Beginning Throwing week 6: plates

Hi folks,

For next class, please throw 8 plates and keep 2. Plate dimensions are as follows:

• salad plate:
• 1 1/2 pounds of clay;
• bottom is 3/8 inch thick at center, thinner at the edges;
• 6 1/4 inches diameter inside bottom.

• dinner plate:
• 2 1/2 pounds of clay;
• bottom is 3/8" thick at center, thinner at the edges;
• 8 1/4 inches inside diameter bottom.

Resources
Potter Emily Owen of Little e Pottery in Austin, Texas (http://www.littleepottery.com/) makes plates:

Part 1
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plates & Platters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgg-qwOXt5w

Part 2
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plates & Platters Clay Prep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RvULYq-5DU

Part 3
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plate Clay Centering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbIVJmfI9So

Part 4
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plate Throwing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNQT_RMF7zg

Part 5
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Platter Throwing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Daimyu40cbo

Part 6
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Platter Rim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-35UdyFHUM

Part 7
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plate & Platter Foot Prep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLnD70_yvhU

Part 8
Making Ceramic Plates and Platters : Ceramic Plate & Platter Foot Trim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lUP0wjuNTQ


Have fun!
-Jay

Toquerville Pottery: On Showing Up

Toquerville Pottery: On Showing Up: " The other day, a friend stopped by for a visit and asked how my sculpture was coming and my answer was' 'Good, I'm still s..."

Beginning Throwing: Other shapes (Week 5)

For next week:
Please have 2 of any shape leatherhard and ready for finishing.

Resources:
Handout: clay weights & measurements for various pottery shapes
This is the handout from class; includes clay weights and measurements for making a bowl, 12 oz. mug/pitcher, 24 oz. mug/pitcher, bud vase, side plate, dinner plate, and serving bowl.

Next week we'll look at making plates on the potters wheel. Also, hopefully our pots will be bisque fired by then!

Thanks,
Jay

Beginning Throwing class week 4: Glazing

Hi,

For next Beginning Throwing class:
Please continue to finish and glaze 4 bowls and 2 mugs.

Next class, we'll take a look at making other shapes on the potters wheel (big bowls, plates, pitchers, etc.) and some more techniques for glazing.

Glazing resources:

Here is a handout you can print and take with you to the studio on the basic procedure for glazing your pots. Remember to wax the bottom!:

Notes on glazing

I've found a pretty good series of videos on various glazing techniques by Emily Owen of Little e Pottery in Austin, TX. For some reason, they're out-of-order, but I hope you find them useful anyway:

Little e pottery glazing videos


Cheers,
Jay

Potter John Britt makes a "cream cheese and lox" bowl

Potter John Britt makes a "cream cheese and lox" bowl

Beginning Throwing Week 3: Mugs, handles, and softening and reclaiming clay

http://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/ / CC BY 2.0

Next week, we'll glaze the four bowls you've made that have been bisque fired. Please also have 2 mugs ready to bisque fire.

Resources for week 3: 

Mugs
Simon leach throws mugs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7v_s7kL-Jg

Handles
SIMON LEACH - handling of the mugs
Video of Simon Leach pulling handles for mugs; Simon pull handles while they're on the pot rather than separately, but the principle's the same.

Softening and reclaiming clay
Clay as it comes from the factory is usually too stiff to center easily. It’s often a good idea to soften your clay before use.

The best way to soften clay is by making a sandwich: alternate layers of new clay with very thin layers of slurry from the reclaim bucket (the best slurry for this is at the very bottom of the bucket).

Make the clay+slurry sandwich, bag it, let it age for at least 24 hours, then wedge it. The clay should be just dry enough that it doesn't stick to your hands after it's been thoroughly wedged.

Incidentally, you may reclaim as much clay as you like for free from the slurry bucket. Just set some slurry out on a plaster bat and let it dry to workable consistency. Clay on a plaster bat dries very quickly, so wrap the whole thing (clay and bat) in plastic before you leave the studio for the day.

