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00:03Hello there, it's the semi-final and our four remaining potters are making wall fountains,
00:11like me.
00:12Problems with the fluxing point of that clay body.
00:15Well if it doesn't vitrify then you know, oh look at this Rich, what a wonderful fountain,
00:19looks baroque I reckon.
00:21It's lovely, such innocent cherub-like features.
00:26Welcome to the Great Pottery Throwdown, hi lads, yeah it's me, I'm the wall fountain, lol.
00:36Last time, the potters not only sculpted spectacular self-portraits, never drawn myself, never sculpted
00:43myself, but also the kilns to cook them in, bring on the fire, that's it, you got it.
00:49And while Anharad's phenomenal form secured her second potter of the week, it was double
00:58disappointment as Kayleigh and Naveed became the latest potters to leave the competition.
01:05Gonna miss you crazy bunch.
01:06Now, just four remain.
01:20In the spinning world of makers, we're all in the room to make it.
01:26So just start up the fire, it's down to the wire.
01:31We're all in the room to make it.
01:38Birds flying high, you know how I feel.
01:41Our four remaining potters are back.
01:43Are we ready for this?
01:45Two challenges now stand between them and a place in the final.
01:50In the semi-final, baby!
01:53I'm excited for today.
01:55New day, new challenge.
01:57And I'm feeling...
01:59But today they face a build on a scale much bigger than any they've faced to date.
02:05This is like a massive thing that we have to make and I'm terrified.
02:08There's so many things that could go wrong, so I'm not thinking to the final.
02:11One day at a time.
02:12Just to get one part of the week would be absolutely lovely.
02:15You know, I'll do my best and that's all I've done for the last eight weeks.
02:19But you never know, because the pottery can be a cruel mistress.
02:22Oh my God, I've got sand in my eye.
02:24I still can't actually believe that I've managed to get into the semi-final.
02:28It would be amazing to make the final now.
02:30I think the cogs are finally, like, all clicking into place that it is achievable.
02:33I just need to knuckle down and get on with it.
02:36It's a beautiful place that I'm feeling good.
02:47Welcome back, Potters, and welcome to the semi-final. Congratulations.
02:52Well, well done. I hope you're all very proud of yourselves.
02:55For your main make challenge this week,
02:57the judges would like you to hand-build a wall-mounted water fountain
03:01with an incised decorative panel.
03:04Any advice for our Potters, Keith?
03:06This is the largest and the most complex build that you've done so far,
03:11so a clever design and considered planning is really, really crucial here.
03:16Wow, no pressure. Rich?
03:18Well, we'd like you to be inspired by the Trevi Fountain,
03:21Rome's stunning Baroque masterpiece.
03:23I think grand and impressive.
03:26Oh. How long did it take to build the Trevi Fountain?
03:29About 30 years, I think.
03:31Great. Potters, you have 30 years.
03:33Oh. Sorry.
03:35You have seven hours to make and refine your wall-mounted water fountain.
03:42And your time starts now. Potters get potting.
03:46Whew. Good luck, guys.
03:48Good luck.
03:49As the Potters are being asked to channel the majesty of the Trevi Fountain,
03:54this stands to be their biggest and most elaborate build to date.
03:58And while their fountains will be a fraction of the size,
04:01they still need to produce vast slabs on an industrial scale.
04:05Right now, the most difficult part is getting a slab big enough to make the back piece,
04:10let alone the actual basin.
04:12Just handling this size of clay is more than enough.
04:14But when you start handling, you know, slabs this sort of size,
04:17you get to the point where it's just too big to handle.
04:19Oh, my God, that is so heavy.
04:21There's so many bits.
04:22I'm just like, do you know?
04:24You're just mentally like...
04:25Do you have a list?
04:27I do have a list, but I've not looked at it.
04:32The semi-final, Rich.
04:33We're finally here.
04:35Yeah.
04:35We have our four Potters all making one of these.
04:39It's an engineering build, it's an aesthetic build, and it's a big build as well.
04:43Yeah.
04:44And we both know from previous experience that water doesn't always work as you expect it to.
04:49Yeah.
04:49You know, they really need to think about how that water is going to leave that back panel
04:53and how it then ends up in their bowl.
04:55I mean, this is a wonderful example here.
04:58You've got the spout that's kind of concealed.
05:00It drips down, which then in turn then drips down to here and then finally into the bowl at the
05:05bottom.
05:06And for me, one of the biggest risks is a crack in the bowl.
05:10Yeah, so our Potters are going to be making a double-walled bowl.
05:13So they've got one bowl which is underneath which will contain the water and the pump
05:17and then another bowl over the top which the water will fall into and then drain back into the reservoir
05:22underneath.
05:22Yeah.
05:23And that's what's going to present a challenge because that inner bowl is just going to put stress and tension
05:27on the outer bowls.
05:28Absolutely, yeah.
05:29This is for a place in the final.
05:31It would be a real shame for our four Potters to have something that's not fit for purpose.
05:35If it doesn't work, that's it. It's a no-brainer. They're off.
05:39Completely.
05:40Hello.
05:41Hi, lovey.
05:42Hey, Angharad.
05:43All right.
05:44Yeah.
05:44It's scary, isn't it?
05:46Well, tell us about your design.
05:48So I've called it the Waterbringer and it's based on deities of fresh water, including fountains and springs.
05:55In Rome they have four gods of it, but I've gone for a goddess because obviously I love goddesses.
06:00I think it's quite simple, but there's so much going on in it.
06:03Simple?
06:03I think it's simple.
06:05It doesn't look simple.
06:20It doesn't look simple.
06:21Yeah, because it's quite a light-firing clay body, so it's a good backdrop for any colour, really.
06:27Yeah.
06:27I hope it's finished well.
06:28That's my biggest thing because I just want it to be finished well.
06:31Yeah.
06:31Great.
06:32Well, look, good luck.
06:33Yeah.
06:34Sounds good.
06:35I can't wait to see it.
06:36No pressure.
06:37No pressure.
06:39Ann Harrod might be aiming to please the ancient goddess of fresh water fountains.
06:43Hi, lovey.
06:43All right, Bill.
06:44Hello.
06:44But Bill's opted for something a little more salty.
06:47So my idea is based on Neptune, the god of the sea, and on the basin itself it's got to
06:52have an octopus.
06:53Oh.
06:54And it's going to have its arms sort of going round the bottom of the base.
06:58Okay.
06:58Is it one of the biggest things you've done?
07:00Yeah, I think so.
07:01Okay.
07:02And I've never made a double-skinned bowl before, so it's definitely new territory for me, but we'll see how
07:07it goes.
07:08We'll just do it one bit at a time.
07:09Try not to panic.
07:10I'm unpanicking.
07:11You're all right, you're all right.
07:12Yeah.
07:13Bill will be hoping to keep the angst at bay by showcasing his sculpting skills.
