Pinch Pots

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• Begin with a small ball of clay
• Use your thumb to press a hole in the centre of the ball
• Turn the ball in the other hand as you squeeze and pinch upwards.
• Feel the walls up and even out the thickness with your fingers
• Place the finished form upside down to rest
• Repeat the steps above to create an exact replica
• Score the lips of the form and slather some slit on
• Put these two forms together, joining them to form a sphere
• Score the joints together and smoothen out the surface
• Allow the sphere to stand overnight to become leather hard before you begin to work on decorating it

Reclaiming Clay

I finally got myself to learn more about this technique as it would be useful in case I can no longer afford to use ready-made clay. Clay that has not been fired can be reused over and over again. This technique requires a simple set-up. You will need some cotton rags, large covered bins to contain the clay and some sponges and small water containers. You may want to purchase some stone slabs from the garden shop. These will be used as a base for drying out the clay mixture.

First Step:
Dry out the clay completely. You can sun it out in the open for a few days.

Second Step:
Break the dry clay into smaller pieces and place them into the bins.

Third Step:
Slake the clay down by adding some warm water to cover the clay completely. Cover the bin and leave it to soften overnight. The

Fourth Step:
Remove the excess water with a sponge and spread the softened clay onto the stone slabs. The stone slabs should preferably be placed out in the open. Allow the clay to firm up.

Fifth Step:
Once the clay can be removed from the slab, turn it over to even out the drying process. This could be repeated until the clay in a workable condition.

Sixth Step:
Remove the clay from the slab and wedge it well. You can now store the clay by wrapping them in the damp cotton rags and placing them into a covered dry bin.

States of Clay

Below are the basic states of clay in which I will work with:

Powder State: Clay powders are blended with water to create clay bodies, engobes or mixed with glaze for decoration. Interesting!

Slip(slurry): The slip is made of clay that is saturated with water. Called the "slippery-doo-dah" in our pottery class, it is as runny and slippery as its nickname suggests. It is my good friend when it comes to joining leather hard bits of clay together. In my own term, its my "glue" when I handbuild pots. Before applying slip on the surface I want to join, I will score the surface first to ensure that the two pieces will bite and create a stronger joint.

Plastic: Clay in this versatile state is used to for pinching pots, rolling and coiling, slab construction and wheel throwing. Its plasticity will depend on the amount of moisture it contains. To keep clay in a good working condition, I have to prevent it from drying out. The clay needs to be hydrated to make it more plastic. This can be done by adding water and leaving it overnight to allow the particles in it to become evenly saturated. Another method is to age it over a period of time to improve its plasticity.

Leather-Hard: This is clay that has begun to dry and though it already has form, it can still be manipulated to a certain degree, depending on the stage of hardness it is in. It has lost some of its plasticity but it can still be joined, carved and textured for decorative purposes.

Bone-dry: Clay in the bone-dry state is at a stage where it is ready to be fired. Moisture from the clay has evaporated out and it has lost all of its plasticity. If anything falls apart at this stage, chances are that it cannot be put back together anymore. At this fragile state, it pays to be careful. (and yes, I had to learn it through the hard way!)

Types of Clay

I learnt about the different types of clay and out of curiousity, dug up some information about the various types of clay. I nearly got buried by the information. There is a huge variety available, and you can even concoct your own custom blend of clay body. Mixing your own custom blend will require a lot of testing but you will be able to create your own unique effect. However, it is important to get your foundations right first before you start playing around. So not to digress too much, I'll narrow it back down to the types of clay mainly used in the pottery studio. Below is a general breakdown:
Earthenware: Garden pots are usually made out of red earthenware because of its porous quality. They can be glazed to be made waterproof for use in the kitchen. Red earthenware is the least expensive type of clay. White earthenware is costlier, but the finished product is ideal as tablewares or for decoration.

Stoneware: Has an gritty texture to it and like what its name suggests, it is dense and hard like stone when fired. It is basically stronger than the other clay types.


Porcelain: Porcelain are dense and vitreous when fired and they may even be translucent and glass-like if they are thin enough. They are commonly used to make dinnerware.

Preparing the Clay

I got introduced to clay that had been recycled. Unused pots are broken into little fragments and soaked in water. They are then left to decompose in the sun before they are soaked in huge, black rubbish bins again. Basically, I saw murky water with slimy caked up clay waiting beneath it. I drained the water off and sponged of any excess, leaving just the muddy stuff. With my bare hands, I soften the muddy stuff, squelching and squeezing the gooey stuff through my fingers. Lastly, I scoop a huge ball out (imaging a muddy snowball that stinks). It may sound like a fun way to get to know clay but it sure helps to dispel any last romantic thoughts I had of it. Clayball fights anyone?

Research

Books were aplenty to cover every single aspect in ceramic making. I chose a few and was introduced to the step-by-step methods through the picures and thorough explanations. Interesting! I see some potential in this.

Good Reads:
The Potter's Studio Handbook by Kristin Muller
Decorating Techniques by Joaqim Chavarria
Throwing Pottery Techniques revealed by Mary Chappelhow

The Basics:

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The First Lesson

Basically, I learnt about the objectives of the course and mainly, I found out about the process and tools involved in ceramics making. Its quite a mean feat. A niggling thought told me to wiggle my way out now before I get sucked in deeper but it was quickly doused out by my deepening curiousity. I've decided to know my enemy better and maybe we can become friends. Maybe. Now, I was more concerned about all the new terms I've learnt.

The Fear

Fear was the first feeling to compound inside me when I got to know that somehow, I've been enlisted into a ceramics course. I had signed up for a 3D art course, but the first lesson inducted me unwittingly into an area I've tried to avoid. Of course I love challenges but this, I felt was beyond me.

A lot of negative thoughts ran through my mind. I am pretty much a practical person person. How would this course benefit me when I could hardly afford the time or patience to indulge in this form of art. Frustration began to take its seat beside my fear. How could I ever learn something that I couldn't even begin to like?

It dawned on me then that this must be how some of my students may feel when I teach them a subject that they are weak in or even hate. If anything, this was worth the shot for my students. If I could overcome this fear, then perhaps, I could help them overcome any of theirs. And so, the much reluctant journey begins.

Wedging Clay

Wedging clay helps to remove air bubbles and it increases the plasticity of the clay. This is an essential process and if it's not done properly, say sayonara to your pot as trapped air bubbles will cause the pot to explode when it is fired. There are two basic ways to wedge the clay, namely the ox-head method and the spiral method.


The Ox-Head:

•Place a mound of clay on the workbench

•Hold the sides of the clay

•Using your palms, push the clay downwards and away from your body

•Roll the clay back towards you in a smooth rocking motion.

•Repeat this rocking motion. 

The Spiral:

•Place hands on the sides of the rounded mound of clay

•Use your right hand to push down on the clay as you roll it towards your body.

•Use your left hand to hold and rotate the clay, pushing against the rolling force.

•Use your upper body weight to facilitate this motion.

•Use your left hand to lift and pivot the clay anti-clockwise while your right hand pushes the clay downwards.

•Rotate the clay and compress it against the workbench to remove the air bubbles.