This semester I took a wheel throwing class at Middle Tennessee State University. Here’s some of my work!

The first project was cylinders. We learned how to wedge, throw, and center the clay on the wheel. Once the pots were leather-hard, we trimmed off the excess clay with a surform.

After trimming, the clay was fired the first time in the kiln to produce bisqueware. I planned out my glaze combinations with sticky notes.

After glazing, we fired the pots a second time. I was pleased with how the colors turned out! All of these were twice-dunked in cone 6 glazes. My favorites were yuh tile (mint blue) and sapphire.

Our next project was bowls. We learned how to make a raised foot ring, as well as trim on the wheel. One of the challenges while making the foot ring was not trimming through the bottom. As you can see, I had some experience with this.

Trimming through the bottom of a pot is considered a rite of passage in the pottery world.

I tried a few cone 10 glazes, which had to be fired at a higher temperature in the gas kiln.

Here are some of my favorite results!

After bowls, we moved to vases and pitchers. The teacher encouraged us all to keep a sketchbook to research other artists and collect ideas.

I found the vase form to be more challenging than cylinders and bowls, but it was fun experimenting and making lots of work. We also learned how to pull and attach handles.

I carved designs on some of my pitchers and vases to add aesthetic appeal as well as decrease the overall weight.

Bisqueware pitchers and vases ready to be glazed.

Finished vases, pitchers, jars, cups, mugs, and cups.

Although wheel throwing was a lot of work, I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a lot. One of my favorite quotes from the teacher was, “Slow is fast.” This class encouraged me to slow down, enjoy the process, and recognize failures as opportunities in disguise. Please enjoy more pictures of pitchers, jars, vases, and cups.