Make a three-piece Vase

Make a three-piece Vase
By Andrea Perisho


While attending a workshop at the Art League of Marco Island in Florida, I saw Mark Issenberg create his signature piece: a vase, thrown into three pieces, embellished with decorative handles and ash fired. The manufacture of the vase is described in the following process.

A three-piece
Wheel-thrown vase
First, take 4 pounds of clay to form a bulge of about 9 inches high with a bowl-shaped bottom. Leave enough space comfortably in your hand in the pot. Leave the attachment to the bat and set aside to strengthen leather flexible drive. The play must be dry enough to support the upper part, but still quite soft to handle. Watch carefully drying (avoid areas for projects to prevent uneven drying).


Form body: Launching a 4-pound ball of clay to form a bulge of about 9 inches tall. Measure the opening with calipers. Set aside util leather drive.

Tip: Mark works with two throwing buckets of water, a bucket for each share of each side of the wheel head. This will avoid bumping the cast.
When the body section of the vase is well rigid, open a 1 ½ - pound ball of clay throughout the surface of the bat, moving outward to form a solid ring. This piece will head the mud and is thrown upside down. Use a scratch side waive any excess clay, which remains on the stick in the ring. Raising the wall, while leaving the basic thick enough to strengthen and emphasize the high board. Using calipers to measure the upper part of this exhibit, which will be turned upside down on the body of the vase. This measure should be slightly larger than the opening at the top of the vase body laid earlier. Cut the piece with a braided wire cut, while leaving the bat.
Place the body of the vase and his bat still fixed on the wheel head. Adjust if the play left centre. Score and moisten the rim using drag. Turn the second bat with the top on him, upside down and very carefully (as it has already been reduced bulk of the bat) place on the upper body. Remove the stick of the upper part. Adjust the alignment between the two sections, carefully moving the top piece closest to the centre as possible.


Mark Issenberg assembles wheel-thrown parties to create a classic vase.

Use your fingers inside and outside the vase and, with the wheel turning very slowly, pull the top down on the rim of the body, smoothing the joint between the two tracks l inside and outside the room. Be careful not to touch the top edge, so there is no damage to the design of the Cup braid. The upper body and are now together.
Cut the piece of the bat, the plastic cover and set aside to dry through hard leather - usually at night. The play must be dry enough to be turned upside down without damaging the design on the top rim, but wet enough to remove the very bottom of the vase.


Form up (from left to right): Open 1.5 pounds of ball clay bats, moving outward to form a solid ring. When reversed, this will be the top of the vase. Raising the wall until the top is slightly larger than the opening in the body (bottom). Cut up losing the bat using a braid.

Centre, tie securely, and cut the bottom of the pot to match the bowl-shaped interior. A score 2 - 3-inch circle in the centre of the back of the room and with wet pants. Place ¾ pounds a ball of clay on the centre of the bottom of the coin press and carefully in place. With the wheel turning very slowly, center of the clay using as little water as possible in order not to sweeten the pot. This step takes concentration, skill and practice.
After centre, open clay in the same manner as if you are to launch a new pot. Pull a wall and form the foot. Again, do not use much water or surface of the pot will be damaged by excess moisture. Set aside and allow this area to become leather drive. After the foot has hardened, turn the piece right side.

Attach the top and the body: With its bats still attached, put the body on the wheel head. Client and drag the rim. Turn the top piece upside down and place on the body (top). Turn the wheel slowly and use your fingers to reach the top to the body, then flatten the county (bottom). Dry leather drive. Place upside down on a bat and trim down to match the bowl-shaped interior.


Join up: Score, skating and a centre of books% clay ball in the middle of the body upended. Turn the wheel slowly and center of the clay on the foot (top). When focused, open clay using as little water as possible. Pull on clay and shape of feet (bottom).

You can now add decorative handles. One way to do this is the rolling a 3 x 4-inch block of clay. Roll a bit on the clay to create texture. Then, clay roll around a pencil or a small dowel rod with the texture outside. Drag clay on the pencil and attach the handle to the vase marking and using drag. You can also add texture around the shoulder of the vase, using stamps and / or a seam tracing wheel. Clean all unwanted marks or pieces of clay with a sponge.


Decoration: For decorative handles, a roller 3 x 4 - inch block of clay and wrap it around a pencil or dowel (top). Attach with slip (top right). Use of wooden stamps or other tools to add other decorations (below).

Wrap each vase several layers of plastic and set aside for several days to allow the moisture content of each section to equalize. Then remove the plastic and allow the piece to dry completely before firing.

Andrea Perisho has established Orchid Ceramics Inc River in southwestern Florida. She specializes in wheels and threw hand built raku pottery. She can be reached by e-mail: orchidriverpottery@worldnet.att.net







HOME NEWS PICTURE REVENUE contact links E-mail