04x07 - Animal Water Feature & a Strawberry Planter

[bunniefuu]

Oh, hello. It's Garden Week.

Yup, a frog.

And for our seven remaining potters, their biggest challenge yet.

And as usual, contractually, I'm here to help.

Anyone say animal water feature?

Welcome to the Great Pottery Throw Down.

Somebody get my agent.

Last week...

Uh-oh.
...terracotta took its toll.

This is not fake panic.

This is proper panic.

Henry's bottom cracked.
Wow.
Damn.

And he wasn't alone.

Let's take a look at the casserole.
Oh, wow.
Wow, that's fairly conclusive.

But it was Shenyue...

It's a bit on the messy side, for me.

...that was shown the exit.

Yeah, just gonna keep pottering on.

This time, it's Garden Week.

Oh, that's not working.

Hand-building a fully functional animal water feature.

It's a massive task and not a lot of time.

And a tricky throw down.

Can't even lift it.

Before the judges decide who will make it through to the quarterfinal.

Oops!
And who...

Oh, Jesus.

...will be heading home.

You all right, darling?

Oh, yeah, I'm fine.
Oh, sweetheart.

MUSIC: Wild Thing by The Troggs

This week is Garden Week.

We're making water features - which is really, really cool,

something I've never tried before.

I feel intimidated.

It's the biggest thing that we've made so far.

I was up till 1am last night, like, sellotaping together

pieces of cardboard, like, ugh...

This week is definitely a chance to, to go out.

We're only a week away from the semifinals.

And I'm blooming still here, you know.

And, uh, loving it.

Good morning, potters.

ALL:
Good morning.

For your main make challenge, Keith

and Rich would like you to hand-build an animal water feature.

Yeah, it's the biggest make so far.

We're looking for these water features to

stand at least 70 to 80 centimetres high.

We want your animal to be the focal point of your design.

I don't want a huge lily pad and a tiny frog.

I want a big frog.

You each have one of these, a water pump.

So really think about how it's gonna fit into your design.

These need to be functional water features for the garden, so they have to work.

Potters, you have three and a half hours to

hand-build your animal water feature, and your time starts now.

This is the toughest challenge the potters have faced so far.

Not only must their animal water feature

be at least 70 centimetres high, but they'll need to use every

bit of their engineering know-how to ensure it functions properly.

You've gotta think of dimensions, you've gotta think of plugs,

where wires go, water levels.

They are pushing us to our absolute limits, these judges.

I have never made anything this big.

I'm not feeling very confident in my design.

What am I doing?

They have three and a half hours to make their structures and then

a further three hours to sculpt and refine their animal water features.

It's a massive task.

And not a lot of time.

So week seven, Rich.

Animal water features.

Fantastic - and it really is a sculptural challenge.

We're asking them for the animal that they're making to be

the main focal point.

Yeah, we want that sense of realism.

The sort of surface that they impart on the clay emulating their animals.

I mean, this toad at the front here.

He's just got lovely sort of bumpy skin

and it's immediately recognisable.

I'm really keen to see how our potters integrate

water into their design.

How they retain that water and how they allow it to flow.

You know, we're gonna put the pump in, turn it on, see

if that water flows and if it doesn't, well, they're in trouble.

Morning, Henry.
Morning.

How you feeling after last week?

Oh, last week was, was rough.
Bit of a shocker, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was, it was tough but I'm well excited this week.

So Henry, can you tell us about your animal water feature?

My design is
all for my girlfriend, really.
Y

And her favourite animal is a racoon cos they're so mischievous

and funny and cheeky.

What's your girlfriend's name?
Lie-

But I call her Starlight, a lot of the time, which is...

Starlight.
Yeah.
Well, that's bloody lovely.

It's really lame, isn't it?
Uh'.!

Henry aims to put a smile on girlfriend Ellie's face with

a water feature made to look like a large dustbin containing

three troublesome racoons.

One of the racoons will be spitting the water

and the one with the spoon will be catching it.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

So water will go in an arc and land...

Like this.

...in Henry's spoon?
Yeah.

Wow.
Nice.

I thought, if I'm doing something for Ellie it's gotta be ambitious, it's gotta be out there.

Yeah.

Henry isn't the only potter inspired by a loved one.

My dad's from a little island called Grenada, in the Caribbean.

He had a macaw who befriended him when he was a kid

and he always tells us about it, so it's like a little ode to my dad.

The friendly macaw from Hannah's dad's childhood will be

perched on the side of a colonial style two-tier fountain

decorated with colourful tropical leaves.

There's a lot of engineering that needs to go into this.

