Let's Get Picky

Ok, this is one I obsessed over wall thickness.
Pick it up and it will fly away!

Lots of mottos in life encourage us to let go.  To relax.  Not sweat the small stuff.  Let the details take care of themselves.  Breathe.  Don't stress.  Come back later.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

To a point this is great advice.  Too many people are overly thin, overly stressed and over worked. Yet, we can't let these attitudes drive us to mediocracy and indifference in our lives.  At some point, once we get down the basics and are rolling along smoothly, the details and the small things are what make all the difference.

I realized the other day that my pots are getting heavier. Five years ago Janda, the owner of Earthworks and an amazing potter, and fellow amazing potter Vicki McKenzie would poke fun at me and my "magic clay," saying that my pieces would just fly away when they picked them up they were so light.  One day they snuck into my clay bag and pretended to steal my "magic clay."  They were exaggerating but I was minorly obsessed with paper thin forms at that point in my life so I like to think that I was throwing rather thin then.

But I seem to have gotten away from that.  All too often someone picks up my pottery and says "Wow!  This is so nice and heavy!"  People think it is a compliment.  I smile graciously in response but am crying inside.

Unlike jewelry, heavy has nothing to do with the authenticity or genuinely of pottery. Heavy means the walls are thick and there is much extra clay in it that simply adds clumsiness and bulk. Thin means that deft hands used clay to its maximum, tread through delicate waters, and came out successful

A couple of bisque explosions showed me how thick some of my pieces really were in the bases.  And I realized I was being way over cautious with my pots and rather inattentive to their details beyond function and form.

I've been contemplating this and compiling a list of things in the studio that I need to be nit-picky about.  That I need to stress over.  And need to not just let go.  So, beginner to experts, enjoy this list and if you are a beginner, you may want to read these items first (where I recommend that you ignore this post completely in step 3).  I would also love to hear your additions to the list so I can be extra sensitive to more attributes of my pieces.  Really- I want your comments! And pottery enthusiasts, you can get a glimpse into the care and thought (or lack thereof) we put into each piece

1.  Clay Distribution.  Are your walls even width top to bottom?  Have you cut open a piece lately to see what it looks like top to bottom?  Is the base fat and rim paper thin?  Or are they thick top and bottom with skinny middles?  Or are they just thick all the way up?  I like to cut my pieces open in class sometimes to show students what the walls look like top to bottom.  It's a great moment when they are even but humbling when you can see your flaws to openly.  Yes, some pieces need a little extra clay in the bottom to support the form.  But, that weight should be trimmed off after it is leather hard. I saw one trick where you can stick a push pin through your piece near the bottom and trim until you hit that pin.  Works well for freshly made pieces that can be trimmed right side up after being thrown.

2. Trimming.  This step can make or break a piece.  If you miss it entirely, it's definitely a break.  Trimming defines the base and the curvature of the base of the piece.  Does the piece sit smack flat on the table?  Does it have some lift through a glaze rim, under cut or a foot?  And speaking of a foot, does it's width  match the width of your rim?  Does it carry the form of the piece all the way through so that it looks like you could remove the foot and you would have a perfectly, evenly sloped bowl?

3. Smoothness and Grog.  Speaking of trimming- ever notice how little bits of grog can drag along the trimmer and make small cuts in you pot?  Or what about if you smooth out the rim with a sponge and all of a sudden, the entire lip feels like its sandy.  Managing grog is important.  If these issue come up, I address them immediately.  After trimming, I take a plastic card (credit card or hotel key is perfect) and smooth in the roughness.  Hard edges smooth, soft, absorbent ones bring sand to the surface by wiping away the soft clay in between the grog particles.  For rims, chamois are cool (attach to a cork and you won't loose them in your bucket!)  And, for leather hard pieces, burnishing your pot with a metal rib really seals the deal and makes you want to rub your face all over the exposed fired clay. It's that smooth.

4.  Keeping the Bump.  This goes back to #1.  When throwing, you must first undercut (8 rotations of the wheel= 1 good undercut) and then place your outside hand underneath that band of clay with your inside hand slightly ahead of your outside hand.  This will create a bump.  And a narrower base.  That bump should last until the very top.  This guy is the bump master.  He demos this perfectly with a knuckle pull.

This is not the best angle- but you
can see the purple glaze
 bring out my name

5. Signature.  Everyone does their signature different.  I always sign my name and add the year with a regular ballpoint pen.  It's natural to hold, writes at a good thickness and doesn't dig as deep as the needle tool. But, I've been totally ruining it by signing my name too early pre-leather hard stage and then slapping it back down on its base squashing my writing to where it's illegible.  So, now I'm making myself wait.... until.... it's ready...  and let it dry upside down... and then sand it down before bisque firing.  So, when you glaze the piece and wipe the bottom clean, it gets all up in your names and your piece just screams that you are it's maker.  Amen.

Call me weird, but when I do pay attention to details, stretch myself with my clay, and the glaze accents the form just right, to me, the piece that comes out is just like it's edible.  Succulent, juicy and irresistible.  That's what I want.  I see tents full of juicy pots at fairs and know that this is a potter that has arrived.

This mug is totally edible.  I think I might die if I don't own one...

I'm not there yet but I'm heading that direction.

And sometimes its the trip that is the most exhilarating.

Lisa