The Coiling Process

This slideshow explains the refining of clay and my own method of coiling it into a beautiful pot.

The idea to make a photographic record came to me as I was digging a hole in which to set a gate post in concrete.  We lived in West Sussex at the time.  The soil there is part of the Weald Clay deposit which runs through Sussex and Kent.  There are many brickworks in the two counties that quarry the clay and our house was situated less than 100 yards from an old clay pit.  As my hole became deeper I was struck by the quality of the clay, which was mustard coloured and had the texture of soft soap.  Clay for brickmaking comes from much deeper than my 30 inch hole but I was sure that I would be able to make a pot from the clay I was squeezing between my fingers.