The Great Pottery Throw Down - General Discussion

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Wow, the throw down challenge this week was so complicated. I've never seen a double walled pot before but it was SO cool to watch Keith demonstrate how to make one. Love that they cut everyone's in half so we could see the inner structure. I wanted to reach through my tv and swat the host away when she kept nosing in while the contestants were making their pots. They have ten minutes so back away, lady! Clover's looked so great, as did Richard's and Ryan's. If Elaine and Daniel had had a few more minutes, they would have been able to close theirs properly. Congratulations to Richard for winning this one! Ryan and Clover were right on his heels. I was surprised that Cáit's bumpy rippled pot didn't come in last.

The casserole handle spot challenge was hilarious. The 13 year old in me will never tire of all the pulling jokes.

I'm glad Daniel was able to do so well after his last place finish in the throw down challenge. His choices were traditional but so well done. I loved Clover's twisted handles, but putting them right on the rim made me afraid that they would break off more easily. Cait's pigtail handle on the lid was a cute idea. I agree that the handles on the casserole were a little small. I know that when I take something out of the oven, I want the handles to be big enough to securely wrap a pot holder. Loved Ryan's twisted handles. The one on the lid was a little tall, as the judges said, but if he had anchored the bases a little further apart, I think it would have been fine.

Richard's sloped handles were interesting to look at, but not practical. Elaine's, in contrast, were very functional. Adding the little button detail also hid where she joined the handles to the lids/casseroles. Freya's fancy knots were very pretty but not very practical at all. James went plain, which is fine with me, but his lack of attention to detail did him in. They have to be placed symmetrically! Nam's twists were so different from everyone else's. The shapes he made for the handles were very whimsical which I loved.  Yay for Elaine getting first place! Not surprised that Daniel got second, but very happy that Nam got third.

I wasn't super excited about clocks, but I liked that it gave the contestants a lot of creativity to make large pieces. I'm a chicken so I would have made one to hang rather than stand. It was great to see the contestants helping each other carry their clocks into the drying room. It was also very sweet to see so many people rushing to help Nam hang his clock.

LOVED Ryan's turquoise and black sunburst clock. It was very striking and joining all those pieces showed technical skill. i didn't realize until I saw the close up shots that he alternated the black pieces so that ever other one curled out.

The structure of Freya's mother time clock was okay to me (even though I wasn't crazy about the creepy doll face) but I HATED the way she painted it. The end result was something that looked like found art. It looked like a bunch of dirty crap from a junkyard glued together with a clock face slapped on. I agreed with Kate when she described it as a sculpture with a clock. Keith was kind when he described it as an acquired taste.

I loved Nam's feather clock. He did so much work creating all those feathers and the effect was beautiful. For something so solid, it looked very delicate.

Clover's tree of life clock wasn't my cup of tea, but it was constructed well and it was unique without being too weird. I liked the twisted green pieces she added to the top of the tree. I didn't get the little people, but they didn't bother me. And I give her credit for using oxide again after she didn't get the effect she wanted last week.

Oh, Daniel. The concept was too simple. A clock made of cogs. I agreed with Kate that the cookie cutter cogs ended up looking like flowers.

Elaine's clock was very artistic and modern but without being too weird. I love that she created the textures with nuts, bolts, and other pieces from her husband's lorry. The tiny cuckoo peeking out of the side at the bottom was a fun touch too. Ha, and I had to laugh when she said that she didn't make Keith cry.

Richard's harvest jug clock was a failure on so many levels for me. I didn't like the original concept and it wasn't executed well. Aside from it warping, I also noticed that the paint wasn't applied evenly so there were spots where the paint was almost translucent right next to spots where the same paint was very opaque.

Dude, it's only the second week and I'm so tired of James's industrial/graffiti aesthetic. It's just not for me. It doesn't help that when I see the way he decorates his pieces, I think that I could do that and I am the last creative or artistic person ever. This clock was a rectangular box with messy paint slapped on.

Cáit's owl wasn't as bad as I though it would be when she started over. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because she didn't have time to make the wings so she had to paint them on which I think worked out better in the end. Her color choices were great. The big red eyes were a good contrast with the light turquoise of the owl's body.

I knew Daniel was a goner, but he had a very positive attitude about being eliminated. Richard is lucky that Daniel's clock was so disappointing. Yay for Elaine getting pot of the week! I would have given it to Ryan, but I can see why the judges liked Elaine's.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm excited about seeing the contestants do devil's work but I wish they were doing it on a tea set, which is the traditional use for it. In Chinese, it's called ling long or rice grain pattern. After the patterns are pierced into the teapot and teacups, a clear glaze is applied. This used to be done by hand, but ling long tea sets are now mass produced.

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Week four is garden week, where judges Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone challenge the seven remaining potters to make stunning ceramics for the great outdoors.

In the throw down, the potters have just 15 minutes at the wheel to make a large, medium and small flower pot - each with a folded rim.

For the spot test, the potters must hand build a dozen roses in one hour. To ratchet up the pressure, they are watched by surprise guest judge Paul Cummins MBE, the ceramic artist behind the Seas of Red poppy display at the Tower of London.

And in a monumental main make, the potters have to tackle their biggest challenge so far - throwing and decorating a fully functioning water feature complete with pump.

But whose pot will take the 4th plinth in the winners' gallery? And who will prove a washout and have to leave the competition?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This week's unintentionally dirty remarks:

Sara: There's only one way to avoid a hole in your bottom.

Sara: Ryan, what about your delicate bottom?

Keith: It's really nice on the lips.

I don't think I've ever seen a thrown off the hump challenge before, so that was an interesting twist to the throw down this week. I thought the judges were pretty generous about which rice bowls they rejected from each potter's total because there were some pretty inconsistent sizes. I had to laugh when Freya said she'd run out of clay because she made her rice bowls so big. I was so impressed that Clover made 15 bowls in 15 minutes! Even though she ended up getting second place due to three of hers being rejected, she still made a lot! Congratulations to Nam for getting 13 accepted by the judges. And thanks to the judges for not making any remarks about the only two Asian contestants getting first and second place in a rice bowl challenge.

