The Process of Making a Pot on a Potters Wheel

THE PROCESS

     I make the bowl on a potter's wheel, then I wait until dry enough to trim the bottom.

               After trimming, I sometimes add a slip painting with a black mason stain.

                   This bird was attached after the pot is trimmed, including the lid.

                       I carve the names in the leather hard clay after it is trimmed too.

 After trimming, I hand sculpt the birds and attach. I then carve the names in when the pot is still a leather hard (not dry but not wet, it acts like leather thus the name) I then wait for it to dry, that takes about 5-7 days.

                              

Then I fire it in a kiln - this is the first firing called a bisque firing. the firing takes a day, and another day to cool, two days in all. Okay, now we are at the 9-10 day mark.

Back out it comes. I will then draw with the underglaze pencil if I am making moon faces.

 I then glaze the top and the birds if it is a ring dish. I wipe excess off the bottom and apply iron oxide on the outside and bottom and wipe it off so it is just in the carved areas and a         

stain on the clay. 

   If it is under-glazed with a painting or drawing I just dip, very carefully. in clear glaze. Then I fire it to a stoneware temperature, 2185 degrees. 

After waiting a day for the firing, again, and another day for it to cool, again. And if I am really lucky, ( I am getting luckier and luckier with experience, lol) the piece comes out looking gorgeous.

                             

                                                 And that is how each piece is made, 

just thought I would share, my husband thinks people would be interested in knowing this. I am going to make a video someday of the process. Someday.....

Moon Plates Finished

Finished! With a clear glaze, I like the moon bowl the best, what do you think?

Children are the moon and the sea

Children ARE the moon and the sea, and so you see, you will also see the sea floating with the moon

This is custom pottery that I have been influenced to do. The moon has always followed me so why not make moon plates and bowls! The perfect solution, having useful and functional art that is also quirky and fun. 

I just made this bowl and plate on the potters wheel. I use Hagi Porcelain from Laguna Clay. The white clay looks so good white and the moon just called out for me to start making this.

I like the way the swirls are on the plate; it becomes more subtle after the glaze. This is done on once fired or bisque ware. Then the drawing begins.

I love to draw, just with minimal materials, and then the potting. I enjoy being in both worlds. 

 I know you could take a picture, fiddle with it in photoshop, which takes a long time, then print it out as a decal.  And, which goes over the glaze and will wear off eventually if given time.

This will last indefinitely on the clay.  Even if broken the drawing will stand the test of time. The drawing is done with an underglaze pencil. Then I glaze it to a stoneware/porcelain temperature called cone 5. Stay tuned for the finished results.

That's the other thing about pottery, after the glaze firing, the piece can be absolutely beautiful and just what I wanted or.... something can go a little to a lot wrong. So, wish me luck, as I love how this looks so far. I have learned not to like it until it is done, but this part looks so good that I had to share.