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