I was a little unsure about this devil's work challenge because all I know of it is the Chinese version and I was really hoping that the producers weren't just lumping all of Asia together. I tried googling Japanese lanterns and devil's work but didn't find anything so I don't know if this is an actual thing that I've never heard of or if I should be giving the show major side eye. They could have avoided this altogether if they had just said it was Asian pottery week instead of Japanese pottery week. At any rate, I enjoyed the actual challenge.

Poor Cáit. I really liked the design she was working on before she ran out of time and started cutting out huge arched sections. She took a big risk cutting out such huge pieces so I was not surprised when it started to look like the whole thing was going to collapse. Elaine's design was very geometric and consistent which I liked. She was smart to start punching holes when she realized that she was running out of time. Richard's sun patterns were nice (I liked that he made each panel different) but I agree that there were very large areas of unmarked clay in between.

Oh, Ryan. His design was really awesome, but he was using that dull thing because he didn't realize there was a sharp knife included until time was called! Such a shame because I think he might have won if he'd used the proper tool. I liked Nam's slanted leafy pattern. Everything he does has such beautiful movement and flow. It's too bad he ran out of time too. I liked what James did because it was very clean and very precise (FINALLY, after two weeks of sloppy paint!) but I didn't love the design itself.

I really liked Clover's fireworks pattern. It was very geometric without being a repeating pattern. Freya's free form design was very pretty too. I like that she just used the shapes she usually doodles.

Funny that after throwing their sake sets, EVERYONE barely got their stuff into the drying room as Sara called time and then after decorating their sake sets, everyone was done ahead of time - even Cáit!

I loved watching all of the contestants trimming and turning their sake sets. Bonus points to the production people for using "Turn Turn Turn" for that segment. Hilarious when Richard was waxing poetic about the turning process and then realized that he sounded like a potter. Really interesting that they have to tap the bottom to hear how much thickness is left. I love seeing all the tools they use to turn and trim their pieces. I know nothing about pottery so I just assumed they used their hands to make everything perfect.

In past challenges (both this season and last season), I wasn't that impressed with the explanations for some of the contestants' choices, but I really enjoyed hearing the stories behind their decisions for their sake set decorations this week.

I also liked some of the personal choices they made for the combustibles they added to the sawdust. Richard adding beer mats was a no brainer. Loved that clover added rose, lavender, and a flower from her town in China. Nam adding silver nitrate sounded intriguing. I had to laugh when Elaine said she used banana peels. I love that it's part of her family business, but it was hilarious to me because Mr. EB told me that when he was in middle school, some guys were talking about what you could smoke that was all natural and someone suggested the stringy bits from bananas.

But what was with all the people using hair? I was a little afraid that Freya adding her sister's dreadlocks would result in that horrible smell of burnt hair, so thank goodness they did this outside (and that poor Rick wasn't stuck smelling that while everyone else was at home having tea). Ryan using hair from his grandmother's rescue horse seemed like such a sentimental choice (and I liked thaat he deliberately used longer hair so he could swirl it inside the cups to make lines - bonus: that seemed less likely to stink since he wasn't actually throwing huge chunks of hair into a fire). Somehow James tossing his beard hair like seasoning seemed less charming.

Another thing I really liked about the raku firing was that the potters had to decide when to remove their pieces from the fire and handle each piece themselves, taking them out of the fire, placing them in the sawdust, dunking them into cold water, and then wiping them clean to see what's happened (although I got nervous seeing everyone handling their pieces with tongs - I was afraid someone would drop a piece).. I knew that Cáit would be indecisive, so thank goodness the firing only takes a few minutes. Hee, love that Ryan supportively yelled, "Go for it!" I would have done the same thing just to shut her up.

I love that whenever possible, the judges test the usability of what is made, so I liked that they put water in every sake bottle and poured it into one of the cups and then they commented on whether any water dripped from the lip.

Elaine's sake set had a very traditional look. I loved the shape of her sake bottle. It was so smooth and curved and feminine. She was the only one who added a slip design before the first firing, and I liked the raised design that resulted. Even though Keith said she could have done more red, I liked that she only made the dots at each end red. I love color, but I think it was nice to see such restraint.

Even though Freya ended up having to use her second choice bottle, I liked the form. I also liked her use of color and texture. The red line against the white crackle was very striking, and I liked the blue on the cups.

Cáit's set turned out better than I thought it would. Adding copper wire was an interesting idea, but I don't think I would like holding a bottle or cup with that raised texture all the way around. The white crackle had a different texture than everyone else's, which made me wonder if she had left it in the kiln a little too long.

Nam was freaking me out with his double jointed fingers when he was throwing his sake cups. I really liked that he said since raku produces such uncontrollable/random results, he added a little more randomness by flicking some iron oxide onto his set. The results were really beautiful. I loved that the blue and the red looked like waves of color crashing into each other, and I loved the way it ran diagonally across the bottle. Unlike the graffiti stuff that James has been doing, this looked much more intentional and skilled. I think Keith was starting to tear up!

James's almost looked like a watermelon theme with the green and reddish colors. I thought he left his pieces in up to 1010 degrees so I was surprised that the judges said the glaze was not fired long enough. I understand that he has larger hands and that's why he made larger cups, but he could have compensated for his larger fingers by making wider cups that were shorter. I was glad that Kate called him on it when he described his decoration with a million "sort of"s.

Ryan's black and white striped design was very bold. I really liked that he made sure to put stripes on the inside of the bottle neck too. Keith was definitely getting teary eyed over this set! Thank goodness he redeemed himself after the first two challenges. As the host said, millions of girls would be screaming if Ryan got eliminated! Hee, love that she even brought up his grandmother's rescue pony when she told the judges they couldn't eliminate him. Of course, he had an advantage since he built a raku kiln in his grandmother's backyard!

Richard definitely took a risk by adding a spout to his bottle. It added a lovely shape, especially in conjunction with the gently arched neck of the bottle. Man, the judges are not fucking around if they are pouring every last bit of water out to see that they couldn't get all the water out of the bottle! I didn't love the X marks on his design. They reminded me of cartoons where someone has a jug of moonshine marked XX. But Richard gets bonus points for intentionally wearing his flame shirt during raku week!

