Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud!

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud!

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Had to chuckle yesterday, when I turned my attention to turning Terracotta on the wheel. Many of you had been commenting about how the lino cutting took you back to your school days. Well, with the terracotta clay session in the afternoon, all I could think of was trying to wash our Mark’s team rugby kits after a particularly rainy day a few seasons ago, when he played for Crowborough.

Can you spot him?

I remember watching from the terraces, and you couldn’t even tell which team was which. They were caked. As was I yesterday!

No matter how much I tried to clean as I went, I just kept getting coated in red mud! Turning terracotta is certainly not for the faint hearted! Good Lord! I should have known when I unpacked the first lump to wedge that things were going to get gloriously muddy!

I did manage to throw a few little pots and bowls…

but I will NEVER EVER look at one of those big terracotta planters in the garden centre in the same way again. HUGE respect for anybody who can throw something that massive with ANY clay. But with this gear – that is indeed a skill!!

I don’t mind getting messy. But there’s messy and there’s caked. I was caked. Thought about Linda Williams and laughed out loud. She would have had a cardiac! I’ll never forget her at one of our arty retreats, using the Gelpress for the first time. She must have gone through a family size pack of baby wipes before she even pulled a print!! It was hilarious! She was trying to keep her workspace – and everyone else on her table – clear of paint!!

So this morning, I went back in to turn said terracotta offerings. Turns very nicely actually. You can leave the gritty texture, or you can burnish it with a spoon or a metal kidney.

So yeah. I’ve got a handful of terracotta bits. I shall have to look up how to fire them and finish them now!

In conclusion… Perhaps terracotta is better for handbuilding!

I shall leave you with a little tune by Flanders and Swann to cheer you. Perfect for summing up my Terrracotta antics!

Stay Safe.

Love always,

Barb xxx

39 thoughts on “Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud!

  1. Well look at those pots!!! Beautiful! I think they are fab!
    You did make me giggle talking about Linda and mess. I was lucky enough to sit next to her at a retreat and I gave her a pair of disposable gloves when we got to the gel press part. Linda in her very gentle way accepted them graciously then decided that it was easier without the gloves. I think this was her second year so had got used to the idea of getting messy!
    Have a lovely evening. Love and hugs xxx

  2. They look great can just see you laughing at yourself sound good fun though. May be could do one to one classes could sign me up love Joy xxx

  3. Those pots look fabulous well done glad you are enjoying it xx have fun finding out on how to fire them xx de you tomorrow x

  4. They look fabulous, I would be useless, I don’t do messy crafting……..always tidying and cleaning up before I start something else. I bet you ate in your element x

  5. Pots look great, pleased you have been enjoying yourself, looking forward to seeing the result after they’ve been fired. Have a lovely evening. xx

  6. Looks great fun ,
    Just catching up on the shack shac from Friday, don’t make the font size any smaller noooooo 🤣😅😂
    See you later hugs xxx

  7. Linda, I’m definitely going to sit at your table and as far away from Barbara as I can get!! LOL. Messy! Messy! Messy! LOL. That said, Barb, your pots look amazing. Really good. You can get the place deep cleaned before you start again!! LOL. Enjoy the rest of today. Lots of love, Hxxx

  8. Don’t envy you having to clean up that mess, but the resulting pots are definitely worth the effort.
    Like Linda, I prefer to clean as I go and to be organised, although working with the Gel plates and stencils got me in a bit of a 2&8 when I first started. Now I work on a huge 6’x2.6′ marbling tray, keep a bowl of water, baby wipes, and a couple of old towels handy then the resulting yuk can be easily cleared up. Groovi is so much easier and cleaner.
    Must catch up on Youtube, I am way behind and missing all your news as well as the projects.
    Stay well, stay safe. 🍒

  9. Your pots look so professional and you must be chuffed to bits. Whenever I watch a muddy rugby match, I always say that I wouldn’t like to wash the kit, so I had a good laugh at your photograph. I will be in Rushden at the ENGG meeting tomorrow (Yay!), so I will have to catch up with the SHAC later. Have a good evening. Hugs. Annette X

  10. I love your pots but no way could I deal with that mud 🤣🤣. I’ve been turning today but not clay – Parchment – had a go with a ribbon duet plate. It’s a long old process but nearly there. I’ll take it to class tomorrow and finish off. Then I have to be brave and have a go at cutting. It’s all a learning curve isn’t it Barbara 😆

  11. Beautiful pots, Ms Gray you are one talented lady.
    Second reference to F&S I’ve seen this week. My fav is The Gas Man!

