Shauna Mulvihill on mon 21 apr 97
Tiggerbus wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have seen many potters in magazines throwing from large amounts of clay. How
>
>
Amy,
I can center at least 1.5 pugs of clay and 2 if I have been
practicing(-- about 30 lbs.). I don't know how large is large, but I
put the ball of clay on the wheelhead and beat it into center, wheel
turning slowly, with my fists and by slapping it. Then I throw as
usual. When my teacher first demonstrated this for me, however, he went
as far to bring it up into cone shape and down in the beating fashion,
AND opened up the center by pounding it that way. Then he threw in the
normal fashion. Now my teacher is a very big ex football player man,
with huge hands, but I have found that size nor strength control the
clay as well as
technique. He used to say that the person who could center the most
clay in the world was an 8 year old little girl. He was very serious
but I think he may have been "putting me on". Even so, I keep that
vision in mind, and I am sure if I worked at it, I could center even
more. I also try to envision the Eastern martial arts techniques,
remembering that size, weight, and strength are no match for the
fluidity, control, and training of the mind and philosophical body
(sounds weird?- its because I know NOTHING about martial arts-- but
thats what I think about anyhow!)
Also- this is very helpful for me: I can either do a lot of out of
breath work when I center a couple of pugs, or I can use a big cleanup
sponge to manipulate the clay with alot less effort. I grasp the end of
the sponge in my fist and press against the remaining sponge over the
outside knuckles and hand of the fist, pressing against the clay mass.
This also works especially well for spreading the clay out across the
wheel head for making very large platters...(If I haven't explained this
sponge thing in a percievable way, let me know and I'll try again).
Also, I have seen my teacher center a large amount of clay, and spread
it out, as if one were about to make a platter. He then took another
mass of clay and put it in the middle of the disc of clay he first
centered, working with the new amount as a separate piece, in order to
center it. He then spread the new amount to join the first, into one
mass of centered clay.
I am sure you have seen or heard or read about centering a large amount
of clay, throwing, and then continuing the form by adding coils,
throwing, adding coils throwing some more...and so on (letting the lower
portions set up before continuing to build and throw higher). There are
countless other ways to utilize the wheel by integrating other
hanbuilding and forming techniques...
Tiggerbus wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message------------------------
>I was taught to bring the clay up in a cone and center the inner part and then
>
Sorry, I don't know any thing about that. Maybe it's just the way I'm
reading it; I don't know!
Hope this helps...sorry so long.
Shauna in Ridgecrest, CA
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