How are you going about kind of managing that whole

construction element?
Oh, yeah.
I'm just doing really simple shapes

because they're cylinders I think they should hold their shape

fairly well and I just need to make sure that it's strong enough

that my macaw which is pretty big can be supported on the top.

The structural integrity of the potters'

designs has never been more important.

So this'll be the part that holds the water.

Thickness of clay is important today, joins are important.

Cos you can't have a water feature

if there's cracks in your bowl.

But building structures this large out of wet clay is risky.

The most challenging thing is to make it

so it doesn't collapse under its own weight.

How thick are you making it?

Me, maximum two centimetres I think.

I'm worried about making it too thin in case it like - blurgh.

Doesn't hold the weight, innit, it's gonna be a tricky one, this is?

Yeah.
Oh, that's not working.

That centre, that centre, look how wet the clay is.

So most of the potters are using formers to hold

the shape of their clay as it dries and firms up.

I'll stuff some balloons inside. That'll help.

Sorry. Shall I do that again?

And when it comes to formers, pretty much anything goes.

This is my nan's old wash basin.

That she used to wash herself in, bless her, before the clays of sinks.

Nurse Jodie will use her nan's bowl to help form a basin, set upon

a plinth.

This will contain a half moon and sat proudly on top will be

a wolf howling water into the night sky.

Why a wolf?

I was trying to think of a spirit animal kind of thing.

Wolves are quite independent but also they're pack animals,

and in work I work in a massive team.

Sure, yeah.

I'm family orientated, so
hopefully...
Oh, that's lovely.
...it'll work.

I mean, it's a very classic stance of a, of a wolf howling.

Well, I thought as well, triangle.

Gives me a better chance of having a sturdy structure, you know.

Yeah, good.
Yeah.

But jodie's wolf isn't the only animal that will need to be

sure-footed.

I'm planning to do an okapi.

It's related to a giraffe

but it looks like sort of a big horse with zebra legs.

As a home potter you don't really get a lot of opportunities to

do something this big.

Alan's black-and-white-striped okapi will be an abstract

recreation of his favourite childhood animal.

A colourful blanket will hold two water jugs

and like Henry, he has ambitious plans for his fountain.

The water will jump over and hopefully land.

It's gonna jump over?
It's gonna jump over.

So you're, yeah, right, OK.

Is it gonna be balancing on these
sort of points here?
Yes.

Cos that's quite big to be balancing on four very small points.

Yeah, I'm pretty confident.

OK. OK.

Wow.

Potters, two hours gone.

What was that?

Two hours gone.
Ti?

As the potters' basins take shape...

It's together now, as a structure.

But it is a bit wet.

...it's a race to get them into the drying room to firm up.

They need to dry.

And every minute counts if the basins are to have any hope

of being strong enough to support the weight of the animal sculptures.

I'm just making racoon faces.

In the drying room, I've got the two sections of the bin,

which I think will fit together relatively nicely.

With this clay, I don't really want to use the drying room too

much cos if it gets too dry it just starts cracking like crazy.

The thing that I am a bit worried about is my macaw.

It's huge, in fact, I'm making it slightly smaller than life-size.

I wish I'd chosen pigeons.

That would've been not so dramatic.

This is my giant shell.

This guy's called an ugly frog mollusc.

That's the bottom of my shell, like that, see.

So now I've gotta make the fat bit. Oops.

Sal's love of the sea is on full display in her garden water feature.

A giant mollusc will spout water through an unusually

colourful animal with an unusually colourful name.

The nudibranch sits on the...
The what?

The nudibranch.
It's a good name, innit? Sea slug.
Ah.

And I take it these are the nudibranchs, are they?

Yeah.
Right.
There are thousands of
them,

everyone's different and they're all bright and crazy.

So I'm just gonna make mine up.
Wow.

She's, she is gonna be as flamboyant and colourful as possible.

Really, really bright.
Bright.
OK.
Sat on the top.

Wow.
Does she have a name?
We could
call her Siobhan.
I'm sure Siobhan
can, yeah...

Think of one.

I don't think I want to be named after a sea slug.

She's a flamboyant nude.

Do you not want to be a...?

Yeah, she's a sea slug, Sal. She's a sea slug.

And Sal's not the only potter looking to the

ocean for inspiration.

I am starting to make my tentacles.

My design is based on looking after the seas.

I'm gonna use an octopus to make us all think that it's a sea monster

but the rock pool itself will have loads of litter floating in it.

And then hopefully that'll make people realise that it's us

that are the sea monster cos we're mistreating the seas.

With water cascading down its eight tentacles, Adam's intricate octopus

will sit in a rock pool protecting a variety of colourful sea creatures.