I liked Clover's archery theme and I loved the way she decorated her sake set. The arrows in the bottom of each cup were interesting and I loved the rainbow effect she got on the bottle. I knew she wouldn't win because her cups were so shallow though.

Yay for Nam getting pottery piece of the week! I'm surprised that the judges eliminated James instead of Cáit. It was very sweet to hear Nam say that he was happy about winning but sad that his friend James was going home.

Clover is so fascinating to me. She grew up in China, she speaks Japanese, she sells stuff at cosplay conventions, she was inspired to start creating pottery because of a comic book quote, and she's an accountant.

Edited February 19, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clip:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Daniel (who was eliminated on S2.E2) has started a youtube channel and one of his first videos is handle pulling, which he did very well at on the show!

He has another video on faceting:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Keith Brymer Jones explains why he became a potter and what he loves about making:

Ha, who knew that Keith was so cheeky?

Nothing Compares 2 Keith:

Clap Along with Keith:

Rolling Clay with Keith:

Keith encounter:

Edited February 19, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

In week five, the six remaining potters head to Stoke on Trent, all striving to win pot of the week.

In the throw down, the potters rush to make as many goblets as they can in 15 minutes. Any that fail to meet the judges' exacting standards will be thrown into the bin of doom.

Kate Malone chooses the spot test, as the potters must hand coil a jug to look like a piece of fruit.

In the main make, the potters must throw two giant vases. For the first time in the competition, they are using one of the most exhilarating techniques in ceramics - pit firing. This ancient method of firing is one of the most unpredictable techniques in ceramics and requires the potters to head to the Staffordshire countryside to camp out overnight. Who will emerge from the camping adventure triumphant? And who will be heading home?

[PepperMonkey]

I guess no one's watching this but Electric Boogaloo and me?

Oh well, I love it.

Was super surprised to see Elaine sent home as I really thought she was the presumptive winner.

I like all of them, but will be relieved when "livewire" (as shown above; I'm sorry I cannot remember her name) goes home because she makes me anxious.

[Ceindreadh]

I'm still watching!

i am surprised that Cait (livewire!) is still there. Although I think this week was the first time she wasn't mentioned as being in the danger zone. 

Nam was lucky he'd done the extra bowls for his design but it was a shame the tentacles got broken. 

Poor Elaine, glad she did eventually display her piece, but I think even if she'd had the original basin, it still wouldn't have been enough to negate the fact that her design didn't fulfil the criteria. 

Freya (?) annoyed me a bit with her comment about the pots that hadn't made it. It just sounded a bit unsympathetic to me and maybe even a little smug that all of her build *had* survived.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This week's inadvertently dirty quote:
Elaine: We don't want my balls dropping off, do we?

Very sweet to see Freya with her arm around Clover when they walked in. I felt so bad for Elaine, Nam, and Clover when their pieces exploded in the kiln. Normally the crack in Richard's would be the biggest tragedy of the week so to have three people with exploded pieces. I was nice to see everyone cheer when Freya's base came out in one piece. I know that they are all aware of the risks, but it's still sad to see them get upset because in the real world, they could just make new pieces and have a setback of a few days. It was so kind of Nam to give one of his extra pieces to Clover to use for her base. I also loved how supportive he was telling Elaine to calm down in a nice way and then he offered to help her with her fountain when she gave up.

Loved watching Keith make all three flower pots for the throw down. I'm glad it wasn't just me who was impressed. When Ryan laughed and sad, "Yes, just flip the rim over," I was thinking the same thing. Keith makes it look so easy! I was wondering how they would rank everyone since most people didn't finish all three pots, so I'm glad that Freya was the clear winner and Cáit was the clear loser - that made things easier on the judges!

My only exposure to making flowers is watching people make fondant flowers online. One technique that I just saw yesterday was cutting out a cloud shape, folding it in half, and then rolling it up into a rose. Poor Richard! Even though his roses did look too big and the petals were too thick, I loved that everyone yelled encouraging things at him when he knocked his vases over and ruined all of them. Ryan's were too tiered so they ended up looking like pinecones. Cáit's had very thin edges which made them look more realistic, but I agree that they looked more like carnations. I liked Freya's and Clover's roses too.

Ooh, water fountains! I loved that after the final firing, everyone oohed and ahhed over the colors.

I was almost gagging when Elaine said that she has seven cats and two dogs. The mom of a guy I knew had six cats and three (or four?) dogs and it was furball city in that house! I'm glad she realized that her fountain was too plain and needed some major decorating to elevate it. I wish that she had used a slightly brighter blue to contrast more with the grey. I liked the pavilion shape (it kind of reminded me of a more bulbous lighthouse). I'm glad that she finally listened to Nam and used that white bucket so that she could at least turn on the water for the judges.

When Clover said she was making a lotus fountain, I was imagining something totally different from what she actually made but it still turned out very pretty. I like that in the first week, she said that she hadn't used oxides before and she has been trying them each week. It takes bravery to keep using something that you're not as familiar with. After the drying room when she realized that the bottom bowl wasn't wide enough to catch the water, I loved that she was so calm about coming up with a solution to cut notches in the lotus.

Freya's shaped bowls were so lovely. I was surprised that the form of hers ended up looking so traditional. She tends to be very funky so I thought she'd go with something weirder. Ha, I was cracking up when she said that she was copying everything Ryan was doing. I also loved her imitation of James and his paint splattering. But I feel I have to point out that despite Keith saying that the water flowed well because of the lips she sculpted into the top two tiers, I could clearly see that the water was not flowing from all of them. I saw at least two where no water was coming out. I liked the blue glaze she used, but I didn't like the yellow and orange that were slopped near the top.

I was impressed with how perfectly found Richard's sphere was. Hee, I was cracking up at his idea to put red dye in the water to make it look like blood. I felt bad that the clay was too hard for the stamps he was going to use. It's a good thing he's artistic enough to paint the designs by hand. I can barely draw stick figures so if that happened to me, I would be so screwed. The color scheme was a little too dark and muddy for me. It would have been okay with one dark level but because all of it was brownish, I didn't love the color scheme.

