Clay line blend - Staffs stoneware and PF680

This latest studio experiment is my attempt to create a line blend using two very different clays: Staffordshire Stoneware (Potclays) and PF 680 (Valentine Clays). Rather than choosing between them, I wanted to see what happens across the spectrum when they’re gradually combined.

The plan is simple, methodical, and, hopefully, revealing. I’m producing a series of test tiles, each weighing exactly 40 grams. The blend progresses in 10% increments, starting with 100% Staffordshire Stoneware at one end, moving through to 100% PF 680 at the other. In between, each tile represents a subtle shift in proportion: 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, and so on. Eleven tiles in total, forming a physical gradient between the two materials.

What makes this pairing especially compelling is the contrast between the two bodies. Staffordshire Stoneware carries a warm, iron-rich character with subtle speckling, while PF 680 is a deep black clay. This creates not just a technical test, but a visual one—each increment shifting the clay from warm earth tones into progressively darker, more saturated blacks.

Following bisque firing, I will apply transparent glaze to half of each tile so that comparisons can be made between the glazed and unglazed clay combinations.

I am hoping to repeat this test with different clay combinations as I greatly enjoyed the process. I have ordered one kg bags of a variety of clays for further experimental purposes.