The language of clay is lovable. Any community that use words like “wodge” to describe the act of kneading air out of clay, who describe glazes as “lava”, “crazed” or “crackle” and who call creamy liquid clay “slip” are easy to love.
There are technical words, it’s true. But it’s a language designed to be understood rather than to baffle. Compared to say photography, with its maze-like acronyms and scientific processes or even glass blowing with its Italian and businesslike descriptions (any craft that identifies one person as The Gaffer is questionable) the language of clay is inclusive.
Spoil heaps are heaps of pots that don’t meet standards after firing. I wrote and never published a comic about getting lost in a yard of spoils. At the time I was using old roof tiles from reclamation yards and was in awe of anyone who could walk past piles of potential treasures and not pick up armfuls of broken treasures. To strengthen clay potters make crank- a clay body combined with ground down fired ceramic. The gritty clay is strong but rough to the touch.
Slurry is liquid clay used to glue or join clay pieces together before firing. Potters will mash wet clay into water or grate dry clay into water (depending on whether they’re perfectionists or not). Slip is much smoother and is poured into moulds to make perfect, smooth copies of the shape.
My grandmother was from Stoke on Trent; land of clay. She was a very posh woman, but could switch into a thick Stokey accent really quickly. When I told her I was doing my BA in Glass & Ceramics she told me we had slip in our veins.
