“Yea, so it’s, like, kind of high-end decorative pieces. I’m not sure what the style is called, no. I basically throw on the wheel then usually add stuff to it. Sort of sculptural, but not really. Yea, like I said, I didn’t really go to school for art so I’m not too familiar with the styles of pottery, I just kinda do it.”
That’s the super awkward answer you would get when asking me what kind of pottery I made. Best case scenario, they’d just ask to see a picture instead of letting me ramble. Or sometimes they would just smile and nod their heads pretending they knew what I was talking about.
“Throwing” is kind of a confusing term for creating pottery on the potter’s wheel. I’m not sure who came up with it, but I don’t think they understood the confusion it would bring.
When people ask how I make a piece (usually referring to one of the more intricate ones) I tell them that, first, I throw it on the wheel. Which if it’s someone not familiar with the process, I usually get a pretty weird look proceeded by an, “oh, you put it on that spinner thing.”
Secondly, I mold whatever the texture might be, (say, the little flowers used in the upside-down bouquet pieces) then attach it to the original vessel made on the wheel. The word ‘mold’ also tends to be confusing. So, instead I say I “sculpt” the little flowers and put them on there. Which gets the point across, but technically isn’t true. Sculpting usually refers to carving away, not adding to. What I am actually doing is molding shapes by pushing/stretching around the clay into the desired form. Not to be confused with another type of molding which is when clay is pressed into a mold to create a shape or pattern.
This pottery business gets a little confusing, huh?
Some potters stick to hand building, meaning they don’t first throw on the wheel. I do this too, but in rare cases. This process usually involves slab rolling, (rolling out chunks of clay into thin slabs using a rolling pin or something like it) coiling, (rolling clay into long coils then layering coils on top of one another to build a vessel or other object) or simply maneuvering chunks of clay by adding pieces together or sculpting away. Basically creating anything without using the wheel as the first part of the process.
I am still focused on form rather than color in this stage of my career, so I continue do a blend of everything. But for any of you who’ve been unlucky enough to hear my awkward spiel, I hope this helps to clear up some things!