07:17Flanked by two mythical Kelpies, his hand-built bust of Neptune will deliver a single stream of water from his
07:23mouth into the bowl below.
07:27That's my foreman.
07:28Are you nervous?
07:29Very.
07:29Are you?
07:30No.
07:31Do you do better work when you're nervous or when you're not nervous?
07:34Er, when I've properly prepared.
07:37I dread to ask, have you properly prepared?
07:41Half and half, half and half.
07:46Potters, that's one hour gone.
07:48Thanks, love.
07:52By far the most complex challenge of the semi-final will be engineering the double-skinned bowl.
07:58It's fine.
07:59I've got my main basin and then that needs to be able to hold my false basin.
08:04It's like a little kind of bowl inside.
08:07So this is the inner bowl, so the water just sort of cascades into this one and then falls into
08:12the bigger basin and then this pump pumps it back up to the mouth so it goes all the way
08:16around.
08:16And with so much clay needed to form the vast outer bowl.
08:20I'm just going to stick a slab on to see how it looks.
08:23The potters are turning to formers to support these massive pots as they dry.
08:28Gee, that's not bad.
08:29This is a crucial bit.
08:31It's going to hold all the water.
08:32I need all the joints to be really nicely sealed.
08:35But while most are choosing to shape as they drape.
08:37Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
08:39Finn is doing things differently.
08:41Could I possibly ask you to bring that?
08:42Of course.
08:42There for me.
08:43Here.
08:43Awesome, thank you.
08:46Cheers.
08:47Oh my gosh.
08:48Wow.
08:48Yeah, I've just made a template.
08:49It's out of roofing felt.
08:51Cut it up with a knife and it's kind of firm enough that I can leave it stuck to this
08:55whilst it's in the drawing room.
08:56I should get slightly faceted exterior to it.
08:59I'm going to take a guess here.
09:00You've never done this before, have you?
09:02No.
09:03Finn's double-skinned bowl will sit below an ornate backplate, designed in homage to one of ancient Roman aristocracy's most
09:11prized pets.
09:12Mine's based on eels.
09:14You know, it's the first thing you think of when you think of Rome, isn't it?
09:17Oh yeah.
09:17The Romans were the first people to start farming fish.
09:20And they invented fish ponds to have at their houses.
09:23And those sort of like really high up used to pierce their dorsal fins with earrings.
09:29Wow.
09:30Okay.
09:31The idea is he'll sort of spew the water out.
09:33It will just sort of run down into the bowl.
09:35Feels like a lot of work.
09:36It is.
09:36A lot of work.
09:37Yeah.
09:37We should leave the bowl then.
09:38In the nicest possible way.
09:40Good luck.
09:41Leave the man to his work.
09:43While most of the potters have taken inspiration from elements of ancient Rome.
09:48Wow.
09:49Look at this.
09:50Elham has opted for a more contemporary muse.
09:52I am dedicating this to a really, really good friend of mine.
09:56She's actually my next door neighbour, Debbie.
09:58I'm so sorry.
10:00Next time.
10:01Next time.
10:02That's the attitude I want.
10:03Next time.
10:04Tell me about Debbie.
10:05We became so close over, really hurt, just being so kind.
10:10And then one day I had the two kids and it was just, you know, when it's just hellish, like
10:13day to day, just getting through.
10:15And I looked out of my kitchen and thought, what the bloody hell's going on there?
10:19She brought her lawnmower and her extension and just started cutting my grass.
10:22And then she was like, I thought I'd just cut your grass for you so the kids can go and
10:25play out.
10:26Gosh, where would we be without neighbours?
10:28Well, I'd have grass like that.
10:29Yeah, yeah, for a star to do it.
10:32Elham will model Debbie as a goddess of abundance holding aloft a basket of fruit from which her water will
10:38flow.
10:38And the water's coming out of the basket at the top.
10:40Yeah.
10:41It's quite a long way between...
10:42It's quite a long way but I'm hoping that just sort of fills and cascades and runs down the body
10:46and the tiles.
10:47Tell us about the tiles.
10:49So the tiles, obviously I love any sort of pattern that has a real structure to it.
10:53So I'm going to incise in the back some really neat tiles.
10:56So you're going to kind of incise the grout lines and then is this all hand decorated on?
11:00I'm going to incise them as well.
11:02Wow.
11:02That's a lot of work.
11:04I'm going to be like...
11:05Yeah.
11:05Best of luck with it.
11:06Good luck with it all.
11:07Absolutely, yeah.
11:09Thanks.
11:10I've got quite sturdy looking square tiles.
11:14I want to have the curves with it as well.
11:17She's big.
11:18Beautiful.
11:19With the separate sections of their double skinned bowls complete...
11:22That needs to dry so much.
11:25Ready for a long stint in the drying room.
11:28It just fits.
11:30Attention turns to sculpting the decorative elements that will adorn their ornate back panels.
11:35So these bits are the columns that are going to fit either side of this structure.
11:38These are my basic shapes for my goddess and the vase, which is going to hold the water.
11:45Just made a really quick pinch pot for the head of the eel.
11:49That will be roughly where it sits.
11:50Just using this little cutter to give a sort of tile effect.
11:55And then I'm going to carve deeper into the tiles.
11:58You're in your happy place.
12:00You're sculpting the face of Neptune.
12:02Yes.
12:03It looks like my dad.
12:04But he's sort of got a flat nose.
12:06It's like him before he broke his nose 11 times.
12:08He what?
12:09He's broken his nose 11 times.
12:11Well, tell him to stop it.
12:12Stop doing that.
12:13What's his name?
12:15Nick.
12:15Nick, stop breaking your nose.
12:20Potters, you're halfway through, halfway through.
12:22OK, we can do this.
12:24This is a hole for the pump.
12:26It is an essential hole.
12:27It's not a very neat hole at the moment.
12:29While Keith and Rich are expecting elaborately decorated ornamental backplates,
12:34it's crucial the potters consider how the water will flow from their fountains.
12:37We've got to bring the tubing up from the bottom of the bowl.
12:41So this will just be a collar that will allow the tube to come up into the head.
12:45But if they fail to engineer features that can control the water,
12:49they'll be at the mercy of the pump's power.
12:51This is the vase which is going to hold the water.
12:54I'm just making a little well inside here so the water's just going to fill up in that part
13:00and then it's going to spill over the edge of the vase nicely rather than gush.
13:06Hopefully the water will fill up the bowl and cascade down.
13:10When water trickles down something, it just looks so much better, doesn't it?
13:14Like...
13:15But while most are focused on flow...
13:17You need to come out.
13:18It's coming out.
13:19Yeah?
13:20Yeah.
13:21I've got to cut this bad boy.
13:23Bill's bracing to build his basin.
13:26This should hold its weight up, fingers crossed.
13:30That's quite key, actually.
13:32But if the clay isn't dry enough, the bowl could collapse under its own weight.
13:37I'm going to sort of offer it up and hold my breath.
13:44Bill?
13:47I saw that in the panics.
