Throwing LARGE Vessels on the Wheel
For this week’s clay update, I am going to discuss a new challenge I have set for myself: throwing at least 10 pounds of clay on the wheel to form a pot or bowl. Honestly, the resulting vessel doesn’t matter as much to me, I just want to be able to do it.
In my past few years of working with clay, I went from smaller amounts to larger and larger. Once I started working with porcelain about two years ago, I realized that while it was a *tricky*clay to work with, it also held a huge benefit for me. Porcelain is typically softer than other clay bodies, so while this can make it harder to work with, it is also easier to handle. For someone like myself, who doesn’t have a huge amount of upper body strength, porcelain has allowed me to work with larger and larger amounts of clay.
How to Advance from 5 Pounds to 10 Pounds?
From my research, I’ve learned there’s many different approaches to grow your strength and ability with throwing larger amounts of clay.
As with most tasks in pottery, there’s a multitude of approaches. But, a few things for throwing big hold true:
- Use more clay!
- Use stiffer clay
- Try a different clay
- Use less water
- Leave less clay at the bottom of the vessel
- Steady Consistent Pulls
- Consistent re-centering as you form the cylinder
This week, as I enter the studio, I am going to start with a seven pound vessel, and work my way up to ten pounds through the week.
I’ll start on the smaller side to make sure my muscles are up to centering 7 pounds of clay. As I grow confident in that amount, I’ll continue to advance in one pound increments, until I make it past the 10 pound mark. Wish me luck!
