Process… it’s such a bland word for a really amazing set of steps used across a bazillion art forms. If you think of a better word for this, let me know, okay?
Anyway, many of you ask me often about the steps used to make the pots here in Spiral Tide Pottery so I thought I’d let you in on the process of making each pot that leaves the studio doors.
First, we start with a 1/8th inch thick slab.
I used to roll them out by hand, it was meditative and calming to send that rolling pin over and over and over and over the clay… however, it took AGES and I quickly found that the wear on my wrists & shoulders was adding up.
After much deliberation, Studio Manager and I decided to invest in a slab roller and what an amazing difference it has made. Since the arrival of ‘Lola, the SlabRolla’ production has been able to speed up while wear on my body has lessened.
Best. Investment. Ever!
After the clay slab is rolled out, it gets textured with various tools, handmade stamps and found objects to create the surfaces that work best for the glaze I mix (my glaze needs break points and pooling areas to work it’s best magic so texture is crucial).
After texture is added to the slab it is trimmed to size for the pots I’m making using a template I’ve created out of paper first to test it out then it’s cut from very hard card stock to last a bit longer. Sometimes only one template is needed for a pot, sometimes it’s multiple… this teapot form for example has 4 parts to it.
The slab parts are then left to set up a bit after being cut out. If I try to rush this part the slab turns to a floppy mess covered in fingerprints so this is when a tea break happens or I move over to previous slabs that have been setting up while making these new pots.
When it’s timed right, there’s always something needing done and not a moment of ‘down time’… 8 hours can go by in a flash and only the grumbling of my stomach or the urgent need to pee can make time stop again. It’s both beautiful and a bit dangerous to lose track of time that completely so I’m working on having a break becoming part of the fabric of my studio days rather than an afterthought.
I’ll let you know in the next post how I’m doing with that ;o)
Until next time, be well.
