Coil Pot

This small pot was an introduction to the technique of coil pots. I was completely new to this form of ceramics and this was my first try using it. By rolling out coils or strands of clay, we are able to stacks them on top of each other in order to create the desired shape of the piece. For the first try, I stuck with a very simple, basic shape to get a hang of the technique. This cylindrical pot is about a half-inch thick, meaning that was approximately the width of each coil. The most challenging and time-consuming portion of this coil technique was blending together the different levels of coils after stacking them. In order to make the right shape, the coils had to be deliberately placed in order for the pot to grow in or out. After every three or so coils I used my fingers and a wooden tool to smooth out and blend together both the inside and outside of the pot. Keeping the coils the same, or close to the same size each time was also essential to the structure of this piece to be what I had hoped. While the majority of my coils were made by hand, I also used the clay press machine with the circular shapes at the end in order to make more slabs quicker and more even.

After finishing with the shape, all smoothed out, I used a carved tool to create the texture and pattern on the outside. I didn't want a too complex idea, so I like that this one is still very simple but looks cool. I chose a light green, almost lime shade of glaze for this piece. I applied 3 layers of glaze and after being fired and finalized I really like it. I like the strength and sturdiness of it and I think that for my first time trying a coil pot it turned out pretty good. This helped me be more patient with clay and also to trust the process because, in the beginning, it was hard to imagine it turning into anything I would like.