Ryan seemed to put the most thought into the water flow with his seven discs. I was surprised when he said he shouldn't have played it so safe. Dude, you made approximately five thousand different pieces! How is that playing it safe?! Why did Keith complain about Ryan's fountain being so brown but he didn't say a word about Richard's being brown too?

Nam's was so whimsical. I loved that the three layers were tilted and I really loved the octopus tentacles in the original drawing. Normally I would have been yelling, "Don't waste time by making extra bowls!" but thank goodness he did or he (and Clover) would have been totally screwed. Hee, I was cracking up when he discarded one of his tentacles because it looked too phallic and then later when Elaine told him the tentacles didn't look right, he said, "I know! They look like penises!" When I saw his drawing, I didn't realize that the circular rims on each sphere were where the water was going to spiral down. I loved that!

Cáit's dog nose fountain was interesting. I liked that she used the shape to inspire her fountain. And I totally understand her crying about it. My dog died years ago and I still tear up thinking about the day that he died. She is not my favorite contestant, but I wanted her to do well in this challenge because I didn't want her beating herself up that a tribute to the family dog failed. I was surprised that she got

I was surprised that the judges only mentioned Nam and Elaine as up for elimination. How was Richard not included? He had air in the rim of his flower pot he placed sixth out of seven) and his roses were pretty bad even before he dropped them (he came in last). Nam, on the other hand, placed third in flower pots and fifth in roses. Elaine was fourth in roses and second in flower pots. Loved the group hug when Elaine was eliminated though. And poor Nam - he seemed more upset about it than Elaine!

Edited February 25, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sneak peek:

[Corgi-ears]

On 2/25/2017 at 10:27 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was surprised that the judges only mentioned Nam and Elaine as up for elimination. How was Richard not included? He had air in the rim of his flower pot he placed sixth out of seven) and his roses were pretty bad even before he dropped them (he came in last). Nam, on the other hand, placed third in flower pots and fifth in roses. Elaine was fourth in roses and second in flower pots.

Right?! I couldn't understand the judging this week; it's almost as if they didn't take anything but the main make into consideration. (And even then, I'm not sure I really understand their beef with Nam's fountain.) When they chatted with Sara and identified Nam and Elaine as being in trouble, I thought I somehow skipped an entire segment.

Cáit has totally grown on me since the first episode. It probably helped that she has been so self-aware about her slight ditziness, and that the pretentious artist slot that she seemed for a little while to be aspiring to was forcibly wrestled away from her by Freya and, even more, James. Also helping: dog nose. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 2/26/2017 at 7:59 PM, Corgi-ears said:

Right?! I couldn't understand the judging this week; it's almost as if they didn't take anything but the main make into consideration. (And even then, I'm not sure I really understand their beef with Nam's fountain.) When they chatted with Sara and identified Nam and Elaine as being in trouble, I thought I somehow skipped an entire segment.

Cáit has totally grown on me since the first episode. It probably helped that she has been so self-aware about her slight ditziness, and that the pretentious artist slot that she seemed for a little while to be aspiring to was forcibly wrestled away from her by Freya and, even more, James. Also helping: dog nose. 

ITA! I feel like during S1, this show was more even handed in judging across all three challenges in deciding who to eliminate (although maybe I'm just not remembering S1 well). This week it felt like the judged were veering more towards the Great British Bake Off judging where the big project is all that really matters.

Even if they weren't crazy about Nam and Elaine's fountains, I felt like neither of them failed miserably at the main make, and they both did pretty well in the throw down and the spot test.

The judges seemed very focused on the design of Elaine's fountain (I think Keith said that she didn't fulfill the requirements) and it wasn't just because her base bowl broke. It sounded like he didn't like the tower portion either. To me, there's a big difference between not liking something personally and not fulfilling the requirements.

It always makes me sad when someone is eliminated on this show because they all seem so nice and supportive of each other. 

[Corgi-ears]

18 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The judges seemed very focused on the design of Elaine's fountain (I think Keith said that she didn't fulfill the requirements) and it wasn't just because her base bowl broke. It sounded like he didn't like the tower portion either. To me, there's a big difference between not liking something personally and not fulfilling the requirements.

Actually, I did sort of understand why they dinged Elaine (upon rewatch -- it's sometimes hard to remember the parameters for the main make because the challenge spans the entire fricking episode. The criteria gets announced at the start of the hour, and who remembers the details 60 mins later? Not this old coot). The judges asked for a fountain with "two tiers"; at judging, Keith points out that Elaine's tower was...a tower, and though the water was coming out of the middle parts of the tower, he thought those two points of exit should have bowls for them to be "tiers." Of course, it's a bit odd that they didn't seem as concerned in the middle of the episode after they did their walkaround and saw Elaine's plans for her tower.

In contrast, Nam, who was judged right after Elaine, got Keith's comment that "we asked for at least two tiers, and you've got that." But then Kate said something to the effect of even if the bottom bowl hadn't broke, the structure "didn't really work, visually." She then faulted him, justifiably, for the messiness with the silicone sealant, and then they turned on the water, whereupon they...gushed about how it flowed down the spirals the way Nam planned. None of which left me any the wiser about why Nam's fountain was ranked that low.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

It is the quarter-final and two potters will be sent home.

In the throw down, the potters have just ten minutes at the wheel to throw the widest bowl they can while blindfolded.

For their spot test, they must carve a pattern onto the surface of a Greek urn using the centuries-old technique of sgraffito. Derived from the Italian word for scratched, sgraffito involves etching through a layer of coloured clay to reveal a contrasting colour beneath.

In the main make, the potters must hand coil and decorate four Russian nesting dolls. The top and bottom of each doll must slot together using a flange and gallery connection and the four must stack inside each other seamlessly.

Who will clinch their place in the semi-final and which two potters will be walking the cobbles home?

Preview:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know I say this every week, but I love watching Keith demonstrate the throw down challenge. He always makes it look so easy. I think this was the most gleefully violent I've seen Keith get with the bin of doom when he smashed Ryan's. The judges were kind to say that Cáit was going for quality, not quantity. No, you guys, she is always this slow! But I guess since they knew she had only made four and was in last place, there was no need to be mean. Nam seemed happy about tying for first, but Freya seemed annoyed that she didn't win.