13:49Is that all right?
13:49Yeah.
13:51I'm sorry.
13:51It's so hard to do.
13:53You OK, Bill?
13:54Yes.
13:56All good.
13:57I don't know.
14:00Back in the drying room, the plan is to cry.
14:07Potters, that's two hours left.
14:09You've two hours left.
14:10So the bowl's gone back in the drying room.
14:13I just need to make sure the clay is a bit firmer, because rule one of slab building is
14:16to make sure your slabs are dry enough to hold their wearing weight.
14:19And I did not do that, because I panicked.
14:22I'm really feeling it for Bill.
14:24Yeah, he's used a plastic bucket as a former, and he's wrapped cling film around it.
14:29And the problem with that is that the cling film retains the moisture.
14:32So the outside might become dry, but the inside stays very wet.
14:35And we've seen him trying to take the former away, and the clay started flopping.
14:39That's because it's not dry enough.
14:40And the more you handle that clay and distort that clay when it's not the right consistency,
14:44the harder it is to get it really uniformed.
14:47I'm going to calm down using this, and then go back to the insanity later on.
14:54I need to carve the living daylights out of this, because she's got no hair,
15:02she hasn't got hands, she's got no clothes.
15:06I'm making Debbie's dress, adding the flowy material.
15:10Debbie, don't complain, because that's the best you're going to get.
15:13This is for my carved fish.
15:15So I'm going to incise those out, like little mosaics.
15:19I'm making the pieces for the eel body.
15:22I'm hoping the water will cool in the back of his mouth and then dribble down onto the tail.
15:27I've just really fell in love with the sculptures of people in Rome.
15:30You know the bodies, they look so realistic.
15:32That's what I want.
15:33Hiya. Hi.
15:34So you went to the Trevi Fountain with your husband?
15:37I did, yeah, on my second pregnancy.
15:39It was just like a weekend, but it was just lovely.
15:42I was like kind of heavily pregnant on a scooter.
15:45People were looking at me, I was like, why is everyone looking at me?
15:48When I looked back at the pictures, I thought, no, that does not look safe.
15:54Potters, one hour left.
15:56It's like, what next, what next? Each bit is like, what do I do next?
16:00With their basins dried to leather hard, the double-skinned bowl build can finally begin.
16:06This was my plan, look.
16:09It's stuck inside.
16:12Ow.
16:13Think of it as a baby.
16:14Push!
16:17There are actually times where you don't push.
16:20Breathe!
16:22Deep breaths.
16:23I just need to get to one point where...
16:28Princess has come to the rescue.
16:30I'm holding.
16:31It's a workout there.
16:32I feel like I need my knee there.
16:35Oh, my God, the knee's working.
16:36What is it, a boy or a girl?
16:39Aw, she's gorgeous.
16:41She's beautiful.
16:42Just like her mum.
16:44Yeah.
16:46And while some are off to a flying start...
16:48It's up, it's stable.
16:49I just need to add a few coils in just to strengthen those joints.
16:53Others aren't finding it quite so easy.
16:55It's not quite right, but I want to just get it on, get it sealed, get it made.
17:00Yeah, it's drying, you can feel it.
17:03OK, one, two, three.
17:08This is where it all goes to pot.
17:11Like this.
17:14I got it.
17:16I've got it.
17:16It's on.
17:17I think we're holding.
17:18It's all good.
17:20With their formers finally removed, the potters now face the tricky task of fishing their smaller basins into the larger
17:27ones.
17:27It's just getting it on and making sure it's on properly, because this is, like, a key part.
17:32If this doesn't work, the whole thing doesn't work.
17:34I'm probably leaving this part to the last, because I'm so nervous it's not going to work.
17:38I mean, it's not terrible, actually. That could have been a hell of a lot worse.
17:40I'm just crazily trying to, like, join all these bits. Messy, but it'll do.
17:46I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but this has to be.
17:50It does fit just.
17:52We have a mild victory today. Just need some, need some work.
17:57Potters!
17:58You have half an hour left.
18:00Putting in the drain holes. I want to carve into this as well.
18:04I'm just adding fruit to Debbie's basket. Wonky fruit is the thing now, isn't it?
18:09I haven't got time to make the octopus.
18:12So I'm just adding some sprigs on the inside.
18:14It looks like a little rock pool.
18:16I'm just adding some little scales onto the eel.
18:21I'm just trying to use the foil to give, like, a stone effect.
18:25I've adapted a plan again.
18:27I'm just trying to get the kelpies' mane to flow down into the bowl
18:30so you can't see that joint.
18:31Potters, two minutes left.
18:34Everything needs to be in the drying room.
18:36Texture, texture, texture.
18:37Moving it to the last minute.
18:39I don't know if I'm going to get it done.
18:40I'm just going to have to wing in a prayer.
18:45Heavy?
18:46There was a choice word in there.
18:49Ten seconds.
18:50Eight, seven, six, five...
18:52Oh, my God, that's beautiful.
18:53Yours is beautiful.
18:55Four, three, two, one.
18:59Wow, well done.
19:00Well done.
19:01Gosh, that was intense, wasn't it?
19:04This is good.
19:07That wasn't hard.
19:09No, that was exhausting.
19:12Week on week, you kind of just think,
19:14oh, it's only a little bit more work.
19:15But that, that was insane.
19:18It's not just making things, it's making things that fit and function
19:21and don't crack and then look pretty.
19:24But it's done.
19:25What I'd like to happen in the kiln is no cracks.
19:28I would love it if there's no warping.
19:30But I'm going to say this, I'll be very surprised if I don't have any cracks.
19:39No, no wheel.
19:42After a colossal main make, the Potters now face a mystery challenge.
19:46I'll go off his clock face.
19:47Designed to crack the tension of a gruelling semi-final.
19:55Welcome back, Potters, for your second challenge.
19:58And this week, well, the knees aren't out, so it must be a spot test.
20:05And we have a very special judge joining us this week.
20:07Please give a very warm pottery welcome to ceramic artist Cleo Mosse.
20:12Come on out.
20:14Hey.
20:15Hello, Potters.
20:16Hello.
20:17Thanks so much for joining us.
20:19You're welcome.
20:19I'm delighted to be here.
20:21Right.
20:21Let's see what you will be making.
20:24Wow.
20:27Very lovely.
20:30Cleo Mosse is a ceramicist specialising in figurative mosaics crafted from recycled tableware.
20:37Drawing on folk traditions, she creates contemporary decorative pieces using discarded china,
20:43much of it reclaimed from house clearances.
20:47So we've got a fantastic challenge for you today to make a fruit-inspired mosaic tile.
20:56Wow.
20:58This is my design.
20:59I try to create a lot of contrast.
21:02You don't necessarily want colours or shapes that are too similar.
21:05On your bench, you will find plain floor tile onto which you can sketch your design out.
21:12That's the circle for the lemon.
21:15Another one for the lime.
