Step Three:

Am I Making A Donut Or What?
Or, How To Open and Pull Up Clay On The Potter's Wheel

After you have centered, brace your body, lock your upper arms into your torso. Place your fingers on the outside of the mound and aim both touching thumbs straight down into the center of the clay. You want to push them straight down and stop about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Give a few water drops and move your hands apart simultaneously. Watch the bottom as move your thumbs across it and you will make a smooth "floor".

By using a moistened, natural ear sponge held by your right hand, you can now begin the process of "knuckling-up" your walls. The sponge will create lubrication and allow you to cut down your water usage. Notice the amount of water splash on the head. Lower your hands down into the low cylinder, squeeze your fingers firmly together and slowly lift as the wheel turns gently.

Let the spin of the wheel do the work, your hands are just the guides. Notice that my left hand is cupped around the top, helping it to raise and keeping the top half stable and centered. The active contact area is my right knuckle and my left index finger. The longer you can keep both hands touching during any stage of throwing, the easier time you will have. This is a whole body, mind experience. Your brain will automatically understand what is going on with the clay if it knows the spatial relationship of both hands. Who said potters are touchy-feely types?

After each sucessfull pull, even out the top rim. This will help keep your pot centered. You should not have to needle-cut off the tops of pots, at least, not that often. Holding the sponge over the top and allowing the clay to just turn in your fingers will do the trick. Just in case you didn't get the whole idea.

By pushing your outside index finger into the bottom against the head and extracting a small undercut, you can start an easier pull. Squeeze and raise the wall, keeping it in a cylinder shape. The natural inclination is for the clay to start spreading out at the top from the centrifical force created by the wheel turning. Resist this by finger placement. Keep your pressure points of your inside and outside fingers while you are pulling up on a parallel level.

Now you have a cylinder. Make a habit of pulling back from your work and seeing what it looks like from different angles. Be brave, it's only clay. Cut it apart and look at your work. You can do it again, no problem.

This is the only way to understand what is going on inside. If you can't make a cylinder, you can't have any pudding. Make sure your walls are nice and even and that your bottom is flat. The slower you raise your hands, the tighter the ribbing lines. On to Step 4.

Demonstration, courtesy Christine Winokur, patient photos by Jason Winokur

Wheel used: Creative Industries, Clay Boss, Clay used: New KPS 235 Schoolhouse Buff Stoneware

Step 4

Am I Ready To Make A Bowl, Yet?
Or, How To Spread The Clay Into An Open Bowl Shape.

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