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

Pottery class- 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 (6 lbs)
• Weight out 4 lbs of wedged clay and knead it;
• Divide kneaded clay into into 4 1-lb balls;
• Center each ball of clay; try to 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, and 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

Bring a towel to first pottery class tonight ( 5 PM Thursday, Sep. 16 )

Hi Folks,

Here's what we'll be doing for the first pottery class tonight (Sep. 16 at 5pm):

• Waivers and name tags
• What we'll be making: Bowls, mugs and bud vases
• Get clay and rent a locker
• Wedging and kneading demo and practice
• Centering demo and 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:

Wedging your clay

Step-by-step instructions with photos of potter Michael Wendt wedging clay using the stack-and-slam method. (Wedging mixes the clay to eliminate lumps and unevenness)

Two ways to knead your clay

Video of potter Dorian Beaulieu kneading clay using two different methods. (Kneading eliminates air pockets in the clay).


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 potter Simon Leach making a bowl from beginning to end:
SIMON LEACH - Close up - GP bowl !!

See you tonight!
Jay