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October 9, 2009

Wheel Throwing Video: It’s Raining Cats and Frogs! How to Turn Wheel Thrown Functional Pottery into Clay Animal Sculptures

by Don Ellis and Randy Brodnax Read Comments (17)

Do you love throwing on the pottery wheel, but get tired of making functional pottery? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way! As potters Don Ellis and Randy Brodnax playfully demonstrate in today’s pottery video, with a little imagination, you can turn your pots into all manner of creatures great and small. Don shows us how to alter a pot into a cat sculpture, while Randy makes a frog out of a pot he slammed onto the ground after throwing. Use their techniques as a jumping-off point and see what critters you can come up with. - Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

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Did you like the surface on Randy’s frog pot?
Watch this video in the Ceramic Arts Daily archives to learn how he did it!

Today’s video was excerpted from Pottree: Wedge to Fire,
which is available in the Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore!

Buy the DVD here and get free shipping!

 

 

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17 Comments

  1. Dawn | October 9th, 2009 at 8:59 am

    WHAT FUN !!!!!!!!! Needless to say, their throwing skills are superb. Great way to start off a rainy Sat. morning in the studio. Thanx so much

  2. Haiko | October 9th, 2009 at 9:26 am

    These guys are just the best!!!!

  3. Emma | October 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am

    One of my students wants to make an elephant tea pot. I forwarded this link to her
    so that she can get inspired with ideas of how to do her teapot. Thanks guys for giving us ideas we can use in the classroom.

  4. Roberta | October 9th, 2009 at 10:51 am

    I have one of those cats!! And it sits in a place of honor behind a glass-fronted display case. Don made it during the 7th Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference in 2007. At the end of the conference, we auctioned off all the greenware demonstration pieces that he, Randy Brodnax, and Mark Epstein made. Proceeds were donated to the Cub Creek Foundation to help with their recovery efforts after a fire destroyed their main building.

  5. ard | October 9th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    Thank,u realy help my day…im start with zero knowledge but u teach me better than learn in real class.. :)

  6. Roger | October 9th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    Nice t-shirt Randy. Don, send me your address and I’ll send you one. Let’s see…is that 3X or 4X? Thanks friends… good video. roger

  7. Annette | October 9th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Now that is a cat with attitude! Excellent throwing skills … I wish, I wish … Thank you
    Kaolin

  8. Annie | October 9th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

    You fellas are having just too much fun! And, please, spare the poor turtle. Catch him, take a photo, make him in clay, sell it and buy soup somewhere else. I make great Hungarian Chicken soup, related to the turtle, you know, and much healthier for you. Chuckle, chuckle.
    Where are all y”all? Rosie Benson, Fireflower Pottery, Canal Fulton. Oh. We have lots of turtles in our Canal and trout from time to time, too.

  9. Dulcie | October 9th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

    Hi there Don and Randy,I loved your video on making cats etc…what
    fun.Thanks for that.I am writing from New Zealand where I live and work
    as a potter myself.While watching your video I noticed on the table behind Randy (I believe it was Randy) I noticed a pot lying on its back
    flatened with an opening in it.While travelling in the States about 1998 down in Fort Bragg in Oregon I think it was I bought a pot just
    like that one and I have it hanging on my garden fence with flowers in it…I’m wondering did you make it?.I never got the name of the potter
    and have wondered since who he or she was.I could send a photo.
    You both look sooo healthy you must love your work. Kind regards dulciedraper@xtra.co.nz

  10. Brenda | October 10th, 2009 at 8:21 am

    Thanks for your inspiration! It looks like time to dust of the wheel and get throwin’!

  11. THOMAS | October 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    Great Stuff. Thanks, Tom

  12. Rhys | October 10th, 2009 at 10:04 pm

    What a delight you both are to watch and listen to. Not to mention your wonderful, beautifully executed thrown pieces further created into a charming cats and an ever so delightful turtle. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us.

  13. Luela | October 11th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    I am so inspired. You guys are wonderfully fun to watch.

  14. Sherry | October 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Sure enjoyed this thanks so, I’m thinking about buying a wheel right now just do slap work. You make it look so easy too, bet it’s not!!! Thanks again, Sherry In New mexico

  15. samo | December 28th, 2009 at 10:52 am

    nice.. I wanna be like u ..

  16. amy | March 4th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    it looks treally good maybe one of this days ill make one n post it so you would see it

  17. Susan | March 7th, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    It is such a pleasure to watch you guys. Soooooo down to earth!!! My kind of folks. I’m here in Virginia, I would love to attend a class one day with you guys. Thats on my “to do wish list” Ha!Ha!. Such Flare! I have the Video. Hot Damn Potree. Do you have any other videos out that I have not found yet? Please let me know. Thanks Susan

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