Cylinders, Lids, Cats, Batts and Galleries

Sun,snow, spring. With daffodils up and fruit trees blossoming, one could be forgiven for thinking its spring already . Twenty years ago I worked as a nurseryman, growing natives and grafting rhodies and stuff, and for the first time the strangest thing happened. Many species of plants that only flower once a year began to flower twice a year and now while I look out the office window I think to myself I have never known a Dunedin winter with so many cloudless days. Roll on summer.                                                              

A good sized cylinder using three pounds of clay. Like a bare canvas or a fine piece of marble, awaits a human touch to give it color and form. From here I will roll over the top then add the gallery for the lid.

A good deep gallery with no sharp edges and curved rim.

I prefer to throw on a wooden bat whenever possible, as I despise the grey metal oxide the aluminium wheel heads release in abundance.

Throwing lids off the hump.

Spurf (short for Sir Purrflous) content and able to make the best of any situation, contemplates...nothing much.                                   

Measuring gallery with calipers.If working with 3 pounds of clay for example I'll measure and document sizes so lids are of a standard size.This makes it possible to replace broken parts and throw lids the next day with out being concerned about shrinkage

A view of the water supply at the back of the shack. The horses won't drink it and neither would I but it seems OK to wash up in.

A dinner plate.

and a soup bowl. A good way to mix it up a little and keep my throwing fresh is to spend a day throwing bowl, cylinder and bowl forms. Whereas I often spend a day or a week throwing bowls for example, even this has no limits to size, shape the curl of the lip or the turning of the foot.

Over the last couple of weeks I have enjoyed looking over other people's pottery blogs. Its great to be able to see whats going on, not only globally but what potters have been doing over the last twenty four hours and even over the last several years notably Ang Design blog and Joy Tanner Pottery blog. Nice work guys. Have a nice week.