This is an explanation of why I start off all my beginning students with handbuilding. Some students feel they may be wasting time on learning handbuilding techniques, but I think handbuilding is the FOUNDATION of working with clay.
This series is not meant to be a comprehensive course in ceramics. But since I've been making pottery and teaching clay courses for many years now, I want to share some of the insights I've gained. And by insights I mean things that I think make it easier to teach and to learn Clay Art. Wheel thrown pottery is always symmetrical. You can alter it on the wheel after throwing so that it's no longer symmetrical. Wheel throwing is essentially a production "sport", and an accomplished potter can throw many pots in quite a short period of time, repeating the same sizes and shapes over and over. This makes sense if you need to quickly produce 50 mugs, bowls, plates, pitchers or vases! But even if you envision yourself in the future to be wheel throwing exclusively, and your final goal is to be a throwing production potter - you will still benefit enormously from learning handbuilding techniques.
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PeggyI love to educate people about clay, and am passionate about how it works; joining it together, kneading it and making it do what you envision - and then firing it. BetsyI am Peggy's sister. I love what she does, and have set out to show off her work! I am the webmaster here at PTCA, and I write some blogs too. My background is in building a values-driven business. Archives
June 2018
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