on the potters wheel…. not at someone. This weekend, as part of my regular Saturday morning pottery classes, we are going to be discussing plates! Plates are the potters canvas and they’re good to eat off of as well!
I will be showing how to throw a standard dinnerware type plate and discuss how to throw multiples of the same object. The discussion will also cover throwing more sculptural plates that are intended to be on the wall as opposed to the table. Part of this demonstration will cover how to trim plates for functional use as well as making some accommodation for hanging on the wall.
When I started the online classes last month, someone asked me about demonstrating how to do lettering on clay. My response was that I am not very good at that, but I know someone who is, and thus the idea for a guest artist was born! Beth hasn’t done this workshop since 2014, but she’s definitely been doing some fine work since then, and I feel fortunate to have her on my Saturday Morning get together!
We will begin by looking at a few slides of historical and contemporary uses of lettering and slip decorating on ceramics. I will discuss Expressive Typography and we will examine letterforms. I will demonstrate the techniques I use for designing with text and the slip decorating techniques of trailing, painting, scraffito and inlay. We can discuss tools, clay, recipes and colourants.
Bio: Beth is a potter who especially enjoys making teapots and mugs embellished with text and pattern. Her pieces are formed on the potters’ wheel and decorated with coloured slips of her own formulation. The slips are painted and trailed onto, or carved into, the surface of each pot by hand; a technique which adds texture and makes the surface decoration an integral part of the form. Beth’s pots are a pleasure to use and elevate the everyday rituals of eating and drinking.
Beth is also a teacher of pottery and a creativity coach. Beth works and teaches at her own studio: Turning Bull Pottery, in Nairn, Ontario, Canada. Her passion for clay and life inspires others. Beth’s mission is to make the world a more beautiful place, both by creating exquisitely handcrafted objects and by helping people to bring their own creative passion to fruition.
