How to Make Pottery (IN a Nutshell)
Pottery starts with a piece of damp clay. To make something on the potter's wheel, you form the clay into a ball, slap it in the centre of a potter’s wheel, and shape it while the wheel is turning. Pottery made on the wheel is always cylindrical (more or less, depending on the skill of the potter!) When the clay is shaped, you take it off the wheel and let it air dry slowly for at least a week, then fire it in a kiln. When the piece comes out of the kiln it is called “bisque-ware”. When it cools down, you can cover most of the surface with a glaze, and here you can be as artistically creative as you like. You can’t cover all the surface, because if you do the glaze will stick to the shelf it is sitting on, so potters usually leave the bottom of the piece unglazed. After glazing you fire the piece again, and if you are using stoneware, this time it is fired to a much higher temperature than the first firing. About a day after the firing the kiln will be cool enough to open, and you have a finished piece of handmade pottery. That’s it in a nutshell.
There are many websites that describe in greater detail how pottery is made, but the best way to find out is to try it -- why not find a local potter or potter's guild, or check with a nearby college about courses? It really is fun! And if you're lucky enough to be on Manitoulin Island, you can get started right here in Mindemoya!
