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The steps involved in pottery are simple, but actually shaping the clay into a work of art takes practice and experience.
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Potter Paul Bradford demonstrates how pottery is thrown: - First, the clay is wedged to remove all of the air bubbles. This is done by repeatedly rolling and reshaping the clay on a hard surface.
- The clay is then slammed down in the center of a pottery wheel and is hit a few times to seat the clay --hence, the name "throwing".
- Bradford dips his hands in water before beginning. The clay must be kept moist as it is worked with.
- As clay is spinning on the potter's wheel, a process called coning -- in which the clay is shaped into a cone and then flattened -- is performed a few times to eliminate any remaining air bubbles.
- After this process has been completed, the wheel is stopped and then restarted at a higher speed.
- As the clay is shaped, Bradford uses a pottery needle to check the thickness of the bottom of the piece.
- To shape the pot, Bradford positions his hands at the "five o'clock" position and uses his fingertips (one hand inside the pot, one on the outside) to slowly pull the pottery up as it spins.
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