Beginning wheelthrowing class week 2

Hi folks,


For next class, please have at least 2 bowls on bisque shelf, and 2 bowls leatherhard and ready to trim. If you haven't already, please purchase another 12 pounds of clay form the ACC studio front desk ($12)

Resources:

Drying and finishing your pots

• cut the piece off as soon as the water has dried from the surface of the bat
• Let piece stiffen on the bat
• As soon as the piece is stiff enough to handle without distortion, flip it over so the bottom can dry
• Dry slowly; wrap in plastic to keep moist (newspaper square top and bottom)
• Remember to label your piece with your name and the date while it's on the shelf
  
• When piece is leatherhard (about the hardness of cheddar cheese)
• Trim the bottom
• see video by Simon Leach- I like his trick of using one bowl to hold another for trimming
• see trimming demo notes
• Write your name and the date on the bottom
  
• Clean up rough surfaces with a rubber or metal rib and a damp sponge
• Put the piece on the "to bisque" shelf for bisque firing

Underglaze decoration
The leatherhard stage is also the best time to apply underglaze decoration. Underglazes are located in the glaze room in the cabinet above the sink; brushes are in the drawer to the right of the sink, and small plastic dishes are under the sink in the clay studio.

Simon leach applies slip to pots in a similar way to the way we use underglazes:
Simon leach slip decoration video

Next class we'll talk about:

• throwing mugs & making handles
• softening & reclaiming clay

Cheers!
Jay

Beginning Throwing week 1

Hi Folks,


For next Beginning Throwing class:
make 8 bowls, keep 2 and dry to leatherhard and ready to trim; rent a locker ($15 for the semester). Also, it's probably a good idea to purchase another 12 pounds of clay before next class, $12 at the Arts and Crafts Center (ACC) front desk.




In week 2,  we'll look at:
* trimming
* decorating a leatherhard pot: underglaze and scrafitto
* reclaiming and softening clay




resources:
Learning to make pots on the potters wheel
General advice on making pots

Stack-and-slam wedging
The author uses a stretched wire instead of a cut-off wire, so his method is slightly different from what we did in class. The wedging table against the back wall has a wire like this, so you can try his exact method if you like.


Tips on centering
Video of English potter Simon Leach on how to center your clay on the wheel

Here's a video of potter Simon Leach making a bowl from beginning to end:
SIMON LEACH - Close up - GP bowl !!

-Jay

Places to see handmade pottery in the wild

Please take the opportunity to visit the Artisan's Guild Gallery. Several local potters exhibit their work there, including some ACC teachers. The Artisans Guild Gallery is located in Millhopper Square Shopping Center, between Leonardo's and Alternatives.

Here are two places online where you can see what other potters are making:

Etsy is a website where hobbyists and professionals alike can offer work for sale online. There's very wide range of quality, styles and prices for pots here. Also some jewelry and non-functional items.

Akar features higher-end work by well-respected ceramic artists and potters.

Simon Leach and his brother John both have online sales galleries (Simon is in Spain, John is in the UK):

Simon Leach Ceramics

John Leach's Muchelney Pottery

Cheers,
Jay

P.S. I'll have some work on sale/display this Saturday at a friend's open studio event. Hopefully I'll be able to post some new work soon on my Etsy store and on my Flickr site.

Resources for further study

I hope you enjoyed our (very) brief introduction to making pots on the potters wheel, and that you'll consider continuing your study and practice:

Get an ACC membership
After learning the basics of throwing, all you really need is some practice. A semester membership to the Arts and Crafts Center at the Reitz Union is $75 for students and their partners, or $100 for the general public. There's a great community of members who are more than willing to share tips and techniques.

Take another class
I'll be offering a 7-week beginning throwing class next semester that's similar to the one you've just completed. Returning students can use the class as a refresher or to work on larger, taller, and more complex pots.

I definitely encourage you to take a class with another teacher- you'll gain an entirely new perspective on making pots.

