Given the deadline approach, I decided to take the clay from the allotment and slake down while it was still wet. It helped that the clay content wasn't high and there was lots of sand in it. So here my daughter and I throw little pieces of clay into lots of water and use a plaster mixer on a drill to agitate it vigorously.
I have learnt a lot from preparing and using non-pure clays. Of course, the information is in books, for example in Michael Cardew's "Pioneer Pottery". However my initial thoughts on preparing clay for this project was was to treat all the clays in the same way I treat the clay I have been using from Easter Kincaple, near St Andrews. In this way, we would get an idea of where the most workable clays lay. In addition, I was thinking of wholemeal flour and other foods that are as unprocessed as possible.
However, the clay from Pittormie could plainly have done with more sieving to make it workable. Being a potter, it is so frustrating to have such difficult clays, plus I want to make a lovely plate for the people who have kindly let us use their earth. So here I sieve the clay through the usual domestic sieve, followed by a potters 80 mesh sieve. I was also careful to wash as much of the clay out of the sand and stones as was possible.
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