DANCING HANDS: THE POTTER

As you look round seeing very beautiful vessels and decorative object you begin to wonder how a mere lump of clay could be transform into such beautiful and functional pottery. As you panted for answers to what seems hard to believe, there comes the potter. 

You: hey there are all these really the finish product of just a raw clay?

Potter: Nope pottery is not made from raw clay but clay body. It is important to note that a clay body is not the same thing as clay. Clay bodies are clay mixed with additives that give the clay different properties when worked and fired.

You: mmmm I see.

Pottery: but note that not any clay can be used for anything, there are kinds of clay and each has what it's best at.

You: so what is that one magical way behind porters' creation?

Potter: ooh the process of pottery making is as varied as the artisans who create them. However I will outline my process of transforming a clay body into what you're seeing.

You: aah that sounds interesting

Potter: The first step is to get your clay body by either digging it from locally available sources or buy commercially available clay bodies from one of the many suppliers 

 Second step: WEDGING the Clay Wedging is the process of mixing the clay by hand by rotating and pressing a clay ball on a table. The purpose is to removes all air bubbles from the clay you will be using. Or you can had it removed by a machine called a pug mill

You: what's the next step?

Potter: FORMING. After the clay has been thoroughly wedged, it may be formed by a variety of methods: slab, wheel, coil, pinch, and mold. These methods may be combined, or used singly. 

You: and then...

Potter: DRYING After forming, pieces you create should be wrapped in soft sheets of plastic (without holes)  The plastic will slow down (but not stop) the drying process, to ensure that when you return several days later, your pieces will still be workable.

You: oh nice

Potter: LEATHER HARD
 is next. After your pieces have dried up to a stage of partial dryness referred to as leather hard. This is an excellent time to refine the piece: carving excess clay, adding handles or decorative elements, trimming the foot-ring of a bowl, etc. This is the last chance you have to change the shape of the piece                                                  

You: hmm

Potter: GREEN WARE. When a piece of pottery has dried completely it is referred to as a piece of green ware. This is purely a passive state for the clay awaiting the first firing.

You; I see

Potter: BISQUE FIRING. After your work has dried to green ware the work is loaded into the kilns for the first of two firings. This hardens the ware making it easier to handle without breaking during the glazing process. 

You: further more

Potter: GLAZING. The glaze, a mixture of ground glass, clays, coloring materials and water, is applied to the bisque pot by dipping, pouring, spraying, brushing, sponging, or some combination of these. The first, and perhaps most important, step is to put paraffin wax anywhere that I do not want to have glaze. 

Potter: the final stage is GLAZE FIRING. When I have glazed enough pieces to fill the kiln, I load it again for the second firing. When the pieces come out, they are finally complete.

You: indeed each step in the overall pottery process is an art in itself.
BY: Mercy Frempomaa