The thing I didn't like about the fruit spot test was that they had to each grab a different fruit. I'd rather just let each person make whichever fruit they like. Since this spot test was judged blind, it shouldn't matter if one person does a pumpkin or if everyone makes a pumpkin.

I have to agree with the judges' assessment that Richard made a jug with some grapes, not a grape jug, but was he really supposed to cover the whole surface with grapes? I was pretty sure he was going to place last because he didn't really fulfill the assignment requirements. I didn't mind Nam's strawberry as much as the judges did, but I agree that the spout should have been higher because it really limited how much water you could put in it. I also liked Ryan's pineapple. I get what Keith said when he wanted the spout to be more pronounced, but at the same time I think that would have made it look less natural. I was surprised that Clover's fennel came in third after Kate talked about how it looked like it was melting. I didn't like the way Freya's pumpkin went up so high because it didn't look real. Wow, Cáit got first for her artichoke!

Loved having Rich explain the ins and outs of the potters' pit fires. Hee, I totally love that everyone toasted marshmallows. But no s'mores? I wish they had asked the show to dig an extra pig so they could make kalua pig. Like the raku challenge, I liked hearing about the combustibles that each person chose.

I liked that Clover picked the vase that wasn't as well made because the colors were so nice. And Keith teared up a bit when he picked it up!

I liked the shape of Freya's vase, but I didn't like the colors from the pit fire.

I liked the color of the vase with the exploded bottom, but Nam didn't have a choice since they would have penalized him for showing them a vase without a bottom.

Although Cáit's topsy turvy shape was the result of a structural issue, it ended up looking whimsical, like those multi-tiered Alice in Wonderland cakes that were all the rage a few years ago. the colors were very pretty.

Poor Richard! I felt so bad that his second vase broke at the join when he removed it from the pit. The colors were very interesting and I liked that he chose no to make it too dark. Much prettier than the charred looking vases.

I didn't love the shape or color of Ryan's vase.

I was surprised that they didn't eliminate anyone this week, but I'm okay with it because I hate eliminations!

[Corgi-ears]

I know Clover's vase wasn't perfectly made, but those gorgeous colors made me feel like she was robbed of vase of the week. And I love her fennel jug. Sure, it wasn't a realistic shape, but the potters were allowed to interpret their fruit, and as far as I'm concerned the "melting" shape made it funky. It should have come second! (I did think Cait's artichoke deserve its victory -- it may have saved her from elimination too)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

It is semi-final week in Stoke-on-Trent and just four potters remain, determined to take their place in the final. In a very special throw down, one of the UK's most loved comedians Johnny Vegas replaces Keith Brymer Jones at the wheel. Johnny, a former pupil of Kate Malone, demonstrates how to throw a fully functioning tea pot in just one minute. The potters are given five minutes to throw five.

In a spot test with a difference, the potters can make anything they like. But whatever they choose, it must be a signature piece to wow the judges.

For their main make, the potters face their biggest and most complicated challenge so far - to hand build and decorate a fully functioning toilet over four gruelling days.

Who will survive and make it to the final? Whose toilet will be exhibited in the Pot of the Week gallery? And who will be flushed out of the pottery?

[Corgi-ears]

Awww. Cáit's lives finally ran out. I can't say it wasn't the right decision, but I'm also a bit nonplussed that Freya and Richard made it into the final four. Nothing Richard's made ever stuck in my mind, while Freya's designs seemed so messy this week. I can't believe she got away with firing the nesting dolls while they were nestled.

I hope Clover wins it all. And not just because that polar bear was cute af.

[Pallida]

Ahhhhhh I didn't realize this series was back on, and the first episode is no longer available at the BBC site, but I marathoned through the episodes this week, and I'm finally caught up!

I also hope Clover wins.  She has beautiful artistry, and I especially liked how she combined the cute with the dark on her nesting dolls this week. 

Something about Freya has rubbed me wrong across the last few episodes, so I was a bit disappointed that she got away with only barely filling the gallery/flange brief.  Her nesting dolls, while interesting in that they weren't self-contained, were almost as disturbing as the cherubs from earlier episodes.  Maybe I just don't like her aesthetic?

I don't think Richard deserves to win, but I'm happy he's still around.  I don't care if he's done the 17th C flowers before, I liked his sgraffito repeat pattern.  Sure, it would have benefited from more dimension (like Ryan's), but it was fitting.  In past episodes, I enjoyed his Aztec temple (and especially the food coloring) and the pit fired vase that got him best pot.

Does anybody know if the Kiln Master Rich is the one doing the throwing during the opening credits?

[TVbitch]

The opening credits look like a female hand to me. But maybe he is just well lotioned and supple. 

I could do without so much of the 60's-70's prog music. I mean, pottery is groovy and all, but don't they have some other CD's?!

I love the UK competition shows. Just genial artistry among generally nice folks, without all the fake drama and judges shouting.  

Edited March 11, 2017 by TVbitch

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clip:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This is the point in the season where I start freaking out/getting sad because the competition is almost over!

I thought the blind challenge was really interesting. I like the idea of relying solely on their sense of touch. Poor Clover! If only she hadn't made her bowl so tall, it might not have collapsed (hee, loved that she told the judges that it was a contemporary design). In comparison, I thought Freya's bowl looked more like one of those soup bowls because it was not much deeper than a plate or a platter. Ryan's bowl looked great so that was a well deserved win. Richard's looked pretty good too.

The sgraffito spot test reminded me of that elementary school art project where you color all kinds of colors onto a piece of paper, color the whole thing with black crayon, and then use a toothpick to scratch off the black and draw a picture, revealing the rainbow of colors underneath. What I loved about this challenge was seeing how creative each person got. I also loved everyone squealing when they saw each other's pieces.

I agree that Cáit's skyline design was very simple, especially given the amount of time they had. Of course, if she had remembered that she had to repeat the pattern earlier, she might have done her skyline design differently. I also agree with the judges' critique of Richard using the same floral pattern. If you're going to use the same design, you need to do something to make it different or better. Otherwise you're just a one way monkey (TM Dmitry Sholokov).

