The Making
Making pottery is a great way to unwind your mind and relax, get creative, and have a chance to smear earthy colours into a mundane life.Â
Let’s delve into the process of making beautiful stoneware pottery.Â
We start with sourcing clay. We develop a unique formula of stoneware clay (white body or brown body clay) using different components like ball clay, fire clay, and kaolin, which is aged and wedged, followed by the moulding process.
Wedging
Wedging may be one of the least liked but critical parts of the pottery-making process. In this process, we remove any air from within the clay by kneading. We need to prepare the clay so that we can successfully create the product we desire. It is the process of removing any air from within the clay.
Throwing
It is the technique of shaping round ceramics using a potter’s wheel. The ‘throwing’ is the shaping part. The wheels constantly turn, either triggered by a foot or motor, meaning the clay and the pot rotate so you can mould it into your desired shape with your two hands.Â
Trimming
Trimming pottery, love or hate it, transforms a weighty earth-bound pot into one that is a pleasure to hold, look at, and use. We must carefully trim the excess clay at the bottom of the vessel to refine or redefine its shape
Pulling Handles
A beautiful handle makes or breaks the cup. Making a perfect handle is an ongoing quest, and getting closer to it takes long hours of patience. The process involves gentle pulling to create a smooth shape that will look perfect on your pot.
Bisque Firing
Bisque firing transforms unfired bone-dry clay from its fragile state to a porous and durable form for the second firing stage. The raw pieces (Greenware) are left to bone dry for a few days and then bisque fired.
Glazing Pottery
Followed by which the art of glazing comes to play. It is a specialised way of beautifying and strengthening the clay.Â
Glaze Firing
After glazing the biscuit pieces, they are fired up to 1300 degrees Celsius and then left to cool down to give you the earthy products you see finally.