Pottery Video of the Week: Think Big! The Secrets of Amping up the Scale of Your Pottery
Over the course of the three days we were in the exhibitor hall at NCECA, Scott Semple worked on a giant pot in the Skutt booth across the way from our booth. Well, Scott just wrapped up an instructional DVD on big pot throwing
and, for those of you who missed the conference, I am presenting an
excerpt from it today. In the DVD, Scott throws one of these babies
over the course of only one day and shares all of the secrets to
pulling off such a feat. This clip is slightly condensed, but it is
still packed with a lot of great information.
Large and In Charge: Four Helpful Tips for Throwing Large Pots on the Pottery Wheel
Today, I am presenting some tips from large-pot-potter extraordinaire Nic Collins for upsizing your pots. I liked what Nic had to say here because it addressed some simple, but often overlooked, things to consider before you even put your clay on the wheel. Plus, it includes some great cross-section diagrams that clearly show what should be happening both inside and outside of the pot. Follow these tips and you’ll soon be in charge of the clay!
Pottery Video of the Week: How to Make a Textured Sushi Plate Using a Wiggle Wire
I love the technique of using a wiggle wire to cut pots off the wheel, thus creating an interesting texture on the bottom of the piece — a great alternative to trimming a foot. In today’s video, an excerpt from Wheel Throwing with Nan Rothwell, Nan takes that concept a step further by throwing her pot upside down and cutting it off with the wiggly wire, creating texture on the top of the piece. Have a look and think of more directions to take this technique. – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.
Wheel Throwing Video: Matt Long – Making Mugs with Movement
Today’s video is an oldie but a goodie. It’s from Matt’s Vessels for Victory DVD. One of the reasons I like this DVD is because Matt talks about the “why to” as much as the “how to.” Sometimes it is easy to concentrate only on how to throw a particular pot, but not really think about the aesthetic choices made along the way. But Matt reminds us to keep thinking about why we make those choices and about how effective they are visually and functionally.
Throwing Ceramic Juicers: Simple Wheel-Throwing Techniques Produce a Complex Form
Today, Dannon Rhudy shares her technique for making wheel thrown juicers – and excerpt from our newly expanded edition of Five Great Pottery Wheel Throwing Techniques, which is available as a free download today. If you’ve already downloaded the earlier version of this one, be sure to check out the new techniques that were added.
How to Throw a Berry Bowl with a Textured Saucer on the Pottery Wheel
Today’s video is an excerpt from Wheel Throwing with Nan Rothwell,
the next installment in the Ceramic Arts Daily Presents video series
(which is coming soon to a Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore near you!). I
am super excited about this forthcoming DVD, which is packed with
clear, step-by-step demonstrations from simple cylinders to more
complex multi-part forms — and it’s all delivered in the the friendly,
low-key, and practical teaching style we’ve come to appreciate from
Nan. Enjoy!
Wheel Throwing Video: How to Throw Really Large Bowls on the Pottery Wheel
Lately, I have been working on some large bowls for a wedding present for a friend (he’s not a potter so I don’t think he’ll read this!). I’ve been frustrated, though, because I can’t seem to get past a certain size. Part of my struggle has been centering enough clay to accommodate a really big pot. So, I watched the section on bowls in Stephen Jepson’s How to Throw Large Pots DVD and got a couple of helpful tips that I am excited to try when I go to the studio on Monday. I’m sharing them with you today!
Round is Overrated: How to Transform Wheel Thrown Forms into Different Shapes Using a Paddle
In today’s video, Robin Hopper shows us how he paddles bowls into the shapes he wants when he gets bored with the traditional round thrown form. This techniques creates nice straight sides with subtle rounded
corners, and no marks on the inside of the pot. Plus, these straight
sides make wonderful canvases for decoration. Watch the video!
A Potter Extends the Practicality of a Cup and Saucer Set
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and Paul Donnelly’s tea trays are a prime example of this. Today, Paul Donnelly explains how he makes his tea trays using a combination of wheel throwing, press molding and slab-building techniques.
Decorating Through Disassembly: Jeff Campana’s Sliced and Spliced Porcelain Pottery
There are many, many ways to put lines onto posts – carving, fluting, painting, drawing – but, I have to say, I had never seen anyone doing it quite like Jeff Campana. Jeff takes his well-thrown porcelain pots, chops them up into pieces, and then reassembles them. Then to top it all off, he uses glazes that pool in the seams. Today, Jeff shares his technique and how he arrived at such a labor intensive process in the first place.