We know you're very good sculpturally.

Thank you.
How are you about the practicalities
of making sure the whole

thing sticks together?

I'm very much form over function so on this one I'm really trying to be a bit of an engineer with it.

I've clone the measurements and I've clone lots of practising. Hopefully, I get it clone.

Excellent.
Bye - bye.
Ah, did you just
make that?

That might be a water
snail in my rock pool.
Ooh.

Immortalised.

You're my favourite.

But Adam's isn't the only multi-suckered sculpture in the pottery.

There is an octopus competition happening.

You all right over there, octopussy?

How you doing, buddy?

I thought an octopus - probably other people won't do anything like it

and then Adam did it, you know.

I hate him.

Peter has used his vast engineering experience to design

a domesticated octopus enjoying a relaxing soak in a giant rusty bath.

A hidden water pump will spout water through a central column

and back down through his animal's tentacles.

It's almost like you've thought about it.

I know. It's bonkers, isn't it?
It's
funny, isn't it? Yeah.

Do you think this really suits your engineering background?

Yeah, I love this, yeah.
Yeah. It's a bit of a challenge.

Yeah, you can see some love has gone into making all of these things.

Yes, I've got all the bits.
Got all the bits!

Potters, you have one hour left.

Oh, my lord.

One hour left.

As the potters' basins emerge from the drying room...

Everything's starting to firm up a bit, which is good.

...they need to be refined before construction can commence.

This is just for texture now.

I'm cratering the surface of the moon.

Just really want this to look good

so I wanna get as much detail into it as I can.

My biggest priority is making sure that this is watertight.

Still a little bit wet but that's what we've got the heat g*ns for.

I don't want things collapsing on me.

LOUD POP

Oh, Jesus.
Sorry.

I'm popping my balloons.

And wet clay is a major concern for Henry.

Okey dokey.

And Mon.

I'm thinking to flip it over.

I just really hope it doesn't start collapsing.

Gonna work?
Got it.

Yeah, that's fine.

That, that did it.

Thank you. Oh, it's gone, flip back, flip back.

Sorry. You all right?

Yeah.

No. It's too soft. Not the right time, too wet.

While Alon decides to finally make use of the drying room...

This is why I should never be an architect or engineer or

anything that involves precision.

...Hannah's water feature is starting to take shape.

This thing that I am a bit worried about is my macaw.

Which has to sit on this.

And my macaw's, like, so heavy.

It's a bit of a design error.

I'm just putting some of the tentacles on now.

Trying to get a bit of shape and form.

Oh, Peter, that is a resplendent tentacle.

You two getting in each other's heads. over there.

These are squibbly wibblys.

They're inspired by sea urchins.

These'll populate the rock pool and the octopus will be protecting them.

The judges have demanded lifelike animals.

This is the nudibranch.

I've got to make sure she's good-looking.

So attention to detail is crucial.

I just need to add a lot of fur to this now.

I've got three racoons.

This one's come out really angry.

Um, he was meant to look strained.

But actually, he's just really, really aggressive.

But for Alan's upside-down okapi...

I
You ready?

Y

...time is running out.

Thank you.

That's better.

Potters, you have half an hour left.

SHE HOWLS

Oh, yeah. That'll do nicely.

This is, this is fine.

Uh, I'm just trying to be water and try

and think how water will cascade down this

and through the holes, so that it doesn't spill out over the edge.

See.

Not an engineer, but I did plan for that.

How can I make him less heavy? Right.

Just gonna cut a hole.

Be a bit of a bummer if it was too short, wouldn't it?

64 now.

So with the horns, it'll be a bit higher.

Potters, you've ten minutes left, ten minutes.

For Hannah's macaw it's the moment of truth.

Oh, my gosh.

I'm so nervous.

No, it's literally, it's breaking.

The bowl's cracked.

Oh, it's breaking the thing.

You all right, darling?

Oh, yeah it's fine.
Oh, sweetheart.

I just cr...

I just designed it badly and...
OK.

...bird's gonna break and they can't put it on there.

So...
OK.

It's beautiful and you're right in it, so you can't see it but I can assure you it's beautiful.

Davina Macaw - she always pulls herself together again.

She does, yeah!

If anyone can, Davina can pull herself together again.

Thanks.

Darling potters, you have one minute left.

I'm absolutely knackered.

Oh, it's like a nightmare.

It's just a white slip.

Wanted to have a cleaner feel to it.

Y

BANG

Oops.

I am heartbroken.

Lovely potters, please put down your tools,

turn off your hairdryers, wipe your tears, take a deep breath,

and give yourselves a round of applause.

Congratulations.

