As intermediate throwers hone their skills, they often begin to show an affinity for working more precisely. Precision throwing can lead to sublime beauty or to mechanical repetition, leaving pots a bit stiff. As potters develop their eye along with their technical skills, they sometimes yearn to make forms that breathe – pots that show the plasticity of wet clay, even after they are fired.
While demonstrating, I will discuss principles of design and how it relates to pottery. We will cover the relationships between rims, feet, bellies, handles and spouts and talk about how our use of simple or compound curves, or possibly straight lines impact our forms. We will also discuss the use of “shape language” to help create a cohesive body of work.
This workshop will be structured for the potter with basic throwing skills, who would like to make relaxed forms that feel both well designed and more gestural. You won’t be encouraged to unlearn any of your hard-won technique, but rather to expand the ways of gently altering thrown forms.
Preparing for the workshop – Items to bring with you.
Bring all throwing and trimming tools you want to work with. Specific tools I suggest are:
Kemper S4 Stainless Steel Scraper – This is essential and their similar shape, S3, doesn’t cut it for this class!
Blue or Green Mud Tool Rib – Shape 3
Red Mud Tool rib – Shape 0 or 1
Curved rib for shaping bowls
A chamois for use on rims
Students will use either ^5 or ^10 Laguna B-mix.
Demonstrations – Most days early in the morning and again in the afternoon
Friday
Mugs, both flat bottomed and trimmed w/ foot
Handles
Saturday
Bowls / plates
Sunday
Pitchers, spouts, handles OR to be determined…
There will be time for follow-up after all demonstrations, but due to time constraints, students should not expect to finish most projects during class time. The studio will be open in the evenings for students to work. There will be a reception on Friday evening, and I will give a PowerPoint presentation.