Registration for Spring leisure courses begins in early January.

Paint your own
Paint-your own at Reitz Union Arts and Crafts Center (There is no membership or hourly fee required to paint the pre-formed bisque pieces. The pottery pieces are priced to include glazes that you can paint on the pots and the firing of the pieces.)

Do-Art is a local privately-owned studio that also offers paint-your own pottery ($9 studio fee for adults; http://www.doart.com)

Books, magazines and videos
Most of these are available either at the Architecture and Fine Arts Library () or at the Headquarters branch of the Alachua County Library System in downtown Gainesville ()

Ceramics Monthly 


Monthly magazine about ceramic art and pottery.


Studio Potter



Studio Potter is a not-for-profit journal exploring the aesthetics and philosohpy of making pottery by hand. Each issue focuses on a particualr issue. Published twice a year.


Thrown Pottery Techniques Revealed: The Secrets of Perfect Throwing Shown in Unique Cutaway Photography by Mary Chappelhow

"This comprehensive guide takes the mystery out of throwing clay by revealing in step-by-step demonstrations precisely what is happening at each point in the throwing process. With clear photography, instructive text and unique cutaway photographs, potters will easily learn throwing techniques and how to make beautiful objects."

Pottery Form by Daniel Rhodes

"This well-illustrated book by a professional potter and teacher offers practical information about the processes of pottery making as well as insights into the meaning, history, and spirit of pottery forms. 177 striking photographs reveal the craft's subtleties and mysterious beauty."

Cheers,
Jay

Kathy King demonstrates scrafitto using underglaze

Here's a video of artist Kathy King demonstrating the scrafitto technique using underglaze instead of slip (this is the exact same underglaze we have in the ACC studio):

http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/ceramic-decorating-techniques/a-good-scratch-kathy-king-gives-helpful-tips-for-using-sgraffito-in-your-work/

Cheers,
Jay

Pottery class week 8 practice

Hi,

For practice this week, make 8 of any of the shapes we've covered so far, and keep 2 of them.

The ACC studio is closed next Thursday for Veteran's Day, so no class next week (Thursday Nov. 11).

Cheers,
-Jay

Throwing teabowls "off the hump" with master potter Jerry Horning

Video: Master potter Jerry Horning throws teabowls "off the hump"

Throwing off the hump is a way to make lots of smaller pots quickly from a single piece of clay. Pots made this way will need to be trimmed later.

The first thing Mr. Horning does is center a huge lump of clay; notice how he braces his arms while he does this. Also watch how he centers the very top of the clay just before he makes each teabowl.

-Jay

Pottery class week 7: pitchers

For your 2-hour practice this week, please throw 8 pitchers and keep 2. You can make either the 1-pound pitcher or the 2-pound pitcher.

SIMON LEACH - Jarras pequeñas(sm pitchers)
Simon Leach throws a pitcher very similar to ours- in Spanish! ¡Hasta la proxima video clip!

Next week will be a catch-up week; I'll be repeating demos upon request.

-Jay

Making pots week 6: plates

Hi folks,

For your 2-hour practice this week, please throw 8 plates and keep 2. Plate dimensions are as follows:

• salad plate:
• 1 1/2 pounds of clay;
• bottom is 3/8 inch thick at center, thinner at the edges;
• 6 1/4 inches diameter inside bottom.

• dinner plate:
• 2 1/2 pounds of clay;
• bottom is 3/8" thick at center, thinner at the edges;
• 8 1/4 inches inside diameter bottom.

Here is a set of videos by potter Emily Brown, Little e Pottery in Austin tx (http://www.littleepottery.com/)

Part 1
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plates & Platters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgg-qwOXt5w

Part 2
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plates & Platters Clay Prep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RvULYq-5DU

Part 3
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plate Clay Centering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbIVJmfI9So

Part 4
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plate Throwing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNQT_RMF7zg

Part 5
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Platter Throwing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Daimyu40cbo

Part 6
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Platter Rim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-35UdyFHUM

Part 7
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plate & Platter Foot Prep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLnD70_yvhU

Part 8
Making Ceramic Plates & Platters : Ceramic Plate & Platter Foot Trim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lUP0wjuNTQ

Next week, we'll look at making pitchers.