The fact that everyone had a piece at the end of it, that is standing,

is incredible cos that is a massive, massive challenge.

Oh.
Babes, it's fabulous.

I knew that was a bad idea.

I didn't plan very well so I guess I'm annoyed at myself.

Right, are you ready?

I just hope now that the kiln is nice to us

and that basin doesn't crack, because it doesn't matter what

they look like going in, it matters what they look like coming out.

Hannah, you've done really, really well.

Oh, I don't know why...
Group hug'
QTQUP hug,
Thanks.

Garden week continues in the pottery.

But what does that mean for the potters in their second challenge?

Potters, this week it's going to be...

Throwdown!
...a throwdown!

And we're going to continue with the garden theme

as we are asking you to throw one of these -

a strawberry planter.

OK, Master Potter Keith, please take to your wheel.

OK.

So, this is ten kilos of clay.

Quite big...

It's going to be centring ME!

When you centre a big lump of clay like this, just

work at it in sections.

So as you pull the clay up...

This bit's centred now.

Down you go, and you just take another bit every time you pull up.

People often think you have to be really,

really strong to throw large bits of clay,

but really it's just technique.

Just use that body weight just to centre it.

And what kind of clay is that?

This is like a stoneware

and it'll stand up to quite a bit of punishment.

Once you've got it like this, you start making the hole,

and use that speed of the wheel to open out the clay.

The faster the wheel's going,

the less force you have to use to open it up.

What I tend to do is use my right palm of my hand

and I just push onto my left hand.

Just bringing that clay in, just containing that clay.

Now you start the throwing.

And I'm just going to throw just underneath that rim.

Get your knuckle right in there.

Feel that clay, and start pulling it up.

We're looking at 30 to 35 centimetres high.

Getting that shape.

I'm just using that sponge with my wooden tool on the outside

just to shape that pot.

But all the while I'm taking the water off.

Now, once you've done that,

mark where you're going to put the pockets.

One layer there and maybe one layer there.

You're going to do six, so take it off the wheel,

dry it off a bit with the heat g*n,

get your knife, cut along your mark, nice and straight.

Get some water and then really work that clay, push that out

and then you've got a nice generous opening there for your strawberries.

There you go.

APPLAUSE

OK, potters, back to your benches, please.

You have 45 minutes.

Your time starts now.

Please remove your hessian.

I can't even lift it.

Oh, my God.

Probably the largest thing I've ever thrown.

This is a lot of clay. A lot of centring.

If you can get it centred, then you stand a chance of being able

to open it up into a pot.

Oh, my gosh. Already it's off.

I'm struggling. Ah!

Ooh.

I hardly did anything with it

but I would've spent ten minutes struggling with that.

It's really good seeing Keith's techniques for throwing large.

He says it doesn't need much strength,

but if it doesn't need much strength,

then why I am always so puffed out?

Should I turn around and look at what the rest of the people

are doing? Oh, my God, they're fingered in,

or whatever it's called, already.

Just gonna start pulling up now. I've got to stand up to do it.

It's actually not centred,

so one side of the rim is thicker than the other side.

Potters...

Hannah, your face!

You love me really.

15 minutes gone.

You've half an hour left.

Wowee.

I fancy a strawberry.

Right, he said lift it with your palm.

Use the speed of the wheel to push it out.

Have it.

Can't fricking get it up...

The potters have less than 15 minutes left

to produce their 30-35 centimetre high strawberry planters.

This feels like it's two metres tall.

That looks good.

It's uneven, but it's, like, thin and thick. But I'm...

I'm trying to, I don't want to...

Yeah.
Uh, yeah.

Yeah. I got that.

I think we all got that.

Got to keep an eye on other people, what they're doing.

Oh, my God. Do not turn round.

Won't be doing that again.

Look at Peter's.

While it's going well for some of the potters,

Hannah has decided to start again.

Han, that's really good! It's bigger than mine.

It looks like
BLEEP.
Gosh.

As Hannah battles with her second attempt,

for those who are finished throwing, it's time for pocket prep.

I don't want it wet.

Look at this, like a surgeon with his tools.

It's not going well, really.

This is like the most difficult-erest thing

that I've ever thrown.

So, Adam, you still have
your pockets to do.
Yeah.

But you know what I'm gonna say now.

Um, that I get an extra two hours?

Hmm...something like that.

Potters, you have five minutes left.

Just trying to get all six of these done, so I'm rushing.

Oh, my God.

Hannah, how are we doing?

This is pretty shocking. It's really hard to choose between this pile of

clay and that pile of clay, but I'm gonna go with this one.

I wouldn't have thought it would've been that difficult,

because this is still a pile of clay,

whereas this looks like a strawberry!

