Friday, May 11, 2012

Relapse

This week I have been suffering from a relapse of big pot fever. A friend had asked if I could duplicate a planter that had been in the family for many years and I agreed. It wasn't that great a pot but it weighed about 40 pounds. After checking it our, I thought I could do it with 25 pounds. Now, I could have done it in sections but it was 15 inches wide and it just seemed simpler to throw it in one piece. I had never thrown a 25 pound ball of clay before but nothing ventured nothing gained, fools rush in ...etc. Actually, once I stopped trying to muscle it into submission, it was not as hard to center as I expected. I opened it up and started pulling up the walls. Just as I was going for that last inch, I lost control and the top of the pot started to flare too much to choke back in, What to do, What to do? This clay obviously wanted to be a bowl instead and so it became one. At 22" it is just small enough to fit in the kiln. Trimming was another issue. To keep weight off the rim, I used a foam bat with a big chunk of mattress foam on it so the bowl was supported from the inside and it worked great. I did get the planter thrown on my next try. No pictures of it yet but I will try to get one after it is fired.



3 comments:

  1. Great trimming idea, wow what a bowl! What do you put in a bowl that big!?

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  2. Well Tracey, I'm putting my hopes for the future in it.It would look great at an orchard full of fruit but I will probably just use it to draw people into the booth or maybe put it in an exhibition or two. I'm not getting devoted to it yet cause as you know, that's when things go amiss. Have a great day, say hello to Meredith and after 3 days of no sleep,let Wes drive!

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  3. Hi Dennis- wish you could have been with us! I told Wes to drive as well but that is another story. Down here that would be the punch bowl- make cups to go with it.
    Comment below on your mug sale.
    best, M

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