21:18And then once you've roughed out your design, you're going to be cutting.
21:21Put your nippers just a few millimetres over the edge and then you begin to cut.
21:28You're assessing the whole time what the china can be used for, what colour you want to use,
21:34how you're going to use it, how you're going to cut it.
21:37Take a small amount of adhesive on each shard, scoop it up and then stick it on.
21:45In the true tradition, I have a few tiles that I made earlier and you can see the progression.
21:50This being the last stage before grouting.
21:54So nice.
21:56Our potters aren't actually grouting this though, are they?
21:58No.
21:59Because of the time restraints, there won't be time to cement it.
22:02Fantastic.
22:03What would be the things that you're looking for from our potters?
22:07Individual flair, use of colour and attention to detail.
22:11It would be really lovely to see your personality come through.
22:14Fantastic.
22:15Thank you so much.
22:16Now this is going to be judged blind, so you know what that means.
22:19Get out of here.
22:20Have fun.
22:21Enjoying you.
22:22Have a smashing time.
22:23Ah, very good.
22:24All right then.
22:25Back to your benches.
22:26You have been given a very generous hour and a half.
22:32Oh.
22:33Yay.
22:33To make your mosaic tile based on a fruit design.
22:37And your time starts now.
22:39Remove the hessian.
22:40Whee.
22:41Ooh.
22:42The potters have each been given a range of fruit and photographs to use as inspiration.
22:47Isn't this fun?
22:49It's not how it's going to go, but it's fun.
22:52Along with an identical selection of thrown away plates to create their mosaic.
22:57I've never done anything like this before.
22:59It's alien.
23:00I think I might struggle with this.
23:01So I've stacked up a couple of kiwi fruits.
23:03I haven't eaten them for years and then I bought some the other day and I'd forgotten
23:07how nice they were.
23:08So, kiwi fruit it is.
23:12I'm looking at doing the kiwi and the strawberry and the lemon.
23:17So there's a strawberry here and this is the lemon here.
23:20Tell me what fruit you're doing.
23:21I'm doing a tomato.
23:22Great.
23:23Have we given you a tomato?
23:24No, you haven't given me a tomato.
23:25What's in here?
23:26Grapefruit, dragon fruit, lime, lemons and a strawberry.
23:30What are you doing?
23:31Tomato.
23:31Great.
23:32I'm setting myself up.
23:33I know.
23:34I know.
23:36I want to make a pomegranate.
23:38An Iranian culture.
23:39It's used in a lot of food.
23:41We just sit and get like a crate of pomegranates and go through them all like popcorn.
23:46So I'm just trying to get all my colours ready and then just kind of fill in as I go
23:50along.
23:50These are really nice plates.
23:52They're beautiful, aren't they?
23:53Whatever you don't use, I'll take, okay?
23:55Keep your mitts off.
23:56I need that one.
23:59Enjoy.
24:00I will.
24:01I'm very nervous about this challenge.
24:03I just want to like do a good job for Cleo.
24:06I've got some of these seeds.
24:08Then I've also got this colour which is nice.
24:11That's like an orangey, redy, yellow tomato.
24:15This is going to look so abstract.
24:17She's going to be like, what even is this?
24:20This is a challenge right up your street, I think.
24:23I'm loving it.
24:24That was my favourite bit.
24:25Smashing things and being allowed to.
24:28Great.
24:29This is so therapeutic.
24:31What's that?
24:33Oh.
24:34Potters, you're halfway through.
24:36Halfway through, potters.
24:38I do need to start getting some tiles down now.
24:42There's no time to dilly dally around.
24:44It will be what it will be.
24:45I'm just trying to mix big ones with small ones.
24:48I've only got one piece of black pottery,
24:50so I'm just trying to make the most of that
24:53and then fill it with these bits of green around it.
24:56I'm just using what I think I can remember
24:59a tomato looks like on the inside.
25:01This might look absolutely terrible.
25:03How are you getting on?
25:05Yeah, OK.
25:06I've never done anything like this before,
25:07so this is completely new territory.
25:09I'm just sticking, licking and sticking now.
25:11Licking stick, baby. Licking stick.
25:13These tiles have done good for me
25:14because the flower pattern has like lighter and darker bits of red,
25:18which a pomegranate seed has as well.
25:19Once I've got all the little bits on the pomegranate,
25:22I'm going to try and do bigger pieces to fill out the background.
25:26Still working on the green.
25:27There will be some yellow at some point.
25:29I'm just going for let's get it done.
25:33Potters, you've half an hour left.
25:35Half an hour left.
25:37I think I'm really smashing it.
25:39Like, I'm doing a great job here.
25:41Can't let Cleo down. Come on, girl.
25:43I'm just going to try and get all my inside part filled.
25:46Why did I think this was a good idea?
25:49So the yellows have got to be for the lemon.
25:51If I can get this done in time, I'll be very surprised.
25:54I'm just going to do bands of blues, I think, behind this.
25:57I want to try and get these little birds in here somewhere
25:59because I think they look really nice.
26:02Potters, you've ten minutes left.
26:05The shapes have gone totally nuttily out of the window.
26:09It's going to be quite neat, but accuracy is not my forte.
26:12Just using the next ten minutes to fill in the background.
26:17I think it's really lovely that a lot of these pieces
26:19that are going to have had some sort of past life
26:21are getting to be reused, sort of recycling and reusing pieces.
26:26How's my tomato queen?
26:28Oh, God. It felt like a really good idea.
26:31It's still a good idea.
26:32It just looks a bit messy. It's fine.
26:34Yeah? No?
26:35I'm just putting a little homage to one of the plates I've used.
26:40It's the back stamp of one of the plates I've just destroyed.
26:43Potters, final two minutes.
26:45Ooh! Get those tiles stuck.
26:47I'm literally shaking.
26:49I've got these little bits left to do,
26:50so we'll see what I can fit in in the last two minutes.
26:53I'm really happy with the overall colour.
26:55Pink. I'm really happy with these going through it.
26:58Probably the most important thing is that your fruit is recognisable.
27:01It would be really awkward if she was like,
27:03yeah, what's that?
27:03I'm literally a mess right now because I'm like,
27:06there's not enough time.
27:07It's clean-ish.
27:08It's not going to be the cleanest of things,
27:10but it's clean enough for me.
27:13Five, four, three, two, one.
27:17Down tools, step away from your tiles.
27:20Well done.
27:21Release some demons there.
27:25Cleo will now judge the potter's fruit-inspired mosaic tiles.
27:30Hello.
27:31They are amazing.
27:33Aren't they?
27:34She'll be looking for striking compositions,
27:37an interesting colour palette and clean, precise application.
27:43Well, that's a really lovely, bold piece.
27:46Is it a pomegranate?
27:47Oh, it's a tomato.
27:48It actually is a tomato.
27:50It is. Fantastic.
27:51Nice choice of contrasts of green and reds.
27:54I'd say the edges are a bit rough, not so considered,
27:59but I like the details in the centre.
