Pottery

Just sharing what I've been working on, but open to others sharing their own learning experiences more than just tips especially if this isn't something you have tried yourself.

I've been wanting to throw some closed form lidded vessels ever since I saw another student in one of my classes make some really beautiful pieces. (It's an advanced beginner class so very mixed skill level!)

I threw this one with a large flange which I thought would be good for keeping a better seal, but it was honestly kinda shit (I trimmed SO MUCH) and it cracked so I'm not going to fire it. It only cracked after the underglaze too, of course...I had been drying it super slowly for weeks but that was just too wet apparently 🫠

I had a lot of trouble with that peice - and with most of my cylinders, honestly - where I end up eating up the base ro build the walls. I haven't figured out the limits of the clay yet in terms of what size I should be getting from what weight. It doesn't help that I use a grogless clay and am probably trying to get the walls way too thin to support the structure.

The massive thick walls you see above are a weird symptom of that. When I was pulling the top it barely met to crate a closed form and I kept manipulating it to try and flatten it out but that pushed the clay back down. Wack

Anyways, I tried to throw another one yesterday and make sure I kept it wider. The same weird thing was happening even before I got it closed. The walls just kept getting thick, but probably from over compression because I was so paranoid about the walls collapsing. I ended up giving up on closing it on the wheel and used hand building techniques to add a top and close it.

The walls were still too thin and it was collapsing but I fucked around with it on the banding wheel until I got something...okay. it's honestly very fun to manipulate the clay once you get a good seal. I added a knob.

I let it dry under plastic over night and then cut it open. Unlike the previous pot I didn't thin out a section to make a flange. I was inspired by the work of hand builder Marrisa Y Alexander, specially forms like this one.

Now I've got it in a damp box and I'll slowly start losening the lid over a few days until it's hard enough to trim without being too goopy.

I can throw pots with galleries and matching lids, but this is a very fun technique. I hope to figure out my issue with the walls and throw some bigger pots that are closed without having to add a slab and add that additional opportunity for cracking/splitting.

Initially I was like, "lol this is overkill" but watching him trim the rims off without needing to adjust a gauge or pull out a ruler... It's kind of blowing my mind.

This makes me wonder what other big brain ideas exist out there. What unexpected tools have you started using for your own work?

Programmed to cone 6, but witness cones showed > cone 7 on the top (none of these were up there, > cone 6 on the middle, and > come 5, where most of these were.

The enviro vent worked really well, and it didn't get super hot or anything.

Finally got the top shelf unloaded. I love the way the underglaze looks fired 😍. Hopefully it doesn't burn it in glaze firing.

We threw it all off the hump and we running out of time and I panicked lol.

Even after trimming it's way too thick. I was so scared of putting a hole through it somewhere because I was super tired.

I look forward to glazing it and hopefully it survives and I can take it home. It's going to be first sized lol

We decided to give the level 1.5 class a try and I am liking it so far!

We have a guided project, or people just work on whatever they want. I decided to try the guided project which is something I would have never made otherwise: a three segment dip or sauce container. While I technically have a kitchen table we never use it, but it could be cute for a variety of dips during a movie night or something.

We threw the cylinders last week and trimmed and joined them this week. I still need to finish smoothing the handle and joints but I am very pleased with the shape.

A lot of the people in the class are looking to really dial in a technique and become super consistent, but for me pottery is something I don't have to be precise about and enjoy seeing where the clay takes me.

I have an extremely privileged set up. I have access to a wheel and soon will have access to a kiln with very little restrictions. I have no issue with recycling clay so I'm not worried about having to like what I throw or hand build and can very easily scrap something up until bisque fire without "losing" anything other than my own time.

I've been focusing on practicing the technical aspects, so throwing cylinders and other objects with no intention to keep them. Some I recycle immediately (cutting them so I can see the cross section and what I need to pay more attention to) and some I keep to practice trimming. I still throw too thick, so I have a lot to trim off. I've taken to carving (like this object) to cut out a lot of weight fast and also to play with carving as a technique.

