Throwing an Angular Vase

I’ve been making a handful of these angular shapes with a ledge in the rim section, a shape that’s tricky to get completely perfect during the throwing stage, so I leave the lip somewhat thick, this way I can trim them to exactly what I’m after once the clay as carefully been allowed to turn leather hard.

I don’t know about you, but if it’s windy outside the drafts in my workshop are dreadful and if I don’t dry out VERY carefully overnight, they can warp, lean to one side, and do all sorts of irritating things that only makes trimming more annoying. I’m sure we’ve all been there. Trimming a cylinder that was thrown straight but is now subtly bent to one side, and there’s only really so much you can do to work around it.

These vases aren’t too bad, in fact, I saw a very interesting comment the other day about how details in the lip like this, can actually help support pots as they dry, so that they maintain their shape, as compared to a lip that was simply straight. It must help in the reduction firing too, as my bowls that are indentations around the rim, typically fire really well. Whereas those that are straight and come to a lovely crisp edge, can have the tendency to warp if I misplace them close to a burner. I’m getting better at avoiding this… Yet, at the same time, if there’s a little movement in the rim, depending on the shape of course, I don’t mind. In fact, my favourite bowl that’s being shown at @make_hauserwirth, towards the end of this month, has a beautiful undulation to it that I’ve fully embraced. It doesn’t make the pot any worse, rather the visual contrast it creates against the rest of the refined form works wonderfully.

#handmade #craft #wheelthrownpottery #fail #oddlysatisfying

[sptmbrth]

I'm so excited - your book just arrived at my doorstep and only three pages in I'm already in love with the way you tell stories (not really a surprise after watching lots of your videos and enjoying the way you speak and describe your work)

And the overall design and feel of your book aswell - it's sooo nice! I love the colours, the pictures and the paper quality 😌😌🥰

Really can't wait to keep reading!

[biohazard]

You are a master of videography and audio balancing as much as you are a master in your craft of pottery. I cannot emphasize enough just how pleasing and relaxing your videos are. The vibes are immaculate.

[vigneshmadhavan]

Love that you’re explaining the minutiae- would never have thought this was so complicated

[Karlie-sv]

That mess up actually looked really cool if you cut the top off even or if you could refine that mistake to be more uniform that would look cool

[urischwartz]

I ain't no potter but it's lovely watching you work 😊

[saigecade]

I think you’d do a great narration of a nature documentary. I’d watch it

[katlehmann]

hey, I didn’t know you were watching me throw that first piece 😹😹😹

[kabelomphihlengmohlala]

Hi brooo i love your work from South africa how many dimension is your kiln and the production capacity daily