28:02Yeah, great.
28:03Very good.
28:03And on to this one.
28:05Completely different.
28:06Nice, bold use of colour.
28:08Quite like the nod to the back stamp in the middle as well.
28:11And the back stamp in the middle.
28:12All the pieces have energy about them, but maybe not as controlled in the cutting.
28:18Okay, moving on.
28:20Great colour palette.
28:21I like the way it's moved into the corners.
28:24Big pops of colour.
28:26Little detail with the birds.
28:28Even the variety of green is lovely within the kiwi.
28:31It is.
28:31Fantastic.
28:32Yeah.
28:33Okay.
28:34Wow, this is really detailed, isn't it?
28:36There is.
28:36A lot of pieces here, a lot of small pieces.
28:39Great use of segmenting the composition into different areas with the two distinct fruits.
28:45Yeah.
28:45And then this area here.
28:47I love the vein of the leaf there.
28:48Yeah, it's quite incredible, isn't it?
28:50Yeah.
28:50So, well done.
28:51Beautiful colours.
28:52Excellent.
28:53Cleo will now rank the potters from worst to first.
28:57In fourth place is this one.
29:00I love the boldness.
29:03It just doesn't feel quite complete as a design.
29:07In third place, we have this one.
29:11The tomato.
29:13Yeah.
29:13Although you didn't really manage to complete the edge and it is quite rough, there's an
29:18energy which I like.
29:20In second place, we have this one.
29:26I love the colour.
29:28I love the detail, but as a complete design that didn't quite do it for me.
29:33Which means, in first place, is this one.
29:39There's a sophistication in this tile that you've achieved in a very short amount of time.
29:45So, well done.
29:46Well done, Elham.
29:48You're the mistress of the mosaics.
29:51I'll take that.
29:52Yeah.
29:52Well done.
29:54Thank you so much.
29:55Thanks.
29:59Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
30:00I'm really not used to doing all right in the second challenge.
30:04It's only took me nine weeks.
30:06Getting my love.
30:08I'm really happy to come second.
30:09I really enjoyed that.
30:10I mean, I've got blisters, but it was fun.
30:12I think coming forth does make me a little bit concerned about the main make.
30:16There's very little room to hide.
30:18Obviously, getting to the final would be lovely.
30:21A panel and a basin.
30:22That's all I want.
30:24Intact.
30:25That would be lovely.
30:34It's day two in the pottery, and the potter's fountains have been bisque-fired and are ready for decoration.
30:40Oh, it's always fun, isn't it?
30:42Always fun looking under the Hessian.
30:44This is the biggest thing I've ever made, and wondering what we're going into is always the most nerve-wracking
30:50part, isn't it?
30:51I'm pretty sure there's going to be some cracks in that basin, but if I can fill it with glaze
30:57and stick it back together again, I think that's the plan.
31:01I love decorating.
31:02It's my, like, it's my calm time.
31:04I can sit down, take my time.
31:06I'm like, if it doesn't function, at least I can make it pretty.
31:10It's true, isn't it?
31:17Welcome back, potters.
31:18Now, your wall fountains have been bisque-fired and are lying there under the Hessian, waiting to be decorated.
31:26Judges, any advice at this point?
31:28Now, your pattern or scene should be vibrant, colourful and eye-catching, but it should also tie in with the
31:34overall fountain design.
31:36We'd like your fountains to look like aged stone.
31:39Now, clever use of oxides will create this effect for you, but only with thoughtful and considered application.
31:44All right then, potters, you have been given a range of oxides and some really lovely glazes, and four hours
31:53to use them.
31:54Your time starts now. Remove the Hessian.
31:59Oh, my God.
32:01Mmm.
32:04Oh, my God.
32:06And how is everything OK?
32:07Well, I've got a crack at the back.
32:10Oh, a massive crack at the back.
32:14But I'm hoping the goddess of fresh water fountains is holding it all together.
32:21There's a crack on the back of it, but it's OK.
32:24It could have been worse. It could have been right across the bottom.
32:26But while most are mourning cracks in their pillars, bowls and backplates...
32:30I've got a loose pillar that that conveys back on.
32:33After a difficult build...
32:34All right, Bill.
32:35Bill...
32:36...couldn't be happier.
32:38So it survived?
32:39It survived. I can't believe it, yeah.
32:41Well, I must confess it was a slightly unorthodox making technique, you know.
32:45So what is your plan with the decoration?
32:47I've got a base layer of oxides and then going with the colours later on.
32:51So you've got your oxides and you're going to go in with some of the glazes.
32:54Yeah. Are you familiar with these glazes?
32:55Because obviously the oxides will have a bearing on the colour.
32:58In my head, as long as I don't layer them up too much
33:00because then they start to do that thing where they start to craze and flux
33:03like there's no tomorrow, which might...
33:05Particularly over oxides.
33:07Yeah. Well, I can't wait to see how the glaze sits over it all.
33:10Yeah, me too.
33:11Yeah.
33:12While the potters have been given the usual array of oxides
33:15to help age their ancient water fountains.
33:17At the moment I'm putting the black iron oxide wash all over my basin.
33:21Hopefully the oxides can bring out a bit of that aged stone effect.
33:26They've also been given a selection of stoneware glazes
33:29that if used correctly should give their pieces a new dimension
33:32of texture and colour.
33:34So this is midnight blue.
33:36With glazes they always look grey no matter what you do.
33:39Especially blue and green.
33:40That's the blue and that's the green.
33:41A lot of these colours will react in different ways with one another.
33:45So I'm hoping by layering them up I should get some interesting effects.
33:49But these glazes' sensitivity to the oxides and other glazes around them
33:54mean that the more the potters mix, the more unpredictable their results will be.
33:58So any carefully planned colour scheme could be put at risk.
34:02It's incredibly important to layer these glazes because you need at least two to three coats
34:07per glaze for them to properly react with one another.
34:11Bill might be hoping for maximum impact with his ambitious glaze plan for Neptune,
34:16but for her ode to delightful neighbour Debbie, Elham is taking a more subtle approach.
34:21Hi lovey.
34:22Hello.
34:23How's it all going?
34:24Er, good.
34:25This is looking good.
34:26Yeah, I'm really happy with this.
34:27Right.
34:28And I've washed down a little bit of black iron into the cracks and like the crevices.
34:33Isn't it wonderful how you just put a little slight wash on it?
34:36Yeah.
34:36And it just brings up that surface.
34:38I was literally brushing it on and I thought oh I didn't realise all that was there.
34:40Actually that looks quite good.
34:42Yeah.
34:42And then I'm going to go wild on the colour in here.
34:45Oh excellent.
34:46So the tiles just pop.
34:47Great.
34:48Well look, good luck with it all.
34:49Hello.
34:49Yeah, see you later.
34:50Thanks.
34:52Potters, you're halfway through which means you have two hours left.
34:57Two hours.
34:58Two hours left.
