Ceramics Start to Finish- Week 1 practice

Hi folks,

For your 2 hours of practice time this week, please attempt to center 8 1-pound balls of clay by next class:

• Wedge all of your clay
• Weight out 4 lbs of wedged clay & knead it;
• Divide kneaded clay into into 4 1-lb balls;
• Center each ball of clay; spend no more than 10 minutes per piece. You may try to shape it into a bowl if you like;
• When you've centered all 4 pieces of clay, wedge them back up with the rest of your clay and repeat this whole process 1 more time

If a piece collapses on the wheel, cut it off and start again with a fresh ball of clay; don't try to rework the collapsed piece.

Please refer to the last blog post for notes and videos on wedging, kneading, & centering.

If you kept a piece you made during class, unwrap it during your practice time so it has a chance to dry a bit. Remember to wrap it back up, label it with your name, and put it back on the shelf before you leave.

Next class, we'll look at the rest of the throwing process, and how to finish a bowl.

Cheers!
Jay

Ceramics: Start to Finish - first class (5 PM Thursday, July 8)

Hi Folks,

Here's what we'll be doing for the first Ceramics Start to Finish class:

• Waivers & name tags
• What we'll be making: Bowls, mugs & bud vases
• Get clay & rent a locker
• Wedging & kneading demo & practice
• Centering demo & practice
• Practice session sign-up

Also, if you can, please bring a small towel with you to class.

Here are some resources that might help get you going. Please take a look before class if you get a chance:

A closer look at kneading
Video of English potter Simon Leach on how to knead your clay using the spiral method. This is a bit different from the method we practiced in class, but the general principle is the same.

Wot kneading again!
Video of English potter Simon Leach kneading from a different angle.

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

demo notes: wedging
Step-by-step notes on how to wedge and knead your clay (Adobe PDF).

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

See you Thursday evening!
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

Places to see handmade pottery in the wild

Before you leave town this summer, 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. you can see my work on my Etsy store and on my Flickr site

Resources for further study

Beginning Throwing class went by fast didn't it? We've only scratched the surface of what could easily take many lifetimes to study. Here are some more resources to keep you moving forward:

Options for working on pots after this course ends:

Work on your own
Remember your course fee includes a membership to the Arts & Crafts Center that's valid through the end of the semester. Remember the ACC will be closed during Spring Break.

Take another class
Next semester, I plan on offering a 5-week "Beginners and Beyond" course for both new and returning pottery students.

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

No official word on when registration for Summer leisure courses begins, but I'll send out an email when I find out.

UF Students can take also take ceramics for nonmajors for credit (ART 2930)

Paint your own Paint-your own at Reitz Union Arts & 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 ($9 studio fee for adults; http://www.doart.com)

Books, magazines & videos: Most of these are available either at the Architecture & Fine Arts Library (www.uflib.ufl.edu/afa/) or at the Headquarters branch of the Alachua County Library System in downtown Gainesville (http://acld.lib.fl.us/)

Ceramics Monthly http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramics-monthly/
Monthly magazine about ceramic art & pottery.

Studio Potter http://www.studiopotter.org/
Quarterly not-for profit journal exploring aesthetics & philosohpy of making pottery by hand. Each issue focuses on a particualr issue. Next issue (Jan 2010) is about money.

Thrown Pottery Techniques Revealed: The Secrets of Perfect Throwing Shown in Unique Cutaway Photography by Mary Chappelhow
http://www.amazon.com/Thrown-Pottery-Techniques-Revealed-Photography/dp/087349346X
"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
http://www.amazon.com/Pottery-Form-Daniel-Rhodes/dp/048643513X
"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

Beginning Wheelthrowing Week 6: bud vases practice

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

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

SIMON LEACH - throwing a small bud vase

Next week is our last class. This will be your last chance to get hands-on assistance from me, so please think hard about what you'd like to get help with.

Cheers,
Jay

Beginning Wheelthrowing Week 5: 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 review handles and also take a look at our 3rd shape, bud vases.

Cheers!