Cheers!
-Jay

Making pots week 5: bud vases

For your 2-hour practice this week, please throw 8 bud vases. Keep the best 2 for glazing and firing.

You'll need 1/2-pound of clay for each bud vase, so wedge and knead a 4 pound piece of clay, then cut it into 8 equal pieces.

SIMON LEACH - throwing a small bud vase
Simon's bud vases are a bit larger than 1/2 pound.

Underglazes are a great way to get a bit more color in your pieces. There are jars of underglaze in the cabinets above the sink in the glaze room. These underglazes are for brushing only, not spraying. You can brush them on leatherhard clay like slip and carve through them, but they're usually brushed over bisque pots and then dipped in clear glaze. Unlike the glazes, the underglaze colors do not usually change much when fired, they just get a bit darker. We'll cover underglazes a bit more next class.

Next week [drumroll].... plates!

Cheers,
Jay

Making pots week 4: Handles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/ / CC BY 2.0

For your 2-hour practice this week, pull 8 handles for practice, then add handles to 2 mugs from last week. If you don't have mugs yet, please throw 8 mugs and keep 2.

If you like, you can try pulling your handles directly from the pot (the way Simon Leach does it), or you can pull them separately and attach them later the way I demonstrated in class.

SIMON LEACH - handling of the mugs
Video of Simon Leach pulling handles for mugs

Next week, we'll take a look at our 3rd shape, bud vases.

Cheers!

Making pottery week 3: Mugs and glazing

For your 2-hour pottery practice this week:

• practice making mugs on the wheel (throw 8, keep 2) (keep wet so you can make handles next week)
• finish leatherhard pots from last week and put on "ready to bisque" cart
• glaze any bisque pots and put in kiln room for glaze firing

Simon leach throws mugs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7v_s7kL-Jg

Notes on glazing.pdf

Step-by-step instructions on how to glaze your pot. You can print this out and bring it with you to the studio. (Adobe PDF format)

Next week, we'll look at how to make handles for your mugs.

See you next Thursday!

-Jay

Potter Guy Wolff centers 50 pounds of clay

Potter Guy Wolff centers 50 pounds of clay on the wheel. Note that he uses bsically the same method we do:

Video: CENTERING 50 POUNDS


-Jay

Pottery class- Week 2 practice (bowls)

Hi folks,

For your two-hour practice session this week, throw at least eight bowls and keep 2:

• Wedge your clay
• Weigh out 4 pounds of wedged clay, and knead it;
• Divide the kneaded ball of clay into 4 equal-size pieces;
• Throw 1-pound piece one into a bowl;
• When you've thrown all 4 pieces, decide which one to keep and set it aside;
• Wedge the pieces ones back up with the rest of your clay;
• repeat one more time.

Tips: Drying and finishing your pots

• cut the piece off as soon as the water has dried from the surface of the bat
• Let piece stiffen on the bat
• As soon as the piece is stiff enough to handle without distortion, flip it over so the bottom can dry
• Dry slowly; wrap in plastic to keep moist (newspaper square top and bottom)
• Remember to label your piece with your name and the date while it's on the shelf
  
• When piece is leatherhard (about the hardness of cheddar cheese)
• Clean up the bottom edge with a metal rib
• Roll the bottom edge on a smooth surface
• Write your name and the date on the bottom
  
• Clean up rough spots with a metal rib and a damp sponge
• Put the piece on the "to bisque" shelf for bisque firing

The leatherhard stage is also the best time to apply slip decoration:

Simon leach slip decoration video

Next class we'll talk about:

• glazing and decorating
• mugs
• softening clay
• reclaiming clay

Cheers!
Jay