34:59While the decoration stage is an opportunity for the potters to embellish and enhance the
35:03features of their fountains, the stoneware glazes bring an element of uncertainty.
35:08Well I'm hoping that you get sort of those sparkly bits like dripping down but I'm not actually
35:13going to say what I'm hoping for because then however it comes out I'll say that's exactly
35:16what I'm hoping for.
35:17You're learning.
35:18You're learning.
35:19As they not only create new colours when combined.
35:21I want it to be slightly greeny brown so very like sea colours and so I think it's a little
35:27bit more blue in there just to sort of vibe it up a little bit so it just gets more
35:30oomph.
35:31They will also melt and move in the heat of the kiln.
35:34That glaze will become molten and then it will move.
35:37If I put some little blobs of green glaze around the rim that they will crave they will
35:43crawl down the side of this when this is in the kiln.
35:45And while most are happy to embrace the chaos.
35:48Oh gosh.
35:50That's scary.
35:50Ann Harrod is anxious about her oxide.
35:53I literally had the terrifying thought that I might have put cobalt oxide on instead of
35:59black iron.
36:02If it's blue it's blue you've got to go with it but it looks like black.
36:05It does look like black.
36:06Yeah.
36:08I'm so confused.
36:10Is that an oxide?
36:12It is an oxide but I'm pretty sure I might have mistakenly put cobalt oxide instead of
36:16black iron oxide.
36:17On my basin.
36:18Really?
36:19Yeah.
36:19I can't wait to see.
36:20This could be horrific but it could be beautiful.
36:21Are you keeping her like this?
36:22Kind of.
36:23She's meant to be stony.
36:25Oh I see.
36:26Okay.
36:26I understand that.
36:27Gosh.
36:29It's a good thing I'm pretty.
36:31Beautiful.
36:32Beautiful.
36:35Potters you've one hour left.
36:37One hour left.
36:38That is crazy.
36:40Are you sure it's going?
36:41Okay.
36:43There's just so much to bloody glaze.
36:45I am just painting my tiles.
36:48One tile done.
36:5032 to go.
36:54So many layers to go on.
36:57This takes some thought this decoration because the colours don't necessarily go on the way
37:02they're going to look when they come out of the kiln.
37:04No they certainly don't.
37:04They're completely different colours.
37:05Yeah.
37:05To really visualise what those glazes are going to look like once they're fired.
37:09I'm just trying to make some turquoises by layering up some of the glazes using lots
37:14of like blues and greens.
37:15This is a dark green and I'm going in with an even darker colour over the top as well.
37:20Which may work.
37:21It may be terrible.
37:22Arrow has got a lot of different colours.
37:25Hopefully when they fire they'll kind of amalgamate and make a softer tone.
37:30A softer tone.
37:31Yeah.
37:31You don't want to lose all that textural work through your decoration.
37:35Every sort of cupboard in glaze.
37:37I've got a green, brown, blues.
37:39There is a chance of it crazing or crawling but it's all about moderation.
37:45I think my main concern now is the fact that he's gone in with oxides across the whole surface.
37:50And obviously he's then layering up glazes on top of that.
37:53Now that oxide is going to affect the fundamental colours of the glazes.
37:57Yeah, yeah.
37:57That he's applying over the top.
37:59He could get a whole different colour range that he wasn't expecting.
38:02I've tried to go for a lighter, softer glaze for the dress so it doesn't like kill the ripples in
38:08it
38:08with it being dark and heavy.
38:11What are you going for now?
38:12The black iron.
38:13Ooh, nice.
38:14Black iron.
38:15Why not?
38:15Why not?
38:16Just another oxide.
38:17Shove it on.
38:17Yeah.
38:18Copper, red iron, black iron.
38:20It's quite a list.
38:22It's just so long as it doesn't all just come out very sludgy.
38:28Potters.
38:29Half an hour left.
38:30Oh my God.
38:32Half an hour left between you and the final.
38:35It's making me feel very nervous.
38:37Nervous, nervous, nervous.
38:39Getting to the final would be a bonus at the minute.
38:41I just want this to work.
38:43Even if the water doesn't hold for very long and it functions a little bit, I'll be over the moon.
38:47I'm doing as much as I can today and hope that that's maybe enough to get through
38:50because it would be an amazing opportunity.
38:53What do I need to do to get into the final?
38:57Chuck everyone's things off the edge of the table.
39:00The mosaic pieces, I've only got the two colours.
39:03I've just got to layer them up and maybe do like an oxide washer over the top.
39:07Where I've got some of these scales, I'm just building up oxides to try and get that kind of like
39:11slimy moss effect.
39:14This is just going to give more of that rustic look.
39:17Oxides are not really something that I dabble with.
39:20One minute, Potters. One minute.
39:23One minute.
39:24Oh, hold on. Let me just pull something out that I've never used before.
39:27I've done my best and that's all I wanted to do, was do my best today.
39:30I don't want to keep putting this, this is very strong green, but is it strong enough?
39:35This is so risky, this one, but we're doing it.
39:38I've taken a few risks with it, maybe it will pay off.
39:43My God, she's heavy.
39:47All right then, Potters, time's up.
39:50Cool.
39:52Down tools right now.
39:55Right now, time's up.
39:56It's very serious.
39:57It's the semi-final, I have to be serious.
40:01The Potters must now take their fountains to Princess for one final firing.
40:06Hi.
40:07When they next see them, it will be judgement day.
40:11I'm hoping that the glazes sort of just run together and you can sort of see the incised parts.
40:17I hope that detail comes through, that would be a real shame if it doesn't.
40:20I'm nervous because it's got a few layers of that glaze, but I think I've got it just about right.
40:25The basin, colour-wise, I've no idea what that's going to come out looking like.
40:29But it's not worth getting too precious over a decoration technique that you're not used to.
40:33So it's kind of just lean into it.
40:35I'd love to make it to the final. It is within that much grasp, but one little mistake can cost
40:41you everything.
40:48It's judgement day and Princess is laying out the fountains.
40:52This will be the first time the Potters have seen them since their 24-hour glass firing.
40:59Ninth judgement day.
41:01Woo!
41:02We're nearly at that final.
41:04Oh!
41:04Oh!
41:05Glazes!
41:06Glazes!
41:07I am really excited to see it, a little bit nervous.
41:09I've tried to keep aspects of it quite simple, but then I guess that means that I'm really hoping that
41:13the colours that I have put on there pop.
41:15I'm looking forward to seeing them, but I am sort of a little bit apprehensive about how that glaze comes
41:19out the kiln.
41:20You never know what's going to happen up there. It's just the thing about pottery.
41:23All right, ready?
41:24Applying all those glazes is a big challenge in itself and a big risk.
41:28Who knows? It might look like a Jackson Pollock when I go in there.
41:34Oh, God, breathe.
41:36OK.
41:37What's it like?
41:40OK.
41:42Ooh!
41:43Oh, I did. I did use the cobalt.
