quicker
and a bit more accurate
than drawing them myself.
Actually looks
really good, Jenny.
Thank you. Yours looks great.
Everyone's is just epic.
Walking over it at home,
I just thought
it was really pretty.
I never really appreciated
the historical
significance of it.
It was a main highway
up into the Highlands and stuff
for a long time,
coming through Aberdeen,
so it's been really nice
to sort of find a little bit out
about my hometown
during this brief.
Change of plan.
It's tilting up anyway.
So instead of actually
putting them on there,
which would just be too weak
with this clay,
I'm just gonna attach the wheels
directly onto the side,
which will hopefully
make for a better join as well.
Stop tilting, you savage.
Now, I do worry
that as soon as Rose
picks it up for the kiln,
it's gonna fall apart
in her hands.
Five minutes.
That's five minutes now.
Just to let you know, Nick has
put his in the drying room.
I'm really happy
with the lamppost.
If nothing else,
the lamppost'll look nice.
- Another break.
- Anna's going in.
Oh, Jesus. If Anna's stays
alive, Anna's going in.
Over there.
- Nearly ready.
- Nearly ready?
I'd prefer a kidney
that's not serrated at the edge.
- Oh, just a plain one?
- Yeah.
I can't offer you
a plain kidney.
- You sure?
- Sorry.
That is stunning, Miles.
Both of these are meant to be
on the same side,
but I was in such a rush
that I didn't do it right,
so they're on either side.
We can pass that off
as just the design, I think.
- No one needs to know.
- Right.
Happy for it
to be fired upside down?
We'll fire it
the way you put it in now.
- Huge sense of relief.
- Just done.
- Done.
- Done.
It's not
your responsibility anymore.
- No, it's Rose's.
- It's Rose's.
All right.
Right, take it in.
That was so hard.
- That was so tricky.
- Ah...
Tom, you need
to get a move on, mister.
It's coming, it's coming, yeah.
AJ's going in.
- Ah...
- Ah... Sorry.
I'm just gonna sing
to alert you of my presence.
Bloody hell. Oh!
Yes.
And that is time, everyone.
Well done.
The potters' tributes
to their hometowns
will now dry for 48 hours
before Rose transports them
to the kiln
for their one and only firing.
I'm quite worried
about several potters
who have put their pieces
on bases,
like Anna, and Jenny, and Nick.
Those bases seem like
a really good idea,
but actually
they're very fragile.
With one piece already
falling down on Josh's crate,
it has me worried whether
there'll be anything left.
All the weight is leaning
on these tiny little legs
at the front,
so if they give out,
the whole thing could collapse.
If it survives... mega, mega.
But it might not. But
it might not. Probably won't.
That was dreadful.
Never, ever, ever going near
paper clay again. Ever.
- I could be going home.
I fought hard to pull it back,
but did I fight hard enough?
It's time for judging,
and for the potters to discover
whether their sculptures
have survived
the toast of their hometown.
It's judgment day again,
and I'm not holding out any hope
until I've seen my piece.
Lots of worries
going through my head.
Is it still gonna be
in one piece?
What's the decoration
gonna look like?
A lot of the potters
are worried today.
It's not been like this before,
but no one's really sure
what they're gonna get
out of that kiln.
Hello, potters.
Wow.
Miles, you have an apple.
My wheels fell off.
It's standing up, though.
Oh, my God,
it's in one piece.
Oh, Rose, I could kiss you.
Honestly.
I think you've all done
your hometowns proud.
Ten hometown homages
ready for judging.
Potters,
your hometown sculptures
all look so brilliant.
Miles, would you like to
bring up your sculpture, please?
Yes, I would.
I'm so, so glad that
you scrapped the first attempt.
How you initially
started using it
really wasn't how
you should use paper porcelain.
And I think the scale of
this piece works quite nicely.
I mean, I'd say there's no
darker areas or lighter areas.
It feels like there's sort of
quite a lot of blending
going on.
Yeah, and I probably
would have wanted to see
a bit more definition
on the leaves.
It would have made the apple
more of a sort of centerpiece.
But, you know,
I have to hand it to you,
sticking mistletoe
into an apple,
it actually works
as a sculptural piece.
- Who knew, eh?
- Who knew?
I thought it was gonna be
a disaster.
So did we.
My initial thoughts are
the application of this material
is just brilliant.
And I think
it's just a genius idea
to have that fabric
at the center
that kind of draws
all of the pieces together.
Even the design
on the material is nice.
You've got a bit of warping
on the top of this, but...
- I like that.
- It kind of adds character.
Overall, I think
the composition,
the way you've approached
putting color on is great.
- Well done, Christine.
- Thank you.
I'm really impressed,
and I'm really... I'm...
I'm, you know... genuinely
proud of you for coming through
and giving us something
really worth looking at.
Great.
