Back in the saddle again - throwing pots!

I began my relationship with clay on a pottery wheel, way back in high school. My first 2 years in college were devoted to learning the basics and spending as much time as possible in the pot shop. But then I transferred to Alfred University's College of Ceramics, and my clay inclinations moved towards wall sculpture and hand building. That led me to tile making and that's where I've been for....well, a really long time. But I've had a wheel in my own little studio space for a long time and I'll occasionally throw a pot or two. That was until last summer when a friend asked if I would teach her daughter how to throw. I dusted off my wheel and began to throw again, and although it hasn't come back as easily as riding a bike, I'm finally remembering things I used to know.

My student, Alli, visits me once a week after school and we just enjoy clay in any way that grabs her on that particular day. But I've been making a habit of throwing for about an hour after she leaves, and I'm beginning to think I might just have to find more time than that.

Over the last few weeks my goal has been to make small ice cream bowls for all my nieces and nephews for Christmas. My first 10 bowls have come out of the bisque and they look as though they might hold one tiny scoop....oh well, back to the drawing board.

Set up to throw some small bowls.

Bowls that will hopefully hold a whole ice cream sundae!

I'll trim them tomorrow and glaze them next week. I'm looking to use bright colors on top of a glossy clear on the interior of the bowls, and I might even play with some decal over the glazes. I'll use the tiny first bowls I made as testers. Now this will be fun that I might get addicted to!!