I liked the idea of Nam's jigsaw design but I agree that carving out a huge section of them didn't really fit the repeating pattern theme that they requested. Freya's was messy looking as the judges said, and that made it hard to see a repeating pattern.

I ended up liking Ryan's large flowers more than I thought I would. I agree that he used the sgraffito tools to create depth in the flowers which was really nice. Clover's peacock feather design was very pretty and I loved that she fixed the scratch in the rim by creating a pattern. Smart girl! I really admire people who can freehand. If I tried to draw even one peacock feather, it would look terrible, but she managed to draw several identical peacock feathers. Clover has been near the top several times so I'm happy that she finally won first place!

I was really interested in the main nesting doll challenge because they had to make four pieces fit inside each other. I was sure that at least one person would end up with one piece shrinking too much in the kiln.

I think this was the first week that I liked Cáit's concept. In the past, her concepts have seemed very simple but her theme of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" was whimsical and fit the challenge. Unfortunately, her decorating skills were not up to the challenge. Her old lady looked like it was decorated by a 10 year old. Another piece was painted in such a slapdash way that I couldn't even tell which part of the song it was depicting.

I want to meet Ryan's dad too! He made such great tools for him to use this week. That rolling tool to create the gallery was so cool! I thought the fish concept was good but the execution wasn't quite there.

I loved that instead of using the extruder to create his coils, Nam used the technique for making Vietnamese noodles. Poor Nam. I felt so bad for him when the third lotus wouldn't fit. I liked the way he used lace to paint a pattern on his lotus bowls too.

I couldn't decide whether or not the judges should have told Freya that her original plan didn't meet the gallery and flange requirement. If they hadn't told her during the building stage, then they would have had to eliminate her for not fulfilling the challenge properly. By her own admission, Freya thought she could "get away" using an interlocking system instead of the gallery and flange. The design itself (with the tongue sticking out) was really cool but what the hell did she do for an entire hour set aside for decorating? It looked totally unfinished.

Richard's sarcophagus set was okay. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. Kate pointed out a major flaw which was how difficult it was to insert tall heavy cylinders inside tall heavy cylinders. In the close up shots, you could see how lumpy the shapes were. Richard obviously thought he was going home when he told the others that the other contestants will be his friends for the rest of his life.

Clover's endangered animals turned out so well. I love that not only did her concept work but that she had a message. At first glance, it might seem like she made things easier by making smaller nesting dolls, but she actually gave herself a very difficult challenge because the galleries and flanges had to be so small. The animals were decorated beautifully. You could tell what each one was and I loved the miniature scenes she painted on the back of each animal. The way she sculpted each animal was so artistic too. The way she made the polar bear face and then added the tiny ears was perfect!

I was so happy that Clover won pot of the week. Hers was the best set of nesting dolls by far.

I'm honestly surprised that Cáit lasted this long so her elimination was not a shock. Nam had a bad week and unfortunately having a bad main make is usually enough to ensure elimination. I'm really sad to see Nam go because I love his creative process and I love how fluid his shapes are. Richard isn't bad by any means, but I feel like the only time that he rarely surprises me because he likes to stay in his very specific lane. If this were Project Runway and I had to decide the finalists based on whose work I'd like to see in the finale, I would have chosen Clover, Ryan, and Nam. The three of them have created some really beautiful pieces.

[Corgi-ears]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I couldn't decide whether or not the judges should have told Freya that her original plan didn't meet the gallery and flange requirement. If they hadn't told her during the building stage, then they would have had to eliminate her for not fulfilling the challenge properly.

It makes for an interesting contrast with Elaine's water feature from a few weeks back, doesn't it? The judges eliminated her because her tower didn't fulfil the criteria that the fountain must have two tiers, but they didn't point that out when they saw her sketch. To be fair to Kate and Keith, they sort of asked about the design, and Elaine explained that water was going to come out of two points in the middle of the tower, so perhaps the judges were all, "...I guess that's a tier of sorts?" before nope-ing the results. Still, I would feel a bit robbed if I were Elaine.

[xandermaus]

Re: Keith and his crying.

I'm completely baffled by people who cry like that. My dad is one of them, too. He'll tear up while reciting a favorite poem or singing a song from his youth. Me? I don't cry unless I truly have something to cry about, and my wife's passing back in May has had me wailing at the top of my lungs ever since. The weird thing is, I don't recall ever hearing my dad cry after mom died, 21 years ago. So, when I was visiting him at Christmas, I asked him if he ever cried over mom's death, and he replied that he never did.

[xandermaus]

Agreed: I'd have also given top pot to Ryan.

[xandermaus]

Nam's sake set just didn't speak to me. I liked Ryan's. It literally turned my stomach to see them using hair for the raku. The smell!

[xandermaus]

The judges are great. But, OMG! Sara Cox and her accent... my flesh crawls every time I hear her say words like "pottereh" and "consistenceh". From a Google search, I presume this is a Manchester accent, and for whatever reason, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me.

[Athena]

Yay Clover! I keep forgetting to post my thoughts after the episode these days. I loved her dolls. The message and beauty and sheer cuteness of it reflected herself as an artist but would be wonderful to any collection.

I also loved it because I thought most of the dolls sets were way too big. I know these are collectibles and art pieces, but I can't imagine displaying the size of some of the other pieces. They were heavy and dominating. I think Clover's and Cait's were the right size. Maybe Richard's since you can technically use them as urns (creepy heh).

 

On 2017-03-10 at 4:42 PM, Pallida said:

I also hope Clover wins.  She has beautiful artistry, and I especially liked how she combined the cute with the dark on her nesting dolls this week. 

Something about Freya has rubbed me wrong across the last few episodes, so I was a bit disappointed that she got away with only barely filling the gallery/flange brief.  Her nesting dolls, while interesting in that they weren't self-contained, were almost as disturbing as the cherubs from earlier episodes.  Maybe I just don't like her aesthetic?

