How does clay become pottery?
Wheel throwing
With some exceptions, the majority of my work is wheel thrown. That is, it was created on a potter’s wheel. There are several steps between pulling raw clay from a bag to handing a finished product to a customer.
Prep: In order to make the clay workable and remove any air pockets, I wedge my clay before I use it. This is akin to kneading dough (very stiff dough.)
Create: I make the piece on my potter’s wheel. I typically will work in large batches and make several of the same form at a time. I let these dry partially overnight.
Trim: When the pot has reached “leather hard” consistency, (not too soft but not too brittle) I can use special tools to trim away extra clay. This helps remove any excess clay, making the piece lighter and also refining the final shape.
Dry: A crucial aspect of pottery is passive drying time. Pieces can develop cracks if they dry unevenly or too quickly. Patience is a virtue that is constantly tested when you’re a potter.
Bisque: When the piece is completely dry, it can go into the kiln for its first firing. This step will take about 24 hrs. This firing prepares the clay to accept glaze.
Glaze: After the bisque firing, pieces are glazed. This part requires a lot of testing and trial and error to figure out which glazes work well with which clay bodies.
Glaze Firing: The second firing matures the clay so that it is a fully functional piece. The glaze melts to create a glass like barrier on the clay.
Finishing: The final step in this long process is to inspect the pieces thoroughly for any flaws. Then I sand the bottoms to make them smooth and make sure they won’t scratch your furniture!
Every piece I make goes through these steps. It’s a long process and there are many points where it could all go wrong, but when it all comes together it is such a satisfying feeling to create a beautiful functional piece of art from a lump of clay.