This has a hole in it, at least!

Peter, do you have your pockets done?

I have my pockets done, yes ma'am.

Hannah?

It's... you can just stop the time whenever you want.

Henry?
Two more to do.

And Adam is just starting.

Oh, it's not leather-hard.

Come on.

You have to have your six pockets in.

Last ten seconds. Come on, guys. You can really, really do it, Adam.

Stop it, stop it.
Ah! Oh!

And... we're done.

Down tools, please.

&!

Well done, everyone.

Keith and Rich are looking for 30-to-35-centimetre tall

strawberry planters with six pockets,

and I will be on hand to take down their particulars.

Hi, Alon.
Hello.

OK, well, it looks pretty good.

You've got the six pockets.

Siobhan, six pockets.

The pockets are very even as well, actually,

which suggests that the thickness of the wall is very even.

It's got a bit distorted.
Yeah.

Do you think you cut the pockets
a bit too early?
Uh, probably.

Shall we measure it?

So I would say that is 30.

Whoo! Brilliant.
Bang on.
Y3Y'
Excellent.

Well, it's a lovely shape, isn't it?

Thank you.
It's nice and even on
the top and you've got six pockets.

Beautifully honed surface.

It looks like you've thrown it with confidence.

And it looks like it's got some good stature.

I would say that is 29.

Oh.
29. There you go.
Close.

I'd put my strawberries in it.
Yeah, I'd put strawberries in that.

Well, it's a bit distorted.

Lis-
I would say 26.
Ohhh.

And it doesn't look like you've got sufficient pockets.

So how many have we got? One, two, three and a bit.

Won't get much of a strawberry plant
in that one.
No, not really.

So that's not great, is it?
It's not great.

I spent too long trying to get it up to the right height

and I think it was probably a bit too wet, cos when I tried

to cut into it, I just couldn't get the purchase.

It's really good.

With six pockets, great.
Nice.

You've got a lovely sort of base in there.

Could have been a bit more even,
I suppose, in the base.
Yes.

But, I mean, it's pretty good, isn't it?

27-centimetre strawberry planter.

I mean, it's small but perfectly formed.

It's incredibly thick.

Oh...like, yeah.

But you have got six pockets
in there. Siobhan.
Yes, on it.

Let's have a measure.
Oh, heck.
So we are 21.

Y
That's more than I thought.

If pots could show trauma, I think this probably would be it.

Yeah... Yeah.
I think I am a natural.

I mean, on the plus side, you've got quite a good strong rim there,

but, yeah, looks like you've failed to mark out

your lines for your pockets,

and so consequently, they're all a bit sort of on the scruffy side.

Mmm.
So we've got 21 centimetres.

21.

Well, it's brilliant!

It's brilliant, mate.
Thank you very much.

I mean, it's a lovely shape.

OK, if I was gonna really nitpick, the base could've been

slightly thinner to accentuate those shoulders.

These pockets are just absolutely fantastic.

It's a beautifully bulbous form and you've got very little distortion.

A nice strong rim. It just looks really confident.

So I would say we are bang on 30.

Uh'.!
Ooh!
Just...brilliant.

Keith and Rich will now rank the strawberry planters from worst

to first.

In seventh place is

Adam.

So in sixth place is

Hannah.

Jodie is fifth, Peter fourth and Alon is third,

leaving Sal and Henry vying for the top spot.

So, in second place is...

...Sal.

A really, really competent throw. Really nice.

So that leaves first place, Henry!

Bang on 30.

Brilliant pockets.

Lovely shape.

Fantastic.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!
I can't believe it.

It's given me a little boost of confidence, which is really nice.

Well done!

Coming sixth in the second challenge doesn't really do much for me,

so I'm really reliant on my fountain looking good.

That was a disaster.

I'm gonna be sort of stewing in regret.

Morning, GUYS-
ALL:
Morning!

The potters are back,

ready to decorate their animal water features.

Lovely weather for a water feature.
Yes.

But first, after a 24-hour firing in the kilns,

it's time to see if they have survived.

Always a bit nervous when we go collect our pieces from the kiln

because you're not sure whether they're gonna come out in one piece.

There's always a massive concern for kiln explosions,

but I've designed it, engineering-wise,

so that it's strong.

I wouldn't say over confident, but I am confident it's gonna come out.

00f... Whoops.

Careful there's quite a big
crack down the middle.
Ouch.

Gutted, but it's recoverable.

I'll sort it.

And Peter's not the only potter facing bad news.

G

Yeah.
I see.

The inside was so wet...
Mm.

...that you could basically still move the clay about.

That's madness.
Basically
because it's such a big bin,

the air can't get in.