I've called it
the Million Pound City.
The first million-pound check
was signed
in the Cardiff coal exchange
because of the coal industry
based in Cardiff.
Well, look, as a structure,
as a concept for a plinth,
hits the nail on the head.
I really like
the texture of the wood,
the shading of the wood,
the grading of the wood.
The construction
looks almost faultless.
There's no stress cracks
I can see.
Those super thin slabs
and just the way they've moved,
it feels somehow
like a knackered old wagon,
and the stance that it's got,
I don't know whether that's
intended or whether it's warped,
but it just gives it
real presence,
and actually it speaks
of what it's about.
- Well done, Cellan.
- Thank you very much.
The bench itself
is beautifully observed.
I love the kind of linework
between the planking,
and, actually, on your water
pump, all of this text,
all of these kind of lines
and the panels
and the way you've highlighted
the edges, they're beautiful.
I just wonder whether perhaps
we need this
as part of the composition?
Yeah, if you take that away,
for me,
that's slightly stronger.
And, actually, the wall for me
looks slightly unfinished.
I didn't expect you
to look at the back.
Well, it's on a plinth,
so we're gonna look
all the way round, you see.
But the observational detail
that you've got on that bench
and on the water pump
is brilliant.
The only other thing is that
they could have all been
a bit bigger,
apart from the bloody wall.
I love the way you've
used the black underglaze here,
and it does look like
the cast-iron structure
that you get
with a Penfold pillar box.
It would have been nice to see
a little bit more definition
on the post office
wording there.
But this is really sublime,
really, really lovely.
And I'm loving
these little two letters.
It's hollow in the bottom,
so you can post them
and get them out again.
The construction
is really sound.
It's really, really good.
Because there's a lot
going on there.
I'm very impressed
with kind of
the level of detail
that you've built in
and how cleanly you've built it
and applied that underglaze.
And I do like the cat.
It's a very, very clean build.
The way you've applied
the decoration
is very, very precise.
I really like the rivets
and the way you've kind of
put the underglaze on
and then pushed in,
and it has that sort of sense
that it's all
been bolted together.
The only
slight drawback for me
is getting that fluidity
of the steel.
I mean, the steel
would have probably
sort of dropped more
off the ladle.
It all looks a bit like a piece
of material rather than steel.
One thing you've certainly got
in bucketloads is atmosphere.
It's a real story of
how you can bring a build back
with really effective decoration
and really good understanding
of how that underglaze
is gonna work on a surface.
Yeah, that swirling pattern
that you've managed to get
with that ground, and the grass,
and these rocks
coming out of the earth,
it's just really, really nice.
- You're as surprised as I am.
- Totally.
I thought it was gonna be
a load of tosh. But it isn't.
You've really pulled it together
with that decorating skill
of yours.
We just need to see
a bit more technical know-how
on the build
and the clay itself.
Yeah.
I think there's something
quite profound
about a bridge to nowhere.
It's so well observed.
The surface that you've got
on the top here
has worked very well with the
way you've stamped that out.
And I like the fact
that, actually,
the underside,
you've considered as well.
That's really, really nice.
That's beautiful,
and so well put together.
Lovely thin slabs.
You've thought about the finish.
It's a great construction.
Really cool concept.
I don't know
whether you need these.
I mean, you've got detail
on the surface,
but you haven't really enhanced
that with the black underglaze.
This, though...
it's... it's sublime.
It's absolutely brilliant.
You've got
so much character and detail
in that lantern on the bridge,
and the way that
you've accentuated the corners
and the edges with that
underglaze really, really works.
That's amazing, that bit there.
That bit, not so much.
I mean, it's certainly seen some
action, this one, hasn't it?
Crikey. Yeah, um...
I'm not sure it'll be getting
pulled anywhere anytime soon.
No, not anymore.
We can see
you've really tried
to get that wood effect
in there,
but there's a few stress cracks.
This, for me,
is a better wheel than that one.
And the fact that I can
pick 'em up separately
shows me that
they've obviously fallen off.
It would have been nice to see
a little bit more texture
in there.
And dare I say
that word "finesse"?
Yeah, I know.
But you decorated when
they were all separate pieces.
And the problem with that is
you then are fairly limited
as to how much kind of cleaning
up of the joins you can do
because you've already got
the underglaze on there,
so you're gonna be picking
that underglaze up all the time.
In here, you can see
where you've wiped back the slip
in the join
because it's covered over
the underglaze,
whereas if you'd have done
that the other way around,
it wouldn't have been an issue.
I think I underestimated
the clay.
It's much trickier to work with
than I thought.
Yeah.
Obviously, on first observation,
it's incredibly detailed.
There's a lot going on there,
even down to the sand.
I mean, I'm loving
all these old tires
sort of stuck in the sand,
exactly how they were
in your drawing.
