Making a latte mug, Part 1: Throwing

Описание: Hi there! I'm back at the wheel, this time to show you how my latte mugs are made: first, a ball of clay weighing just about a pound and a half and brought over to the potter's wheel.
With the wheel turning, the dampened clay is first centered by being compressed downwards towards the middle of the wheel and then up, creating a soft cone. This shifts the center of the mass in line with the center of rotation and aligns the oblong clay particles, strengthening the structure of the clay body.

With the soft base of the thumb of one hand and the palm of the other, the clay is pressed back down to form an earthy cake. The tip of a finger locates the center of the rotating clay and presses down to the base, leaving just a few centimeters of thickness between the vessel’s floor and the plaster. A line is then drawn across the floor, opening up the piece.

Next, the clay that has been pushed to the edge is guided upwards with a delicate game of pressure between the fingertips of both hands. Starting from the base, each vertical pull stretches the clay upwards, giving it more and more height. A slight angle inwards is given to the growing cylinder to help fight against the centrifugal force of the spinning wheel.

Once the desired height is reached, the clay is opened up even more. With one hand reaching in while pressing outwards and the other guiding in parallel gestures on the outside of the clay, curve and character are given to the form.

A rib is used to remove excess slip and grain caused by the pads of the fingertips, smoothing out the surface of the piece and giving it a silky finish. A sponge is gently run along the lip for a soft rounded edge and a preliminary foot is trimmed off the base, uncovering the rough draft of the final silhouette.

Still firmly attached to the plaster bat, the piece is removed from the wheel head and set aside. Draped with a cotton cloth, it will slowly stiffen as moisture evaporates, over hours or days depending on its size.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Trimming!

To order these mugs or any other Studio Laroche pieces, visit: www.studiolaroche.com

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