When carving, I find myself thinking, "How to I make this the most uncomfortable/unnerving/evil but still useful object possible?". Not like poorly constructed object but an object that makes the user feel uneasy while using it. While they are still technically functional, I think of it as more an art object because it's meant to be experienced by people in a specific context not just something you have in your house or give as a gift. It feels expressive which could be nice.

I have a laundry list of objects I want to make for myself, basically custom dishware. There is some creativity in that for sure, but the intent is practical use.

My partner gets inspired when thinking about gifts to make specific people. He's got two people in mind right now and describes it as just knowing what he wants to make them. I think that's super cool.

Anyways, if you had no time pressures, equipment access pressures or need to create objects that sell, what would you make? How do you balance creative work with functional or did you find a sweet spot where you get both? I'd love to hear your process!

In an attempt to improve my throwing practice I’m going to take a 200 cylinder challenge. I figure why not share my pain with the community in case someone is masochistic like me. Linked are the details to the challenge and a progress tracker one can use. Enjoy!

I'm practicing cylinders and keeping a few to trim as a little treat. This one had very thick walls but I didn't want to tempt fate in trimming them down so I cut in some finger marks. Not sure I will fire it, but it was fun to make!

I am very much a beginner with throwing but holy moly this was humbling.

I learned a lot more about decorating techniques which was very cool.

Yesterday while working with pizza dough, i wondered if mixing dough into (wild) clay would help strengthen it. I've heard of people using water that starchy foods have been boiled in for clay, and of clay with hair mixed in, both to make it stay together better.

I'm sure this would make the clay smell pretty bad before it's fired, but just adding an acid like vinegar might help kill whatever bacteria would feed on the flour. That's what's done with starch water.

Has anyone tried this and does it help make wild clay easier to work? Would washed flour work better, so it's just gluten with less starch?

If nobody tells me it's a bad idea i probably will try it myself and get back to you all with results.

I have a lot of dry clay I have saved to reuse. Most of it is in smaller pieces, I'm working my way to making it into powder. I'm thinking of getting a rock tumbler to make small batches of powder since most of the pieces are pretty small anyway.

Currently, i put the powder and sometimes granules into a bucket and pour white vinegar and very hot water over it, sometimes mixing immediately sometimes waiting for it to cool. I always let it rehydrate for at least a few days before drying on a plaster board.

Currently I mix the clay by folding and flattening, as this is easier than wedging for me. I'll wedge smaller pieces, but for these larger ones I'll pop the air bubbles and smooth it out. So far it's been ok but I'll sometimes have a bubble I missed until I am nearly done shaping on the wheel.

Does anyone have suggestions for how to decrease the air bubbles trapped from rehydrating? Would a vibrating paint mixer work?

My latest project has been to get my pots to fit off-the-shelf jar lids. It's a fun exercise in precision, and I'm really happy with the results on this one!

I made a lot of pots for my plants, and this is one of the few that I kept hole-free. I love the color combination on it!

I love pinching these lil guys!

Also behind them is a mug made about a Cardinal family that laid eggs by our window. We became well aquainted and watched the parents share duty and raise their baby bird. It was amazing how they could communicate danger or seemingly just say hello to each other. The experience brought us a newfound appreciation for nature so we wanted to try to symbolize it.

i make these pinch potted pots a lot and people seem to love them

They need smoothing and trimming yet, but I'm pretty happy with them so far. Still not sure about the size, but I guess we'll see!

Stay creative and stay inspired my pottery friends! These have gold luster and mother of pearl luster on the mirror.

[Image description: a hand holding a short cylinder made of braided strands of clay scored and slipped in layers.]

I'm taking a break from work in the studio to study up and find some new inspiration. I just picked up Creative Pottery by Deb Schwartzkopf and I'm really enjoying the project ideas, illustrations, and clear instructions that I've found are lacking in other books. What books are you reading or have you enjoyed in the past to help with your ceramics work?

B-mix clay with underglazes and clear crackle raku

I thought itd be fun to try to make a little slice of nature. The base is supposed to be a cut out log!

it takes me a long time to make these, but they're so pretty when done:)