Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
These are sort of ridiculous pots to throw.
Often, you’re taught to get the “most” out of your clay, to pull it into its most efficient form to fashion a shape that requires as little trimming as possible. That’s how I was taught initially, thereafter in college it was really hammered in and with good reason I suppose as it ultimately trains you to be able to move the clay around confidently and effectively.
We had all those classic rules to follow, such as that a pot must be formed in three pulls or less. That sounds mad when you’re first learning the craft as it feels impossible, but for me it helped me to realise that you’re the one in control, not the clay, and that it can actually be moved around quite dramatically without it collapsing. That was the intent I think, as beginners are often very cautious and gentle, when you can in fact be very strong and controlling. Clay is soft and malleable, we are rigid and strong.
That’s why these bowls feel peculiar to throw as I have to intentionally leave tons of additional material in them to account for the excessive turning that occurs at the leather hard stage. A good 2.5 cm is left in their bases and their lower walls are probably twice as thick as they “could” be, yet without that purposefully allocated weight, the final trimmed shapes I want to make would be impossible to craft.
#pottery #bowls #maker #ceramics #bowls
These are sort of ridiculous pots to throw.
Often, you’re taught to get the “most” out of your clay, to pull it into its most efficient form to fashion a shape that requires as little trimming as possible. That’s how I was taught initially, thereafter in college it was really hammered in and with good reason I suppose as it ultimately trains you to be able to move the clay around confidently and effectively.
We had all those classic rules to follow, such as that a pot must be formed in three pulls or less. That sounds mad when you’re first learning the craft as it feels impossible, but for me it helped me to realise that you’re the one in control, not the clay, and that it can actually be moved around quite dramatically without it collapsing. That was the intent I think, as beginners are often very cautious and gentle, when you can in fact be very strong and controlling. Clay is soft and malleable, we are rigid and strong.
That’s why these bowls feel peculiar to throw as I have to intentionally leave tons of additional material in them to account for the excessive turning that occurs at the leather hard stage. A good 2.5 cm is left in their bases and their lower walls are probably twice as thick as they “could” be, yet without that purposefully allocated weight, the final trimmed shapes I want to make would be impossible to craft.
#pottery #bowls #maker #ceramics #bowls