41:45Wow.
41:45Oh, my God, though.
41:46OK.
41:47Oh, my days.
41:48Oh, but actually, I don't hate it.
41:51Not exactly how I planned, but I don't hate it, so I'm taking that.
41:55Oh, she's got full-on cracks.
41:57It was fine.
41:58But how? That wasn't even there before.
42:00They're meant to look old.
42:02I'm genuinely over the moon.
42:04The effect on the pillar, it's probably better than what I wanted.
42:07Could be a lot worse.
42:09The kelpies have come out wonderfully.
42:10I can't fault them.
42:12That's his lovely thing.
42:13Gorgeous.
42:14I'm just amazed it's all actually together in one piece.
42:17Just hope it's enough, really.
42:21The potters must now, for the first time, unite their backplates and bowls.
42:26Tell me when you want to let go.
42:27Oh, God, I don't want you to let go. That's the thing.
42:29Don't put too much pressure on it.
42:31And while it may have taken 30 years to construct the Trevi Fountain.
42:35You've done it?
42:36You've done it?
42:37Did I just walk away now?
42:38In just seven hours, these four were built and now stand ready for the judgement of Keith and Rich.
42:47Well, Potters, congratulations. Your fountains look amazing.
42:52Let's start with the judging, shall we?
42:54Yes.
42:54All right.
42:57Hello.
42:58Hey, Finn.
43:05I think, overall, it's just like a really strong composition.
43:08The way you've used the colours and the placement of those colours really draws all of the pieces together.
43:13There's just such a kind of a lovely flow and a lovely energy to the eel, to the sculpture.
43:18I just think it works really, really well.
43:19Yeah, the eel definitely feels as one, as one with the whole structure.
43:24It feels like it's growing out of the back panel.
43:26This is particularly nice.
43:28And the glazes have worked really well over that scaling of the eel.
43:32And this is typical of these particular glazes as well.
43:35Yeah, I love that.
43:36That kind of lustrous movement that you've got there.
43:39The best bit I like about the whole thing is this.
43:42Yeah.
43:43The jewel.
43:44We've seen that from you, that attention to detail with your surface decoration and your surface textures.
43:49Shall we see if it works?
43:51Yeah.
43:51Yeah.
43:52Can't wait.
43:53There we are.
43:53Hey!
43:54Oh, look at that.
43:55Nice, nice.
43:57It's funny, isn't it?
43:58Because the eel almost comes to life now.
44:01Yeah.
44:01Yeah.
44:02It's great the way it works its way around the body and then finds its way into the bowl.
44:06Well done.
44:07Well done, Finn.
44:07Great stuff.
44:09Cheers.
44:16Are you pleased with how it's turned out?
44:18Well, I'm very pleased.
44:21This was not meant to be blue.
44:22I accidentally picked up the co-box.
44:25Oh dear.
44:25But I'm weirdly happy with how it's turned out.
44:30Yeah, it's funny because the cold bowl, although it was unintended, it works really, really well.
44:35It kind of brings the back panel into the bowl.
44:36Yeah.
44:37It brings the two together.
44:38And then you've got that cobalt and rutile glaze on the inside.
44:41So that softens the transition between the blue and the inside somehow.
44:45Yeah.
44:45I know.
44:45I mean, that's really worked well, hasn't it?
44:47I particularly like the hair that you've done here and the face is really, really lovely,
44:53really, really well observed.
44:54What doesn't work so well is the definition between her arm and the vase, the water jug.
45:02Yeah, if you like.
45:03So there's basically like a secret compartment in here which is meant to pool water together,
45:07which spills over into this little dish.
45:10Shall we see if it works?
45:12Shall we?
45:18Oh, here we go.
45:23That's pretty good.
45:25Breathe.
45:26Well done.
45:26What's lovely about it is that you've thought of the water throughout the whole structure
45:31and the fact that you've got this dam in here.
45:34Yeah.
45:34It is really working.
45:35Yeah, and those fluid glazes on the inside just look lovely with water over them.
45:40Well done.
45:41Well done.
45:50The first thing I notice is the brown.
45:54The brown is fairly strong.
45:57But then the thing that I really, really notice is this, the detail in the fish here.
46:02This is really, really lovely.
46:04And I quite like the copper that you've used here.
46:06That really works.
46:08But that brown is just a bit on the heavy side.
46:11Yeah.
46:11I mean, there's lots of lovely textures.
46:13I mean, this texture on the clay that you've created around the horse is really energetic,
46:17really lively, you know, and you've kind of retained that.
46:20And actually, the oxide over the top has worked really well.
46:23I think the thing that kind of, I find a little bit striking is that I wonder whether
46:27Neptune is the colour you kind of intended for him.
46:30I was hoping for a little bit lighter, but I think the, it's just the amount of colours
46:36I put on, I think, but it's just saturated too much, basically.
46:39It's so difficult, isn't it?
46:40Because these glazes are so much about the kind of application thickness and then how they
46:44interact together.
46:45Yeah.
46:45Particularly with oxides as well, because you're adding them in another colourant.
46:49But I like kind of playful elements, you know, like the kind of octopus in the basin
46:53and the way you kind of create that swirl down into the basin.
46:56I mean, the basin itself, you kind of sense the battle.
46:59I had a lot of problems with the basin.
47:00The irony is that the base isn't, I mean, you've got a couple of cracks, but it's fairly,
47:06it looks fairly well intact.
47:09It'll be interesting to see how the water works with it, really.
47:13Yeah.
47:13Right.
47:15And lovely.
47:17Oh, that's lovely.
47:18Lovely.
47:18It does seem to come to life a bit.
47:20Yeah.
47:22Excellent.
47:22Well done.
47:29The thing that I noticed the most is the overall colour scheme.
47:33It's really soft.
47:35It's a soft palette.
47:36It's that subtlety of that black oxide.
47:39It just accentuates the material itself.
47:43You've definitely hit the nail on the head there with that stone-like look.
47:47Yeah.
47:48It feels aged and worn somehow.
47:51I think the swags are lovely.
47:52Yeah.
47:53The material swags around the bowl are really lovely.
47:55And I just, I can't believe you've got so much incising work in there in that back panel,
48:00you know?
48:00Just kind of incising all those separate tiles and decorating every individual one, you know?
48:04I did.
48:04I did have, like, moments of regret when I was there, like, real hardly with the tiles.
48:09But we've seen that from you time and time again.
48:11You do this intricate work.
48:13You do this repeating pattern.
48:14It seems to be your thing.
48:16And what I love about it is that throughout the weeks, you seem to have surprised yourself.
48:20And it's wonderful because, you know, I have to say, you, for me, you've learnt the most out of the
48:27whole process.
48:28And here you are in the semi-final.
48:30No, thank you.
48:30And it's wonderful to see.
48:32It really is.
48:33Okay, let's see how it works.
48:38Yay!
48:39Wow.
