SLAB CONSTRUCTION

To build a slab construction, you first need to roll out your clay on the slab roller, place it into a plastic bag, seal it, and leave it to set, dry up, and harden so that it will be able to stand. Slab construction, in this case, must be at least ten inches high.

A week after, you can begin to cut out your template of the construction you wish to make. After cutting out your template, it's best to imprint your design now. I used a plumeria leaf as a design for my slab. Now you will need to slice all the sides of the clay with a 45 degree angle; therefore, when you combine all four pieces together, they will flush perfectly together. Before applying slip to the sides of the clay, you must score the edges so that the clay and slip will hold each other into place. Then you can stand your pieces, and join them together. Carefully pinch the sides together so that there is no cracks.

After it has been fired, you can begin to glaze the piece. I glazed the leaf design with a satin-green glaze and then applied wax resist. When the wax resist has dried, I dipped the vase into a yellow glaze, so that the whole vase, including the inside, will be yellow. You will notice that the yellow glaze did not mix with the green glaze because of the use of wax resist.

In to the kiln it goes for firing one last time, and then my slab construction will be finished.

TEAPOT AND TEACUPS

Making a teapot set out of clay may seem easy, but there is actually a lot of steps to it. Every piece contained in a teapot has to made individually and then joined together with slip. First, I made a simple pinch pot with a flat foot. Then I made a spout and joined it to the edge of the pinch pot using slip. The cover for my teapot was made separately and dried separately. On the cover, I made a handle out of coils and joined it with slip onto the teapot cover.

Making teacups is actually the easy part of this construction. I simply made small pinch pots with flat foots. Basically, my teacups resemble shot glasses.

After everything has been fired, I glazed the teapot and spout with a pink glaze. And the cover and handle with a gray glaze. For the teacups, I glazed the inside of the cups with the same gray glaze I used for the teapot cover. After the glaze had dried, I applied wax resist to the glaze; therefore, when I glaze the outside of the teacups with a pink glaze, it will not mix with the gray glaze.

In to the kiln it goes for firing one last time, and then my teapot and teacup construction will be finished.

COIL CONSTRUCTION

To make coil constructions, you would need to roll out your coils first, or place it into the coil maker for perfect, smooth coils. Once you have made your coils, start by making a foot for your pot. I decided to make a flat foot that will sit on any flat surface. Next, you take your first layer of coils, apply slip to both the coil and the foot and combine them together. Depending on the shape of your pot, it will matter how you place the layers of coils on top of each other. Every layer of coils should be joined with slip, therefore the pot will hold together. You could also do different techniques with the coils, such as twisting it, braiding it, making chain links, or even making swirls that'll stand out as a decoration to the pot. I decided to make a triangle coil construction as a place to keep my keys, or hair ties, or even my jewelry.

After it has been fired, I glazed the foot first with a glossy-black glaze, then the rest of the coils with a chrome-green glaze. Wax resist was needed for the inside foot so that the glaze for the coils does not mix with the glaze for the foot.

In to the kiln it goes for firing one last time, and then my coil construction will be finished.

DOUBLE PINCH POT

To create a double-pinch pot, you simply create two pinch pots and join the two pots together at the opening with slip. Slip is used as paste that'll hold the two pinch pots together. On one side of the pot, where a foot could be created, cut an opening on the pot. On the other end, you could choose to create a foot or leave the foot flat for it to sit on a flat surface. This kind of pot would generally be used as a vase.

Now, it's time to decorate the double-pinch pot. For my design, I rolled coils into swirls and attached it to the pot using slip once again.

After it has been fired, I glazed the swirls first with a maroon glaze, then the rest of the double-pinch pot with a sandy-brown glaze. No wax resist was needed this time.

In to the kiln it goes for firing one last time, and then my double-pinch pot will be finished.

PINCH POT

The first step to making a pinch pot is to cut off a good chunk of clay, depending on the size you desire, and begin to compress it into a ball to get rid of all the air bubbles. While holding the clay with one hand, gently press you thumb into the ball while slowly spinning it. This will create an indentation. As you slowly do this process, you'll notice that your ball will turn in to a bowl. Continue to shape and press on the pot until you have made the pot you desire.

To create a foot, on the opposite side of the pot, make a ring with your index finger and thumb around  the edge, pushing the clay in making another indentation. Then you can create the foot you desire; I chose to make a raised foot.

Now, it's time to decorate your pot. For my pinch pot, i chose to carve a simple pattern of vertical stripes for my design.

After it has been fire, I glazed the inside of my pot first. Applied wax resist to it. Then dipped the whole pot into another color.

In to the kiln it goes for firing again, and then my pinch pot is finished.