Since my last sets of Vases have sold out I decided to focus again on shape and design. These two beauties are oval in shape, about 14-16 inches Tall. The design is again something that my Grandma hand made and I used that slab roller to imprint her design in the clay.
The details that my grandmother was able to get into cloth is amazing to me but dollies and such are not something I want to display in my home at the moment. Still I enjoyed her work and wanted to use her designs in something I was interested in CLAY.
I like the different patterns that she was able to do and want to reflect that in the clay. I used only white stone ware prior to the last set of vases and I am branching out into some brown stoneware as well. I’ll post the finished glazed pieces in a few days so stay tuned!
I’m otta here……
Categories: Bisque and Green Pieces · TIPS · Vases
Tagged: desings in clay, pottery, stoneware, Vases
Ah the never ending challenge of throwing Plates on a wheel only to have them warp when drying,bisque firing or worse yet the last stage Glaze firing. I seem to have designed a system that works for me with little warping. This system also allows for repeat designs and consistently thrown plates.
Here’s the secret TIP! I throw a plate that I like in shape and design. Something that I would like to repeat for a dinner set. I than make a mold from the plate so I can repeat the same shape,design for the matching set.
Steps to throwing repeat Dinner set Plates:
1. Throw a plate on the wheel and let it dry. 
2. Take that plate and make a mold from it using pottery plaster and a frame for the plate to hold the plaster in while it drys. I use a ROUND mold shape/frame so that it will fit on my wheel. You can also buy a plastic mold http://www.bigceramicstore.com/supplies/SlumpHump.htm would be an example of some slump/hump molds. You are limited in their design tho and if you throw your own plate, well it will be your design only not really reproduced by anyone else.
3. When the mold is dry in a few hours, I use a bat as a stencil and poke through the holes for the bat pins on the bottom of my mold. That way it will sit on my wheel head while I throw a foot for a plate,etc. If the bottom is uneven you can sand it to get a smooth bottom or just use a layer of clay on the wheel head for the mold to stick too and a better fit.
4. Than I use a slab of clay and drape it over the mold attached to my wheel head and throw a foot. I take the mold/bat off the wheel head and let the plate dry just like that. The air and plaster seem to allow for same or even drying so no warping or cracking.
5. I bisque fire the plates when completely dry and I use plate setters for the larger plates that do not fit on a half shelf. I will fire two plates rim to rim in a bisque firing but only one plate at a time, on a plate setter, in a glaze firing.
This system seems to work for me. Good Luck!
Categories: Dinner plates · Functional Pottery · TIPS · equipment
Tagged: no warping plates, plates, pottery tip, stoneware, throwing repeat plates
Since my last sets of Vases have sold out I decided to focus again on shape and design. These two beauties are oval in shape, about 14-16 inches Tall. The design is again something that my Grandma hand made and I used that slab roller to imprint her design in the clay.
The details that my grandmother was able to get into cloth is amazing to me but dollies and such are not something I want to display in my home at the moment. Still I enjoyed her work and wanted to use her designs in something I was interested in CLAY.
I like the different patterns that she was able to do and want to reflect that in the clay. I used only white stone ware prior to the last set of vases and I am branching out into some brown stoneware as well. I’ll post the finished glazed pieces in a few days so stay tuned!
