POTTERY FOR THE AMATEUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

POTTERY FOR THE AMATEUR.

FINISHING BUILT SHAPES. ARTICLE IV. After experimenting with your coils you will find that all sorts of interesting shapes can be built up in this way. These include ash trays, bulb bowls, flower pots, salt cellars, ink wells, eic. They may be decorated with incised lines or with raised ornaments. Handles may be added, also feet. In some cases to lend variety, the inner side only may be smoothed and welded, while on the outer side the coils may be left standing' out. You may make handles by joining several coils together, or you may form them from one larger piece of clay. If you wish to make a spout that must be done while the clay at the top of the jar or jug is quite soft. Moisten it a little more, using ycur sponge or soft rag. Now holding the piece between finger and thumb of left hand, with the forefinger of the right hand gently press and pull the clay towards you till you have formed your little spout. You may keep on moistening, pressing and pulling if you wish to make a larger spout, and may even add a little more clay in a tiny roll or in little pinches. You will never know what you can do till you try it out for yourself. Do not be afraid to try and try again. It is the royal road to learning in pottery. Plenty of patience and perseverance are needed, but the reward of exer-. cisinn; these qualities is great indeed. If when your pot is dry you find you do not like the shape, or if it has cracked or warped do not be afraid to try again. Put it aside and make another and yet another. Drop the discarded pots into some clean water, and when thoroughly soaked dry off the water and knead up the clay and wedge. It will be in still better condition for working next time.

Now for handles and feet. These must be made separately, and then stuck on. Xhev must be made and allowed to partially dry, or rather to dry so far as to allow them to be handled without going out of shape. Pot and handle should be as nearly as possible at the same stage of drying. If one is much drier than the other, they are very likely to come apart.

When sticking them together have ready some "slip" which is clay and water (the same clay of which pot and handles are made). Moisten the surface with water, roughen very carefully and thoroughly by scratching with tool (a nail or an old table fork will do this beautifully); now paint both surfaces with slip, press together very firmly, work over carefully with a tool and set aside to drv, after going over the whole pot in a tidying up process with tools and sponge or soft rag so as to leave no finger marks or rough corners.

Drying must be done slowly and evenly, "or the pots may crack or warp. Any decoration must be done while the clay is still fairly moist though firm.