New Greenware Handbuilt and Wheel Thrown
Hand built and wheel thrown mugs
I like a very large cup of coffee in the morning and because of this and some other criteria, I’ve set out on a quest to make mugs that I would like to use. I have about 4 different mug styles that I’ve made in the past 3-4 weeks and am anxious to see which ones sell the best at the Colorado Potters Guild Sale in early November. I think this will be great feedback - the market is always a fair judge, don’t you think?
This is one of those designs that I conceived during an insomnia laced night last week and I’m still working on the size. The mugs are huge. I’m not sure how many ounces of liquid each will hold, but I’m guessing that they’ll hold over a pint. Yesterday I made some smaller versions and trimmed an inch off the hand built section of the mug.
Slab built stacked vase
Some ideas are better than others and this one falls into the latter category. It’s okay, but didn’t thrill me once I finished constructing the vase.
Slab built vase with thrown neck
So, I took the same idea and basic shape and added a wheel thrown neck to make a better design. I like this a lot better; however, when I showed it to my husband he wasn’t very enthusiastic. The design and shape probably need to be tweaked a bit. After I looked at the vase on my computer screen this morning, I thought that it might look nice with a narrower bottle like neck. I’ll try that today. I’m using my Lid Master Caliper to gauge the width of the neck, but have been throwing it slightly wider than the hand built base so I’ll have to work out a system to get the wheel thrown section just the right size.
I am excited about the size and height of the vase. I have a hard time throwing more than 5 lbs of clay at a time and it’s hard for me to get any great height using porcelain clay. I used a white stoneware clay for these pieces and I forgot how groggy the clay is. Talk about multi tasking - I’m throwing and exfoliating my hands at the same time. 
I roll my slabs old school with a rolling pin with 1/4
This photo and the next are for Linda, who recently started taking a clay class in England. I don’t have a slab roller in my studio and roll my slabs with a large over sized rolling pin on canvas. I use a rubber rib to smooth out the canvas marks.
My favorite rib - I use it when I throw on the wheel and to smooth and compress slabs
My favorite ribs are flexible plastic ones from Sherrill - they come in 4 different colors which correspond to how firm or soft a rib is. The green one is fairly firm, but not the firmest one in the bunch. I use the green one when I’m throwing on the wheel or when I’m smoothing and compressing slabs of clay.
Meanwhile, I only have until the end of this week to make work for the sale in November. I don’t think I’ll make it to the 105 allowable pots and will realistically have closer to 70-75. I am going to continue making work though since the holidays are fast approaching.
Have a great week,
~Cynthia
