Where I am today

Here it is, the finished product of my pinch pot!

The pinch pot came out exactly the way I wanted it to. Once I got to the line design, I knew how I wanted it to flow with the mix of curved lines, straight lines and dots. The scalloped edge gives good emphasis to the asymmetrical shape of the top.

But, as good as it turned out in the end, the clay did not always do exactly what I wanted it to. I had trouble getting the clay to curve out and back in again in a graceful way. If you would like an idea of how this pot used to look, refer back to "Pinch Pot: Vase, Week 1" (9/7/12).

To get the clay to behave the right way, I just kept smoothing it over and over, with one hand on the inside and one on the outside to ensure an even width. Putting water on my hands also helped to smooth and shape it.

Coming up next: a 7-inch tall coil pot! More surprises are in store for the top edge once I finish building it up to the optimum height...

Pinch Pot: Vase, Week 1

This is my first project in ceramics class so far, pinch pot in the shape of a vase. It is still in its developmental stages, but hopefully I will be able to fix the top section of it soon. 

I was able to make such a large pinch-vase because of a method called 'slip and score.' Slip and score connects two sections by making indents in the connecting edges of both parts and then putting 'slip,' or clay mixed with water, on the edges before sticking them together. The slip acts like a glue, sealing the two clay sections tightly together. If we did not use this method to connect our pots, there would be air bubbles or it would not fully connect and fall apart at some point. 

In order to make my pot symmetrical, I used a knife to cut the top at a slant the way I wanted it. I then started to round out the middle and turn out the edges, though that got a little bent in storage. Currently, it is not looking extremely symmetrical, but that can be easily fixed. When I originally drew out this pot, I meant for the top edge to be higher up then the bottom edge. That way, it isn't just another vase on the shelf.