  12. Mud mud ……… fabulous pots, you are talented. 💖. Haven’t heard That song for a while, reminds me of my Dad 💖💖.

    Thanks Barbara, all you do means so much xx

  13. We had to play at the Kindergarten with very wet gray clay and I hated it!!! All that wet clay sliding between your fingers how awfull!!!!🙈
    But your pottery looks brilliant!!!! You are a talented lady!!!
    Looking forwards to tomorrow in the Shac!
    See you,Trijntje Huppel

  14. Your pots look great. Is Messy not a reasonable trade off for such an attractive material.
    Unlike many of the above I am quite happy getting dirty. Annoyingly I’m sometimes unaware of an inky finger with unwanted marks on work! It doesn’t necessarily spoil the enjoyment.

    1. I’m with you Ann on not minding the messy crafting. Cleaning is something I do as little as possible ! I used to be a potter but couldn’t throw any more after I broke my wrist. I am glad you are enjoying it Barbara and the pots look wonderful!
      Love and hugs
      Yvonne

  15. Wow to get to beauty you first have to go through a process. They are so lovely. Not a potter myself but have always loved what others do. Brilliant Barbara. Your blog made me chuckle to as I love crafting but am a clean crafter getting better at the messy stuff 😂😂😂

  16. Oh Barbara you do make me laugh which is a good thing. I love your pots. I wouldn’t have liked the mess. Have a good evening. Take care. Hugs xxx

  17. those pots look amazing! Have to edit, I’m more with Linda about messy crafting – I can just about cope with the Gelli plate but only under carefully controlled circumstances 😂

  18. Wow! What a result although in my limited experience, I liked sculpting with clay and remember finding the terracotta clay a bit too messy!!! Have a good evening with Dave and I look forward to ShacShac tomorrow xx

  19. What lovely pots! Not sure I could cope with that much mud especially in my finger nails. Loved the song – I had a vision of you singing it whilst immersed in throwing those pots 😂xx

  20. The pots are beautiful but I have to be honest that the muddy stuff really looks just like you were wallowing in chocolate……..!!!
    Haha, well that’s it looks like to me!!!!

  21. Your pots look fabulous! Maybe they use a mould not a wheel to create those big flower pots if the clay is so messy?

  22. Thanks Barbara will be singing that all night. Love your post they are beautiful you are such a talented lady.

  23. Well after having two boys who did cross country runs in the winter months through muddy fields and streams I am used to mess. Cleaning their spiked shoes was a nightmare, they stank. Even so not sure about pottery, I could watch someone for hours though. It always fascinates me. The pots look great so I hope they fire ok. xx

  24. Beautiful. I glad you had some me time to do what you find relaxing and not your “job”😘😘 thank you for all the free teaching time you give to us it is very much appreciated 😘😘😘

  25. You have had another busy but fun day by the sounds of it. I always dreaded my son coming home from football when it was a wet day as it always seemed to be my turn to wash the kit !!
    Your terracotta pots look fantastic, hope you work out what you need to do next regarding the firing.
    That song is one of those that once heard keeps going round & round in your head !!

  26. Hi Barbara
    I’m definitely in Linda’s corner, Jackie has tried to get me to do pottery but I’m afraid I’m more a parchment person. Nice and clean and tidy.
    But the pots do look grand.
    Lots of love
    Ruth & Jackie xx

  27. Your pots look brilliant, don’t think that I’d like the cleaning up though. Have much admiration for your willpower Barb to keep at it until you succeed. Well done.xxx

  28. Hi Barbara, The pots are great, I used to love pottery at school, haven’t done it since then and thats some 50 plus years back. So when are you applying to go on the Great Pottery Throw Down?
    Take Care Marie

  29. Hello Barb, wow those pots look amazing, I don’t mind getting messy, but don’t always enjoy the cleaning up afterwards. As long as you enjoy what you are doing it is worthwhile. Thanks for sharing the song, gave me a good laugh this morning. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  30. Love the pots, you are taking me down memory lane back into my pottery classes. Seeing the tools, remembering the feel of the clay etc.. I loved it. You are a natural and I can see a pottery outlet shop sign appearing on the side of the road!

  31. Those pot are stunning Barb…. I spotted Mark he was the one covered in mud mud glorious mud! I couldn’t have coped having to wash that kit, it’s wonder it didn’t break your washing machine. See you Monday in a cleaner environment with the Kinfishers. Love and peace.xx

  32. I brilliant pots as if everything you touch Barbara, you are so talented.
    Please please go on the great pottery throw down, it would be fantastic watching you do your stuff x

  33. I remember that rugby match! It was just before a Clarity retreat at said Rugby club – good job it wasnt the same one where the helicopter was landing, it would’ve sunk! I needed a pick me up, and that was perfect. I think your bowls are gorgeous, but do keep trouble and stripey strife out, I have a nagging suspicion that cat hair will adhere to teracotta like nobodys business and that teracotta will also stick to cat like nobody’s business! Not a combination that should be tested me thinks, love as always hx

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