Every wheel thrown pot comes from a cylinder. Vases are tall thin ones and plates are short fat ones but they all begin as a cylinder.

The cylinder is drawn to the desired height and then shaping begins.Cindy demonstrates throwing a dinner plate with the perfect profile rib.

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Here Cindy is throwing a large bowl.

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Excess water is removed from the bowl with a sponge which also smoothes the surface and contributes to the strength

of the finished bowl when it is in your kitchen environment.

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The freshly thrown bowl is then removed from the wheel and allowed to dry to a "leather hard" state

at which point it can be trimmed to remove excess clay from the bottom and establish a foot.

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Another method of throwing bowls is "Throwing off the Hump".

Cindy demonstrates trimming a bowl on the wheel.

Once the pot is trimmed it is again set on the shelf to dry. This will take several days for a bowl this size

as the drying rate must be carefully controlled to prevent cracking. We have found these bakers racks are

ideal for drying as they allow a uniform air flow around the pieces.

Plastic sheets enclose the shelves and are adjusted to control the drying rate.

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