I don't think Richard deserves to win, but I'm happy he's still around.  I don't care if he's done the 17th C flowers before, I liked his sgraffito repeat pattern.  Sure, it would have benefited from more dimension (like Ryan's), but it was fitting.  In past episodes, I enjoyed his Aztec temple (and especially the food coloring) and the pit fired vase that got him best pot.

 

Love Clover so I hope she wins too, but I think her and Ryan are the best all rounders now that Nam and Elaine have been eliminated. You are only as good as your last "pot" so Nam had a really poor week.

I have tried to like Freya, but there is a sense she doesn't care about the competition in the same way that Clover, Cait, or Richard do. She seemed weirdly blasé thinking she could actually get way with her dolls. I don't like her aesthetic all the time either.

 

On 2017-03-11 at 7:49 AM, Corgi-ears said:

It makes for an interesting contrast with Elaine's water feature from a few weeks back, doesn't it? The judges eliminated her because her tower didn't fulfil the criteria that the fountain must have two tiers, but they didn't point that out when they saw her sketch. To be fair to Kate and Keith, they sort of asked about the design, and Elaine explained that water was going to come out of two points in the middle of the tower, so perhaps the judges were all, "...I guess that's a tier of sorts?" before nope-ing the results. Still, I would feel a bit robbed if I were Elaine.

Yeah, there was miscommunication between Elaine and the judges on that. I think if Elaine had pulled off her execution (her base was broken too) and had some double tiering, it would have worked. Hers was just too different from everyone else.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

Quote

It is the grand final and the three remaining potters have just a hat trick of challenges left before one is crowned the winner of the Great Pottery Throw Down.

For their final throw down, the potters have ten minutes to make as many Japanese lanterns as they can. Not only that, but they have to throw them the Japanese way - with the wheel turning clockwise, the opposite of what they are used to.

For the spot test, the potters must sculpt the torso of a special guest, ice dancer Sylvain Longchambon.

For their main make, Kate Malone and Keith Brymer Jones give the potters their hardest task yet. They want them to make a pair of identical, fully functioning light features. To truly test their ability, they are making them out of porcelain - the white and delicate clay is the trickiest to work with.

After eight episodes and 24 gruelling challenges, who will be crowned the winner of The Great Pottery Throw Down?

[Corgi-ears]

* nervously * Ryan, that's not a snapping turtle, is it?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This week's unintentionally dirty quote:

Freya: Keith was pleased I had a clean bottom.

Toilets? Whyyyyyyyyy? I mean, I get it in theory because it's a large sculpture with multiple joins that must be level and support weight AND work properly with the water. But it's still a toilet so the juvenile part of me was going ewwwwwwwwwww.

Seeing how Freya's and Ryan's cracked during drying was already making me nervous. And then Freya ended up with multiple cracks after the bisque firing. Eek!

The one minute teapots were a frantic rush of, frankly, terrible looking lumps of clay. I know that all of their tasks are timed, but I hate when they aren't given enough time to do an adequate job. It's like when Project Runway tells the designers they have two hours to make a couture gown. There's working hard under time constraints and then there's knowing that everyone's going to slap together crap because they definitely haven't been given enough time.

I was really surprised that the contestants were allowed to make anything for the spot test. I was interested to see who would flail without a specific task/assignment and who would flourish with the freedom to do anything. I wish that instead of trying to be ambitious by creating multiple pieces, more of them had focused on creating fewer pieces that were more consistent/impressive.

Richard's jug was okay. I appreciate that he made the effort to decorate it with the rolled pieces of clay and little circles, but the four goblets he made were throwaways. I wish that instead of wasting time making those, he had spent all of his time on the jug. The bowl with the fluted edge was pretty, but it was completely naked/undecorated and it didn't seem to match the style of the big clunky goblets or the thick jug.

Clover's noodle bowls were a good idea, but if she had done only two or three instead of four, she wouldn't have been running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Dripping that bright orange paint was definitely a bold decorating choice, but it also seemed a bit lazy.

Freya's blue jar inside the red jar with the fish cutouts was the most whimsical thing she's done all season.

What I liked best about Ryan's five vases is that they were all different in size, shape, and color patterns, but they were still a coordinating set. I don't know if it was Keith cry worthy, but it was my favorite of the four projects. I agree with him that the set would look nice on a shelf. I'm glad he won!

Richard's seemed the sturdiest and most well made structurally. Decorating is not his strong suit, so I was pleasantly surprised that his country landscape turned out so well. The blue sky and butterflies were very pretty.

I was laughing at the idea of Freya describing hers as an erotic toilet. Ain't no such thing to me, no matter how many tits and bums you paint on it. I didn't like the way she decorated hers. Between that reddish brown color she used on the bottom and the way she painted it, I was getting a leaking toilet vibe. But the toilet spewed everywhere.

I loved Clover's church toilet. It was really striking with the faux stained glads windows against the contrast of the stark black background. I also really loved the circular stained glass design she did inside the bowl. It reminded me of the ceiling at the Chapel of Thanksgiving in Texas.

Ryan's Tina the turtle toilet was so great  it was a fun concept and it was executed so well. He even covered the toilet seat in fabric to make it look even more like a turtle! Who would have guessed that  a turtle toilet would make Keith cry? So glad that Ryan won pot of the week!

I was ready for Freya to go a few weeks ago so I'm not that broken up about her elimination. I'm very excited to see what Clover and Ryan create in the finale!

Edited March 17, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clip:

[PepperMonkey]

LOL @ pot of the week!!

[Athena]

While Clover is my favourite, I think it's Ryan's to lose right now. He had pot of the week very early and again in the semifinals. That turtle toilet is not something I'd ever want but seriously, it was gorgeous. The detailing and he was able to get all the plumbing and joints done well too.

Clover is less consistent than Ryan. Richard is too consistent with his historical designs. He's good too but I think Ryan is the better overall potter.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I agree that overall Ryan has been more consistent and he has gotten more praise from the judges. I was starting to worry about him the last few weeks, so I'm glad he got back on top his turtle toilet. I am still laughing at him asking Keith to look down at the turtle head between his legs while he was sitting on the toilet.