So there's a lot of fixing to do.
Yeah.

The potters now have three hours to fix

and decorate their animal water features using glazes

and oxides to ensure their designs stand out in any garden.

Even though it's not exactly how I would like it to look,

it could be worse. It survived the kiln.

There is an animal on it.

My first job is to fill some of the cracks

because if I don't, it's just gonna flood everywhere.

Problem is time, I've got to do the repairs

and then I've still got to glaze it. It's a problem.

I'm really, really happy.

I've got a slight breakage, but on the scheme of things

from looking around the room, this is probably not the worst problem.

Hi, Henry.
Hi, Keith.
It's all going on here.

So what happened then?
There was sort of a like a...

A mid floor in that that just collapsed unfortunately,

so I'm just chipping bits off and then, when it's all in pieces,

I can reassemble it.

So it looks like you've got a lot of problem solving to do first.

Yeah.
But try not to let that
detract too much

from the actual decorating.
Yeah.

I'll leave you to it.
Thank you
very much.
Good luck.
Cheers.

Potters, that's one hour gone. One hour gone.

Oh, my word.

That is the quickest hour ever.

The judges have demanded fully functional water features.

To ensure they can withstand the elements,

the potters must glaze every inch of their construction.

Time is gonna be tight.

There's so many surfaces, you know.

There's the plinth, there's the basin,

there's the actual wolf itself.

Not only that, it's crucial their animals are realistic

and the focal point of their water feature.

This is a black underglaze.

I'm putting this on as a block colour now

so I can wipe it away but leave the actual black where I want it

to be left, for instance in the ears,

on the eyes, the nose and everything. I'll leave that.

It's just to try and bring out the texture

that I put in in the make stage.

I'm gonna make this stand out as much as I can really.

Alon's also chosen a monochrome colour scheme.

The okapi is related to the giraffe.

They've really striking legs. Uh, you think they're a zebra,

but they're actually completely different animal.

But unlike Jodie, he's adding splashes of colour

to help bring his okapi to life.

They have blue mouths.

Uh, which I find really cool.

The horns I might colour with gold glaze.

It's a lot to do.

Red, yellow, green, OK.

Yellow.

Hannah is going to need every colour under the rainbow...

Don't panic.

...for her macaw water feature.

Davina looks lovely.
Yeah, I need to
kind of do all the colours

and then I'm gonna paint on the top. I'm using everything -

glaze, under glaze, oxides. I'm just going for it.

I thought I was gonna be a little bit, like, refined and I just...

I'm... No.
No, go for it.

If it's my last task, I just want it to be like more colour.

Bye-bye, Davina.

AS PARROT: Bye-bye.

But in the battle of the brightest,

Hannah's macaw faces a flamboyant foe.

I need to get the nudibranch nice and bright.

I've got this little bottle. It's used for silk painting.

You can add details with like little spots and stuff.

It works brilliantly for these glazes.

And Henry is still figuring out a plan for his plumbing.

I'm trying to come up with some way of making it functional.

I've managed to disassemble most of the parts.

But I've got so much fixing to do

that my decoration is gonna come very, very late.

Having finally fixed his cracks,

Peter's made a start on his octopus and bathtub.

The majority of it is china white

but on top of that, I've loads of oxides

to make it look old and rusty,

like it's been under the sea for a long time.

Because most rock pools are chalk based,

I do want it to have a white feel to it.

But I don't want it to look like a...a bath.

I want it to look like a rock pool so it's gonna have oxides

and colours on top cos I want this bit to be really colourful

and then the octopus to be sort of greeny blue.

I feel like I really thought this one through.

Hopefully that'll work in my favour.

You have one hour left, potters.

K
One hour left.

Don't say it. You said you wouldn't say it.

I've said it. I've said it, Peter. And I meant it.

All the colours look bright and vibrant but they're not.

This is a very dark blue.

I mean, it's going in the garden so does want to look special.

Cos, I mean, it's quite an unusual piece, isn't it?

This is coming out better than I thought it would.

Looks lush, Jodie.

Thank you.

With time running out,

Henry's finally made a start on his decoration.

Just working on my racoons

which is a little bit intimidating because they're the detailed part

and I haven't really got much time to give them much love.

And he has a plan to put his rubbish bin back together.

So I'm gonna use all of my bisque raw pieces that I had left over

to sort of create a stand that everything can sit onto.

The biggest sort of concern is that once it's fired,

it'll be a bit fragile

so you just won't be able to touch it or look at it. Yeah.

For the fabric, I'm thinking sort of Peruvian blanket.

It's a bit of manganese.

Using some hessian to make it seem a bit more like fabric.

