The Process, an Overview 

The beautiful pieces you see in our gallery bear little resemblance to the clay they originated from weeks and months before.  Many changes occur during the journey from lump of clay to the finished piece on your table.  The following is an overview of the process. 

After wedging the clay to insure uniform throughout, the potter literally “throws” the clay onto the wheel and applies water and pressure to center the clay.  Once centered, the potter opens the clay by creating a depression in the center, slowly widening the hole.  Now the sides are pulled and teased upward into whatever shape the potter chooses.

When the piece is done, it is allowed to dry to the leather hard stage.  Then it is trimmed, lids fitted, handles added, and decoration applied as desired.  The pot is now set aside until it is completely bone dry.

The greenware (unfired clay) pot will remain very fragile, easily broken, and of little use unless it goes through the fire.  In the bisque firing, all the remaining moisture is driven off and the tiny particles of clay begin to change to stone.  

Bisque ware is much less fragile than unfired clay, but is still unusable as functional pottery.  Glaze and decoration, if desired, must be applied and the piece fired a second time.  During the glaze firing, the clay matures to dense stone and bonds chemically with the glaze, resulting in pottery which is durable, chip-resistant, and waterproof.

The finished pot is now ready for use in your home.  The pot’s configuration, decoration, and unique glazes  form the artist’s distinctive signature to her work.  Her fingerprints are found on every piece.  

For a more detailed explanation of each step in the process, please check the following pages.

Clay and Glazes      Throwing      Trimming      Firing