An Apologue of a Pot

Saturday was a wet and miserable day, but just perfect for an indoor activity. I had asked Janice to join me on another of my 'have a go' endeavors, and today's try out would be the potter's wheel. In Marshall, is a business called Big Dogs Pottery, which popped up about 3 or 4 years ago. I'd always looked at it as I drove past but never ventured inside, assuming that it would be too expensive. Last year they added an extension to the shop and my curiosity was aroused further, and so I got on line to do some research. I discovered that it held classes which weren't all out of my price range and so Janice and I signed up for a morning's spin with the clay.
As you enter, a wonderfully enticing display of pottery for sale is loaded on to shelves and tables, every color of glaze imaginable, and many different designs. Perfect gift ideas. For me, and maybe some friends. I've always been drawn more to glass than clay, but today I saw quite a few pieces that I wouldn't mind owning. I walked into the class room area and chatted to Lori, the owner. Spotting a few 'basic' looking bowls on a shelf near the potter wheels, I thought we'd be making similar, until Lori laughed and said she'd give me a job if I could produce something like that on my first day. I looked back at the bowl and thought she must have a low opinion of our skills. I would shortly have my rather smug self confidence wiped clean away

 After meeting the other two ladies in our group we laid claim to our wheels, set ourselves up, and then had to 'wedge' our clay. This involved starting off with a square of clay that had been cut from a large lump, and then kneading it with our palms leaving a ram's head impression as we pushed it forward onto the bench. This rolling movement ensured the molecules within the clay were all facing the same way, which would later help our finished pieces to survive the firing without blowing up. We were using a brown clay which was soft and malleable, and after wedging, we then sat at our wheels, took one of our three pieces and then molded and mashed it into a cone shape which we then slapped hard onto the middle of the wheel.

The potter's wheel with the tools we'd use while creating our masterpieces.

Lori started by showing us how to make a cylindrical pot while we simply watched without getting involved, so we could take note of the process. Using both hands, linked together, we had to steady the lump of clay while swooshing lots of water over it to keep it slippery while pressure was applied to the top and outer edge to push the clay back down into a 'tuna can' shape. This was actually really hard to master and if your piece was clay wasn't centered properly, a disaster would happen later when the 'pot' was opened up.

Using the two first fingers of each hand we had to press down into the clay to create an opening and then slowly pull out to open up the interior. The wheel spun pretty slowly while we did this, a high  speed only needed at the beginning while centering and initially shaping the piece. We cleaned up the base of the pot from the inside, reducing the thickness and the risk of air bubbles which could cause the pot to blow up while firing. A little wooden tool with a rounded curved edge was used for this, and I found the task strangely satisfying, probably because all at once it gave a polished professional kind of look to the inside, making my pot look almost as though it had been made by machine rather than thrown together by a Neanderthal.
Out of my three lumps of clay I produced only one pot that I was pleased with. One was a bust and the other survived with a lopsided lurch, but it may not make it through the firing. The pot I succeeded with felt really good while I was working on it, the clay spun between my cupped hands like a well oiled machine, not a single tremor distorting or weakening the walls. It felt so clean and slippery smooth that as my confidence grew I experimented with tapering the top edge. I fought to balance my third piece of clay, even removing it from the plate and recentering it but it just didn't sit right. I hoped I could rectify the balance once I got going but the further I progressed with crafting my bowl, the worse it became until, like a drunken dude on the sidewalk, it wobbled a little, then finally gave in to the effort of staying upright and flopped on to its side, breaking the clay wall apart. Game over!

Janice with her third pot. she didn't bust any of hers but had problems trying to stretch this one out, but it still looked fine and should make it through firing.

This is the little dish I was pleased with. We used corn starch and stencils to tap our initials into the sides of our completed pieces. There were 5 different colored glazes we chose from which Lori will apply to our pots once they've been fired. Those pieces which survive can be picked up in about a week's time. We helped to tidy up our stations, and even though I was covered in clay it took little time to clean up. I really enjoyed this try out session and both Janice and I are thinking of repeating the event. It was tough to get going but I felt more at ease with this process than I did at blacksmithing or glassblowing.

The wall of glaze colors. Some of these glazes change their color when firing, not all stay the same color on all pieces but I loved the hues. There's also an area where folks can just walk in and paint blank pieces. White dogs, foxes, Christmas trees and even Darth Vaders are lined up on shelves waiting to have color and glazes applied. Lori also has a room for stained glass and fused glass classes which piqued my interest. I will definitely be back, I want to have a go at everything!