In the Studio: New Chalkboard

Throwing Berry Bowls

Ah, the ubiquitous chalkboard! In my day we called them blackboards, but I suppose that reminds people too much of school. So chalkboard it is!

Ever since my old notice board (a pin and cork affair) fell off the wall onto a batch of freshly thrown jugs (yes, that really did happen) I've been thinking about an alternative system. The obvious choice is a trendy chalkboard - although I'm not sure being trendy is necessary in a studio. But being functional is, and applying chalkboard paint straight onto the wall at least guarantees that nothing can now fall on any freshly made pots.

Unless of course it's chalk. But as all potters know, chalk is essentially Whiting (a glaze ingredient) so I'm not too worried about the odd bit of chalk dust sprinkling around the studio.

Stages of Making Chalkboard

I actually enjoyed making this chalkboard. It's very easy to do - just a bit of masking tape to mark the area. I used a brush instead of a roller because it's quicker to just open the tin and go. I used two coats and you can see all the stages in the composite photo above. Peeling the masking tape off at the end was hugely satisfying too. 

Anyway, I recommend one of these if you have a studio that needs a space for writing short messages to yourself that are constantly changing. Below you can see I'm using it to start making up a glaze - the recipe is on the board above and can be wiped out as each ingredient goes in. Perfect for keeping track.

Glazing with New Chalkboard