So excited, I have been talking about making more instructional videos for the past three years… finally they are here! The first of the series is all about learning how to make mugs and handles. This is a series focusing on three different styles of mugs, with three different types of handles.

I made a little video the other day on how I throw these little cups off of a hump of clay. Centering a small piece of clay from the larger lump of clay makes the process go a little faster when throwing clay that is a pound or less. I want these cups to have loose gestural lines that show the movement, fluidity and the softness of the clay.

So you’ve made a beautiful little creamer, or gravy boat, or large pitcher. The spout is high enough above the rim of the pot to give it some grace, and to allow for it to properly function. The only problem is how to trim the darn thing! This can be a real obstacle when trying to put the finishing touches on a pitcher.

Learning pottery at the wheel can be really difficult. It takes good eye hand coordination and lots of patience. Students learning pottery these days have plenty of information at their finger tips through Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. When I was learning back in the 1980’s we had books.

Every couple of semesters I have my pottery students make a pot at the potters wheel while blindfolded. This is always a fun night with lots of giggles, which quickly turns into serious business once the hands touch the clay.

How do you make a lid from an enclosed form on the potters wheel? This is a question I get asked often when people see my salt cellars and sugar jars. I've made a new "Quick Pottery" video on the first step to making the enclosed form.