I just cut out a piece of foam into the shape of a banana leaf.

It's got a lot of cobalt oxide and it's gonna be a dark green.

Hopefully it'll stand out in the garden and be a feature.

Ten minutes, potters, ten minutes.

SHE HOWLS

Once the potters have finished

applying colourful underglazes and oxides,

it's crucial they cover every inch of their creations

in transparent glaze...

OK. Spin it.

...to ensure they're waterproof and ready for the garden.

I want it to be glistening where the water would be

and hopefully that will also help it meld into a garden.

And that's time up.

Tools down. Well done.

I gave it my best shot and that's a good feeling.

Wow, look at that.

You know what? After being a bit devastated

cos it was a total disaster,

once I'd come up with a plan it seemed to go OK.

There is hope. There's always hope.

The potters' animal water features

will now go through one final 24-hour gloss firing.

That should be all right that
crack in there, shouldn't it?
Yeah.

Your crack's beautiful, Peter.

I did all the prep work to fill those cracks.

I mean, it's going for a glaze firing.

I suppose my biggest fear is that those cracks open up

and if they open up, then I am in trouble.

It's judgment day and after a 24 house gloss fire,

the potters' water features are ready to come out of the kiln.

If my fountain comes out totally destroyed,

then I'm in the leagues for going home,

so I really don't know what's going to happen.

You never know how it'll come out.

It might be a nice surprise, it might be not such a nice surprise.

Morning, potters.

Jodie. Oh, my God!
SHE GASPS

Oh, my God.

Look it was perfectly fine when it went in,

so I don't know what's happened here.

It's going to be fine.

I've got a bath tub.

Oh, God what a mess! Oh,dean

Yeah... Some pretty major cracks there.

No crack. Ah!
?

The potters won't be able to test their fountains ahead of judging

but they have been given time to fit their pumps and plug any leaks.

You can fill it up with silicone.

It won't look great but it will be waterproof.

Just a bit of taping, just a little bit.

Erm, as in a lot!

Just putting in the pump.

Now it's just figuring out how to put it all together.

I want to see him on now.

I just want to see that water coming down

and, hopefully, flowing into the bowl.

Think that's it - job done.

I hOpe!
HE CHUCKLES

Seven animal water features now face the judgment of Keith and Richard.

Judges, shall we start?

I really love the fact that the central part of your animal

water feature is this really striking octopus.

The fluidity you've got in these tentacles,

they just feel like they're submerged somehow.

This is a very, very tricky construction.

So, let's give it a go.
BUTTON CLICKS

WATER SPUTTERS
L“!

§ fight, on].

It is sort of running round some of these tentacles and down onto these.

Yeah...
Pieces of coral.

Those holes have obviously helped to channel the water

back into that rock pool.

The level of attention to detail, the amount of work

and the way you use your tools - it's just so inspiring to watch.

Yeah, and I think, for us, when we see you working with the clay

and we think "that's never going to work",

and then you do something that surprises us -

that's when, well...

That's when l...when I get quite emotional.

Thanks.

It's very formidable as a construction.

SHE CHUCKLES
It's an incredible build.

And I think the way you've applied this gradation of colour

on the inside, it really catches the light in a beautiful way

and it draws your eye down into the basin.

The only glaring sort of thing for me is -

why have you got this section so obviously placed on the top there?

Oh, to be able to get inside with the pump and the water filter

and stuff, it...it needed to be in two pieces.

Shall we just see if it works as a water feature?

OK, we'll give it a go.

Oh... No, she leaks.

We're getting a leak slightly from
the back.
Yeah.

And then we're getting a leak in the front here.

The only other thing is the nudibranch is quite subtle.

I'm looking at a big shell and a small animal on the top.

I thought you were mad - completely mad -

to even contemplate balancing, you know, an animal water feature

on these four fine little points but, you know,

I've got to hand it to you, you've managed to do it.

The first thing I look at, in terms of the decoration,

is that thank God you just put
white slip on it.
'Y

That's obviously a conscious decision and it works brilliantly.

And the other thing I was really concerned was

how the actual water coming right over the okapi

was going to fall back down into the vessel.

So, let's have a look.
Uh...
Yeah.

HE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

BUTTON CLICKS
I
0i“!
Wahey!
Whoa!

THEY LAUGH

OK!
Yay!
Wow.

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

I think it's brilliant.

I mean in terms of the design and the decoration,

the colours on it really take me out to that colonial architecture

that you get in the Caribbean.

Very soft pastel colours of the buildings.

I had trouble attaching the bird.

The bowl was cracking.

I mean, I'm amazed it has actually stuck on there.

