The Wheel Throwing and Pottery Making Process

Making pottery on the potters wheel takes skill and control. There are several steps in the process which is briefly outlined in the images below. If you are just starting to throw pottery - be patient! Use less than a pound of soft clay, and learn to center the clay FIRST before moving on to the next step. If the clay in not centered the pottery piece will have a variable width wall and the top of the cylinder will be uneven.

All pieces begin as a cylinder and are shaped toward the end of the throwing process. I usually add some handbuilt element to my pottery pieces for visual interest. I enjoy exploring the plastic qualities of the clay. In the end it's fun seeing the end user curious enough to pick up the piece, hold and examine it.

I work in cone 5-6 stoneware and porcelain clay in an oxidation environment. Each piece is handcrafted, fired twice, the second time to 2185 degrees F (1220 C). Pieces take approximately one week, or longer to dry and it's best not to rush the drying or firing process. Firing pottery takes approximately 3 days. The temperature inside the kiln is heated and cooled very slowly. It takes typically 4 to 6 weeks to complete a pottery piece. Much care and love goes into making each creation.