Tag: glazes

The Bully at the Potter’s Wheel

April 19, 2024 / / 0 Comments

While I was busy cleaning out some stuff and making space for the new junk, I came across my USA journal where I had written stuff that needed to be posted in the blog. I was so into pottery in Charlotte, so here it is, the new post.

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After reading the title, you must have put two and two together and arrived at the conclusion that the Potter’s Wheel is the name of the studio I had begun my journey as an amateur Potter. It is not actually Potter’s Wheel, but I have named it so for privacy sake.

There I was, just out of the cab, with my off-white canvas tote bag, stuffed with my black striped apron hanging out. I didn’t waste a minute and began walking towards the studio in-front of me. That was when I saw him!

He looked round, well fed, dark, with shiny eyes, waiting at the studio portico, for unsuspecting innocent people like yours truly, QueenBee!

I walked past him, trying to look breezy and cool, kind of aloof. But secretly I was observing his every move, from the corner of my eyes. I thought I had escaped his attention, but I was wrong. He followed me to the door!

Yikes!

I looked over my shoulders, as I typed the security code in a jiffy.  He was neither tall nor trained to know the security code…..

I opened the door after the beep, enough to let myself in and shut the door behind me in a hurry. I could still see him looking at me through the glass doors!

Breathe, breathe, damn it, I said to myself….

I think I have an enemy on my hands, I thought.

I reached my station, took out my bag of clay and began kneading and measuring clay for use. I set up a bucket full of water near my wheel, ready to throw clay on the wheel. (Throwing is the term used by potters, when they begin to make shapes out of clay)

My dream Pottery studio looks something like this – Pic Source : Google

Then I remembered that I had items to be bisque fired. (Clay is first kneaded. Then potters throw clay to make bowls etc. Then the bowls are bisque fired. Then glazes are used to colour the bowls, then fired again. The final product is then ready to be used. Each article goes  for firing at least twice.)

Here I was taking my bowls for the first firing. On my way to the firing station, I saw that he had entered the studio! Someone must have opened the studio door and let him in. (Such ignorant people) Once again, he began to follow me, in and out of the firing station. I could hardly concentrate on anything.

‘Meow‘, he said at-last, probably bidding me goodbye, before finally ditching me . He met new people, probably ‘cat people’, to stalk. He got many rubs on his back. He got all the attention he needed and that must have satisfied his ego!

Thank God, I sighed. So much for the Potter’s Wheel bully!

P.S:

  1. Although I am an animal lover, I never go too near either the cats or the dogs. I don’t mind touching a fish or sting ray for that matter, but I stay away from cats and dogs. I can even baby talk them, but I refrain from touching them. I prefer cows!  (When Mr.Bee and I visited Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and also in Charleston Aquarium, I got the opportunity to touch sting ray and a medium sized fish. They felt rubbery!)
  2. I dearly miss pottery. I would have probably become a master by now, since in 2 years I had graduated to intermediate level.
  3. *PJ alert* Incidentally, I am a hobby potter, who is a Harry Potter fan!

Till the next post…cheerio friends.

Passion for Pottery!

April 19, 2023 / / 2 Comments

Have you watched the 1997 film, Titanic, directed by James Cameron? What is the most memorable scene that comes to your mind when you think of the movie ?

Some remember the last scene of Rose on the wooden plank and Jack freezing to death in the ocean, some remember an old couple dying together in their bed,  some cheerful people remember the famous titanic pose! But what I remember is the 100 Yr old Rose making pottery, in her very first scene! That was the moment I thought, wait, I need to learn pottery! (Love at first sight!)

Bam! More than 15 yrs after watching the scene, I land in Charlotte and learn pottery for nearly 2 years, spending minimum of 24 hrs, each week!

My first love is, was and will be pottery!

So today, P for Pottery.

Pottery done by Queen Bee!

The above image shows part of the collection of pottery I made. I have nearly 60 pieces of pottery with me. (I, especially shipped them to India, thanks to Mr.Bee for understanding my passion for pottery. One or two pieces of my collection ended up broken, but its fine. I can live with that!)

Pottery is the art or process of making articles or vessels with clay. There are two basic techniques in pottery,  hand building and wheel throwing.

Let’s see what wheel throwing is about….

Firstly, the required lump of clay is shaped or kneaded, just like how we do with roti dough! This is the most important step. The air bubbles are pottery’s worst enemy. They can cause cracks.

There are different methods of kneading too!

Then the kneaded or prepped clay is thrown on the potter’s wheel, which is run through an electric motor and different articles of varied shapes are made.

A creamer pot and a cookie jar – Any external design is added at this stage.

Once the required shapes are made, they are let to dry and then fired in the kiln. There are many different firing techniques too. But I only tried electric firing. I wish I had tried the Japanese Raku. (I was expecting my first baby GBee when we were taught Raku firing and I skipped the class!)

Bisque fired Creamer pot and Cookie Jar

Once the pottery is bisque fired, it is then glazed with different colours. They look something like this.

Glazed pottery is fired and the finished pottery looks something like this.

That’s the process of wheel thrown pottery. But if are into creating something unique, then hand building is for you.

I tried my hand at hand building to make an elephant. It is a tedious process but very gratifying and satisfying! Even bowls , cups  and vases also can be made through hand building.

The Elephant – My only hand built pottery! 

So, did you like pottery?

P.S:
1. Pottery is an ocean of an art! More posts on pottery will be out in future. I can’t fit everything about it in a single post.

I miss pottery. Hope to get back to it. The couple of coffee mugs in the first image are the ones I made for me and Mr.Bee.  All the images except the one with the kneading of clay are my own.

2. Some glazes are not safe for food consumption. Proper warning is generally given, if the pottery is unsafe for food consumption.

3. The only advice I would like to give as a former potter, is that, if at all any or the porcelain or ceramic articles you have at your house is chipped or develops a crack(even a hairline crack), do dispose it and don’t try eating/drinking in those. It is highly dangerous chemically as well as a hazard if you end up consuming the chips of the articles by mistake!

4. The other hobbies starting with a P are Polo, Painting, Para-sailing, Para- gliding and Photography. (which is Mr.Bee’s passion!)

Till the next post, alvida!

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