CHAPTER 1
WHO CAN DO POTTERY?
Anyone can do pottery as long as they have some use of their
hands. If they have limited use of hands, tools can be adapted to
accommodate them. The use of clay can strengthen hands, arms, back, and
fine motor skills (need reference to physical therapy professional).
Small children to seniors love to play with clay.
WHAT DO YOU NEED: There are only three things you actually need:
- You need clay.
- You need your hands.
- You need to want to do something.
You don't even really need use of a
kiln. Just let the clay dry and then paint it. It will not hold water
and will be fragile but it will hold its shape for years if kept dry.
There are a lot more things you can use to make it more fun. Sometimes
it turns into a scavenger hunt. I still am on the look out for more
tools.
Let's go through the basic steps
in hand building!
- Collect the clay and tools you
need to get started.
- Wedge clay.
- Start forming the piece.
- Cover with plastic and let dry to
leather hard stage.
- Continue forming (at this point
you can still add parts).
- Texture, decorate, and clean up
piece.
- Cover loosely with plastic to
slowly dry.
- Underglaze if you want at this
point.
- Gently sand out imperfections
(handle very gently - this is the most fragile stage).
- When bone dry, bisque fire the
piece.
- Sand out any imperfections.
- Glaze.
- Final fire.
- Take out of kiln.
continue...
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