48:40It's amazing that it's coming out of the top there so beautifully, like, so evenly.
48:45Cascading down the dress like that, it really does bring that sort of surface to life.
48:51And there are so many things here that I didn't even know I could do.
48:54Like, I've come here and almost sort of surprised myself.
48:57Well, that's certainly the impression I get, that we're looking at someone who's discovering themselves through making, which is great,
49:05isn't it, Rich?
49:06Yeah, definitely.
49:07But you should be so proud of yourself because you've unlocked that in yourself.
49:11Yeah.
49:11You've had the ambition and the drive, you know, to do that.
49:14So you should be proud.
49:16Yeah, well done.
49:19Honestly, I'm over the moon. Over the moon.
49:22You know that when Keith cries, he's really feeling that and he can see something.
49:26And clay isn't just fun and throwing it around and seeing what comes out.
49:30It is, like, each step is like a journey, isn't it?
49:33You learn things about the clay and yourself.
49:36So, yeah, it was nice to have that from Keith.
49:40I think in hindsight, yes, I would definitely have done lots of things differently.
49:43Generally, I'm just happy that it's there and I've done it.
49:48Do you know what?
49:48I would absolutely love it if I could get into the final now.
49:51It's this close.
49:53I'd like to be there.
49:55And there's a part of me that thinks I could be there, but I don't know if I'm going to
49:59be there.
49:59And any which way it goes, it's going to be gutting because someone's going to go.
50:04And that sucks massively.
50:14Now, all decisions are important.
50:16But what you decide now will decide who will be at the final next week.
50:21Yeah, absolutely.
50:22No pressure.
50:22It is a big responsibility to make the right decision.
50:25Well, let's go through them.
50:26Let's start with Elhan.
50:28Ah.
50:28Look at that.
50:29I love it.
50:30I love her story.
50:31I love the path that she's taken all the way through this process.
50:35Yeah.
50:35And I think her fountain was just so beautifully put together.
50:38I mean, all of our potters had cracking issues this week.
50:40But there was just something lovely about the way she'd created the texture of the stone.
50:45She judged the thickness of the oxides perfectly.
50:48And all of that incising on the back panel really popped because everything else was so pared back.
50:53When we think of Elhan's work this week, and then compare it to somebody like Finn's work.
50:59For me, what I loved about his design was the application of colour on those lasers.
51:03Yeah.
51:03I think the thing that was lovely about Finn's was the overall symmetry.
51:06Yeah.
51:07And that lovely mix of kind of traditional qualities and then something very contemporary.
51:12You know, that backdrop that had all of that incised detail.
51:14It was almost psychedelic, wasn't it?
51:16Yeah, it was.
51:17Let's talk about Bill.
51:18Gosh, he had a tough all week.
51:20Yeah, he did.
51:21There were some elements that worked really beautifully, like the mains of the kelpie.
51:25The mosaic effect of the fish.
51:27The mosaic on the fish.
51:27That looked quite good.
51:28But the face of Neptune just looked a bit dark, a bit overpowering.
51:33There wasn't much subtlety there.
51:35Right.
51:36Finally, Anne Harrod.
51:37I loved the way that she'd incised all that work around those branches.
51:41And the face and the movement of the hair really, really worked.
51:45The vase and the arm, maybe not so much.
51:47But there was one mistake with the cobalt blue.
51:51Yes.
51:51Yes.
51:52And, you know, she did have a crack, but it still functioned really well.
51:55Is she in danger?
51:58Yeah, possibly.
51:58I think so.
51:59Anybody else?
52:00Bill.
52:01Bill.
52:01I love a unified judging duo.
52:06Who's in line for being Potter of the Week?
52:08I mean, I think for both of us, it's either going to be Elham or Finn.
52:11And it's a tough decision, you know, deciding on our Potter of the Week going into the final.
52:15We need to get it right.
52:30Well done, Potters.
52:32What a semi-final.
52:35The judges have made their decision.
52:38This week's Potter of the Week.
52:40And the first person who will be joining us at the final is...
52:49Elham.
52:59Well done.
53:02And now a really, really difficult decision.
53:05The judges have decided.
53:08The Potter who is leaving us this week is...
53:14Bill.
53:16Yeah.
53:17I knew that.
53:19Well done.
53:20I'm immensely proud of myself for getting this far.
53:22There is so much I've taken from this.
53:26Really good.
53:27It's been amazing.
53:28It's just my week.
53:29It's my week to go.
53:30And I was looking at the other three and I was thinking, they go well as a final group.
53:34And I'm happy to go home and just chill out.
53:38Gutted.
53:39Gutted that Bill's not here.
53:41I am so blooming proud of him.
53:43It's been such a pleasure having you.
53:46Well done, Bill.
53:47I might not have won part of the week.
53:50But, you know, I've won some friends.
53:53That's a win in my books.
53:55So, as Bill bids farewell to the pottery, Elham's wall-mounted water fountain takes its
54:02place in the Throwdown Gallery.
54:08Elham are a Potter of the Week and a really fitting one.
54:11She created something that flowed very well.
54:14And she just got a softness to the overall appearance.
54:17It was really extraordinary.
54:19And then there were three.
54:20We have our finalists.
54:22At last, they've all been Potter of the Week twice.
54:25So, it couldn't be more even Stevens.
54:27And that's really quite exciting.
54:28We're in the final.
54:31We're in the final.
54:32We're in the final.
54:32Never thought I'd go this far.
54:33Really didn't.
54:35A batch cooked and I didn't cook enough.
54:38Genuinely have not processed any of it at all.
54:41Oh, my God.
54:42Oh, my God.
54:43The fact that I am here is absolutely insane.
54:45One last make, one last second challenge, and that's it.
54:49It's been a massive rollercoaster.
54:51My head's already spiral out into ideas and actually trying to figure out what I need to do.
54:57Roll on next week.
55:00Next time.
55:01Now the moment you've all been waiting for.
55:04The final.
55:06Oh, my God.
55:07It blows my mind that I'm here now.
55:10It's quite overwhelming.
55:11It's a big deal.
55:12I'm going to give it every single bit of me.
55:16Oh, ****.
55:17My legs are shaking.
55:19I'm letting act.
55:21There's so much to do.
55:22This year's winner.
55:24It's not going to be an easy one, is it?
55:26Of The Great Pottery Throwdown is...
55:31If you'd like to apply for the next series of The Great Pottery Throwdown, visit channel4.com forward slash take
55:38part.
55:50The Great Pottery Throwdown is a display trouffing on the map of New York when YouTube shows you're in the
55:51map of New York ackروide.
55:53It's a geometry to build for me, as well.
55:57My sister approves all the defenses of the world.
55:57Does it look a lot over Bengal andDiePie camera do?
55:59Since your майk Beruf has disturbed you?
56:01There we go in the other news today to the land.
56:05His name is like an ultra-ainterman.
56:06It looked back at Darcy.
56:06It looks like how you'd like me.
56:08You
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