And you've...you've got a macaw. Shall we switch it on?

RE
BUTTON CLICKS, WATER SPUTTERS

Whoa!
Whoa.
THEY LAUGH

Wow!

Ooh!

You know, these shells are all catching the water

and it's cascading down.

The movement across all of these surfaces you've created

has added another sort of layer of beauty and, I think,

I think it really works.

So, you've had a few problems with the bath.

You've obviously filled in your big crack there with silicon.

On the decoration side, I'm loving all the copper down here,

which does look like a rusty old tin bathtub.

So, it just remains to be seen whether it works.

Lh-
WATER TRICKLES

There we go!
Great.

These tentacles at the top here are really directing

the water beautifully.

The water flow is really lovely but, obviously,

the glaring thing is the bathtub is leaking.

Yep.
Yeah, yeah.
Maybe we could turn
it off now.

Turn it off, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, turn it off.

I could really see this animal water feature in the garden.

It's just a shame that bath has got a few leaks.

HE LAUGHS

Jodie, it's...

...it's wonderful.
L“!

And the fact that you've gone for kind of really muted colours

is quite brave, but it works really, really well.

You've just captured that typical sort of howling wolf.

It's almost faultless, lovey.

It's absolutely brilliant.
Don't speak too soon!

It's just fantastic that the animal is the main event

and you've got this lovely moon, and that conceals

all of the inner workings.

I mean, it's a work of sort of engineering genius.

So...
Uh-oh.
Yeah.
The moment of truth.
No...

Let's have a look, switch it on.

BUTTON CLICKS

'w
Woohoo.

That's too much.
That's good.

It changes the whole thing
straight away.
Yeah.

The whole mood of the whole structure.

It's brilliant.
And it just enhances
the hard work

that you've put in decorating those surfaces.

I just think you've nailed the construction,

the decoration and it functions wonderfully.

Really, really well done.
Thank you.
Fantastic.

I know you've had construction
issues here.
Yeah.

But you inspire me because you've been the comeback kid

quite a few times - let's face it.

And we love your hard work and your tenacity

never, never to give up.

The character of the racoons, it's wonderful to see.

Yes, I mean the animal part of the water feature is superb

but whether the water part of the water feature works...

BUTTON CLICKS

WATER TRICKLES LIGHTLY

I can definitely hear the motor whirring.

I made this to try and make my girlfriend laugh cos it's racoons.

It's her favourite animal and, to be honest,

I think I've achieved that.

Wonderful personal concept,
really lovely concept.
'Y

It's just fallen short on the
construction.
Yeah.

The fact that it didn't work...

...was a little bit heart breaking.

Wow, there's some carnage in there
isn't there?
Yeah.

Hopefully, I've proven to the judges that I really want to stay here

and I really want to work through it and I really want to learn

as much as I can.

I put my absolute everything into that water feature,

so I'm hoping I've done enough to get me through

because that's quarterfinals, you know what I mean?

What a dream come true that would be!

It leaked a little bit, but we thought it would.

I didn't come into this competition to go home early - I want this -

and I still think I've got more to show.

Um, so I want to stay.

Potters, the judges have made their decision.

Keith, could you give them the good news.

Yeah, so, the Potter of The Week this week is...

"Jodie.

Aw!
Absolutely brilliant.
CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

50 good!

Unfortunately, I have to send somebody home.

And this week, the potter who is leaving us is...

...Henry.
No!
No!

Henry...! Bring it in, dude.

Give us a hug.
L“!

I'm really sad to be leaving

but every single person here has taught me something different,

about ceramics but also just about, you know,

being a good human.

It's a real shame because he did so well in that second challenge,

but when you looked into that bin, it was just rubble

and then there was nothing there that we could really judge.

Henry is an absolute superstar.

Since the minute he got here, he's just brought so much energy

to the place and I think everybody's sad to see him go.

As Henry leaves the pottery, jodie's Wolf Fountain becomes

her second piece to take its place in the Throw Down Gallery.

I can't believe I got Potter of The Week.

I am absolutely over the moon!

SHE LAUGHS DELIGHTEDLY

I know everyone says it, but I really didn't expect

to get this far and I'm hoping what I'm learning

might make me go further, you know?

Next time...

Oh! Ooh...

It's a stateside double...

This is doomed, if it's not centred!

...as we turn back the clock thousands of years...

The Acoma people would not have used a cheese grater!

...to be inspired by Native American pottery...

Well, look, let's alljust say it, it looks a bit rude!

...and fire the pots in cow dung.

Set it on fire!

I was crying before you even took it off the bench,

it's the best thing you've ever done!

It's the best thing you've ever made!