HOW MY POTTERY IS MADE:
There are many types of clay used in pottery making depending on the type and size of the piece being made. I use medium fire clay (cone 6) which produces stoneware when fired. The clay comes in a variety of colors and textures.
There are 7- steps in creating one beautiful piece of pottery;
1) Preparation of the clay by wedging or kneading the clay before it is placed on the wheel.
2) "Throwing" or "Hand Building the piece.
3) Trimming or carving the piece once the clay becomes leather hard.
4) Now the piece must dry completely. This can take up to several days depending on the size and the thickness of the piece.
5) The piece is ready to be put in the kiln for the bisque firing. This is a slow fire that takes approximately 10 hours reaching a temperature of 1887 degrees. This hardens the clay so it can be handled easily for glazing. The piece will not hold liquid at this point and is not safe to serve food in.
6) Next, I Glaze by dipping and/or hand painting the piece. There must be 3 good coats of glaze applied allowing each coat to dry before the next coat is added.
7) Back to the kiln for the final firing. This is the glaze firing or high firing. The temperature will reach 2164 degrees and will take 15 hours. Now the piece is food, dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. Almost indestructible, just don't drop it.
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