While Richard is consistent, his main makes never excite me. I think he has good technical skills and he has done pretty well in the throw down challenges, but I'm surprised that he's the third finalist. I now use the Project Runway criteria when thinking about the finalists: who do I want to see more from? Richard seems like a nice guy with good skills, but I am 99% sure that whenever he makes for the finale will look like all the other stuff he's made this season. That's one of the reasons I wanted Nam to make the finals. He always surprised me with what he made (and in a good way, not like Freya).

[Athena]

13 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Richard seems like a nice guy with good skills, but I am 99% sure that whenever he makes for the finale will look like all the other stuff he's made this season. That's one of the reasons I wanted Nam to make the finals. He always surprised me with what he made (and in a good way, not like Freya).

Yes, I preferred Nam to Richard too. I think Richard's skills have really got him far, but he doesn't excite me either. I am not that surprised he has done well since he does his style so well. I can see why the judges appreciate his work but they are definitely wary of his historical design now. They mentioned  about his "pastiche" last week.

Am looking forward to the final this week.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

14 hours ago, Athena said:

They mentioned  about his "pastiche" last week.

I can hear Dmitry from Project Runway saying in his droll voice, "He is a one way monkey."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really had no idea who would win when this episode began. As the hour went on, I was pretty sure that Ryan was going to win but I still wasn't 100% sure.

The Japanese lantern throw down did seem way too easy for the final episode so I was really surprised that this was what the judges had chosen. It made more sense when Keith said they had to do it with their wheels spinning in the opposite direction. I could tell that it was very challenging for all three of them, but my one complaint was that it wasn't particularly interesting to watch in terms of how difficult it was for them because it just looked the same as when they normally throw something on the wheel. I loved that they all had a good attitude about it, from Richard calling it an evil challenge to Clover saying afterward that she wants to try doing it again at home.

The spot test had me laughing as I imagined some of the eliminated contestants trying to sculpt a realistic replica of a torso. James and Freya would have found a reason to splatter paint on it or something else ridiculous. Ryan's definitely looked the best to my eyes. I was cracking up when Sara talked about the tiddlywink nipples he put on his sculpture. None of them were really bad, though I do wonder if Clover would have placed higher had she not been forced to cut off the shoulders and the top of the sculpture. I loved the shot of the three potters standing behind the sculptures with their heads on top. High five to the camera crew and production staff for that!

I loved some of the lamps that Keith and Kate had hanging as examples for the main make. The lamps with the individual butterflies was so pretty, as were the tea kettles with the holes cut out. Since all three finalists said they were inexperienced with porcelain, they were on equal footing.

Concept-wise, Richard's was my least favorite because it was so simple. Execution-wise, though, he had a great looking pair of lamps (aside from the huge cracks in the base, of course). The leaves were beautifully glazed with autumn colors and they had great texture. But I felt that for someone who said he was following the brief, he ignored an important part which was to show the translucency of the porcelain.

I knew that Clover wasn't in the running when the judges were going on and on about how amazing Richard was for persevering and finishing his lamps but they barely said anything about Clover having to scrap her original design and improvise several ways to make her design work (getting rid of the ribbon, finding another way to hang the bees, then having to come up with Plan C because she couldn't pierce holes in the bees without breaking them). As Keith said, she always has a narrative with whatever she makes which is something I love about her work. I liked that she painted the inside yellow which worked really well with the light. Piercing holes in her big pieces was also a great idea.

Ryan's concept was simple but I liked that if you didn't know his inspiration was a church organ, you would just think it was a cool modern lamp. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when all of his pieces survived firing but kept breaking them (once while holding a tube, then he dropped one, and then he knocked one over with his knee while he was gluing together the one he dropped!). Loved the little tool he made to glaze the insides of his tubes more accurately. The other contestants had family members present at the announcement of the winner so I wonder why Ryan's gran wasn't there. Maybe the trip was too long for her? I'm happy he won. He has made consistently interesting and well made pieces all season and I like his style. For someone who's only been doing this for two years, he has really good technique and he shows a lot of imagination when creating.

I always love the updates on the other contestants. The most interesting tidbit to me is that Elaine is doing an internship with Kate!!

I really love this show so I hope it gets renewed for S3!

Edited March 24, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[xandermaus]

No surprises for me. From episode one, I figured Ryan would win. What I'd like to see is an online gallery of works by all the contestants, done in their own studios, without the stresses and time constraints of the competition.

[Arynm]

I am crier. I cry over everything! I am really not exaggerating.  I say that I cry over any excess of emotion, good or bad. I cry when others cry. I hate it, because it makes me look weak, especially when I am mad. Anyway, I find Keith charming, even with his crazy hair.

I love this show, it is harmless and sweet. I just found it online and started watching.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

@Arynm, I'm a cryer too. I even cry when I see tv characters get engaged. Sometimes it's annoying because I don't want to cry but the tears just come and I can't make them stop. I wasn't always like this though. I remember when I was little, we used to tease my mom for crying so easily at tv movies. And now I do the same thing!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The Great Pottery Throwdown has officially been canceled by BBC2

The producers said they hope they can get the show on a new channel so not all hope is lost!

[heckkitty]

I miss this show. I really hope they find a new home. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

15 hours ago, heckkitty said:

I miss this show. I really hope they find a new home. 

Same here! I have loved learning about different pottery techniques and seeing how talented the contestants are. I really hope another channel decides to pick the show up.

[GaT]

I finally found some place to watch this show (I'm in the US), I've been curious about it, is it worth it?

[heckkitty]

23 hours ago, GaT said:

I finally found some place to watch this show (I'm in the US), I've been curious about it, is it worth it?

I love pottery, and I love competitive reality, so I was all over this. It's kind of like Great British Bakeoff, with wheels and clay. 

[GaT]

7 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

I love pottery, and I love competitive reality, so I was all over this. It's kind of like Great British Bakeoff, with wheels and clay. 

That's what I kind of thought it would be.

[GaT]

I just watched the first episode, & holy crap, this is hard! It's also very interesting, I know nothing about making pottery, so this is all new to me. I don't think it's a relatable as GBBO though, this really isn't something you can follow & recipe & do in your own home.

Keith's hair......um, it's unusual.

I may have stupidly spoiled myself as to the winner, if so, I'm surprised.