Size Does Matter

I'm trying to set up a blog for the students at the pottery studio I take classes at.  I want it to be a group blog and I think I've finally figured it out.  I hope so.  I've spent a lot of today messing around with that blog...as well as this blog....because if you're reading this now, you can see it's in the very early stages of being a blog at all!  I had another blog a while back.  Not for pottery, but for jewellery.  I tried it.  Didn't like it that much.  The process took too long.  You didn't see any results for such a long time..and it was expensive.  Ridiculously so.   So it seems that clay just might be my thing!  I've been a seamstress, a jeweller, a quilter, a soap maker...tinker, tailor, candlestick maker (in fact, I did make candles for a bit!) and now it's pottery...and I know it was meant to be!

So I blogged.  I also threw a few mugs.  I'm determined to make more than one at a time and I'm attempting to make them similar in size and shape.  Of course it would have been easier to just throw a nice cylindrical mug..maybe a little flare at the lip...but noooooo, I decided I wanted to balloon the bottom two thirds and then define the lip..with a rib...leaving a little line. So far the shape isn't bad, but are they all the same?  Noooo...in fact, I've smashed two of them because there were so insanely huge   I do struggle with size.  I found a sheet that tells me how much clay to use and a size guide for various pieces.  5x3" make me one large mug.  Mine are close..or at least the opening is 3 3/4", but then it's fatter in the middle.  Hmmmm...I wish I was better at gauging the shrinkage.  I'm always amazed at how much smaller pieces are once they're dry and fired.  I'll find out soon enough!

I haven't even started on the handles!