It's beautiful.
It almost looks like an etching.
I think you sort of understood
some of the qualities
of the paper clay,
and you've really used
that underglaze
to kind of enhance those,
which is great.
I also like the fact that,
as a composition,
when you walk around it,
there's something to see
from every side.
Probably something
different you would notice
every time you looked at it,
and I love that.
The only thing
that I have an issue with
is it's a bit on the small side.
Yeah, it shrunk a lot more
than I thought it would.
But aside from that,
all credit to you
for a really quality build.
Really, really competent
execution.
- Thank you.
- Great, Nick.
Yeah, nice work, Nick.
They said they liked it.
There was other pieces that had
maybe more of an impact.
The wheels have fallen off.
I totally agree with the judges.
If pieces fall off
and pieces break,
that's my fault with the build.
I still think
there's a high chance
I might be going home,
but I'm not ashamed
to be going home
to Tenbury Wells.
Well, what a week.
We had a few pieces
that I think really stand out,
but what about you?
Well, for me, one of the top
potters has to be Nick.
That boat was just amazing.
The attention to detail
of all those surface areas.
Yeah, you could have
looked at it for hours
and still seen
something different.
But I think Tom did very well
this week.
The quality of his build
was fantastic.
He got real definition
with that black underglaze.
And also, for me,
Cellan's up there as well.
The finesse of the slabs,
and the joins were tight.
The subtlety of the surface.
It had loads going for it.
And what about AJ? Now,
their bottle kiln was amazing.
Spot on. And so was the lamppost
on the bridge.
Oh, the lamppost.
Ah!
I loved it.
I just thought it was fantastic.
Now, AJ did do very well
in the second challenge.
Miles came last.
What did you make of his apple?
- He pulled it back, really.
- He did.
I mean, he had
a major, major disaster.
He completely misinterpreted
how to use the clay.
I think it was
just lacking light and shade.
It was all a bit grey tones,
which kind of represented
his drawing,
but it just didn't have
the visual impact
that we were looking for.
And then there's Josh.
The wheels literally fell off.
Yeah, and it was just
all a bit slapdash.
We've been looking for finesse
and quality of finish
in his builds,
and he just hasn't
really delivered.
There was some nice qualities,
actually, in the wood,
but you could just see where
all of the slip
from the construction
oozed out
over the black underglaze,
and it just made it look untidy.
Tricky decisions to be made.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Do you need any help from me?
- No.
OK. As I thought.
The judges have made
their decisions.
Shall we start
with the nice bit?
This week's potter of the week
created a sculpture
with mind-blowing detail.
The potter of the week is...
Nick. Congratulations, Nick.
- Well done, mate.
- Can't believe that.
And now the yucky bit.
The person who'll be leaving
the pottery this week is...
Josh.
- Sorry, Josh.
- It's OK.
It's fine. It's all right.
This has been savagely rogue,
entertaining,
but it is rancid
that I'm leaving.
We're gonna miss your banter.
We're gonna miss you,
we really are.
Thank you, thank you.
I'm feeling OK.
I knew it was gonna happen.
Obviously I'm disappointed
to leave,
but the judges
made the right decision.
They definitely did.
I'm really proud of myself
for even getting here.
Beast, well done.
You deserved that, honestly.
Well played, mate. Well done.
And I've learned so much
from the other potters.
They're all so good.
Like, they're all amazing.
- So what you drinking first?
- Gonna have a load of shots.
Brilliant. Can't wait.
The banter wheels
did fall off the wagon,
but, hey, I've had a great time,
it's been awesome, awesome.
As Josh's wheels
take to the road,
Nick's hometown homage
drops anchor
in the Throw Down gallery.
Porcelain paper clay is a
difficult material to work with,
but Nick managed
to bring the best out in it.
He just got
exquisite levels of detail,
and the way he used
that underglaze
just really enhanced
all of those surfaces.
It was that eye-catching,
plinth-worthy piece
that Keith and I
were looking for.
I'm buzzing. I can't believe it.
I did not expect that at all.
I honestly thought AJ had it.
But, yeah, got one.
I really thought
I was going home,
but, God, yeah,
now I'm so excited
about getting on
to do the next challenge.
Coming in hot.
Next time...
- Yes!
- ...the competition heats up.
It does sound like a jet engine.
- - For raku week.
- My goodness, this is madness.
As the potters
make Japanese tea sets.
Where's my lid? Oh, you swine.
And temperatures rise.
That's it,
get into a nice rhythm.
In a second challenge
that's hard...
Then it gets longer and longer.
...to pull off.
Oh, Florian.
That's the usual reaction.
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05x03 - Inanimate Objects and a Bottle Kiln
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In each episode, a group of amateur potters compete to complete two pottery challenges.
In each episode, a group of amateur potters compete to complete two pottery challenges.