I'm Addicted to Throwing These...

Making these miniature bowls is the most fun I’ve had in a while when throwing. The throwing itself is delicate work that I love, yet it’s delayed gratification really, as it’s the trimming of these little decorative cups that I enjoy most, that’s tomorrow’s task. When making bowls with tiny weights like this, (200 grams - 350 grams), the initial pull is such a satisfying motion as practically the entire mass of clay can be grasped and eased up, it’s a process that requires a lot of control. I pinch in hardly towards the bottom and then lessen this pressure and simply move my conjoined hands upwards and outwards. It’s all stabilised by the thick wad of clay that’s in the foot of these, I need this material here so that I can trim an elegant foot from it. I know I was complaining about the lack of throwing curved shapes lately and well, here we are, they’re made as curved initially, then they’re turned back and are refined to meet my exacting aesthetics at the leather hard stage. For instance, I don’t actually like these curved forms as is, (within my body of work at least), but once the clay has dried out a touch and they’re carved, they then meet the ideals I have. I’m still learning a lot when throwing these though, as the shape of the curves at this stage really has a considerable impact of the finished, trimmed shape, as I’ve always got to follow the initial thrown form to some degree. #bowl #handmade #clay #satisfying #craft #pottery