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Pottery is one the oldest artforms and pottery making has been practiced in all area of the world. Pottery began as ancient peoples struggled to find ways to cook food and store and carry water, but went on to a form of art as people began creating vases and dishes for more decorative uses. Pottery has also been important in many religions, holding sacrificial materials or ointments. Today most pieces of pottery are created as things of beauty and most people find making them to be fun and relaxing.
There are many ways of shaping pottery to meet your specific desires, but before you begin, make sure to prepare your clay by pressing and squeezing it with your hands to soften it and remove air bubbles. The easiest way of making pottery is, of course, pinching clay into small bowls called Pinch Pots. This simple method is most common among children just learning to shape clay.
A more advanced method is called coiling. First you take a piece of clay and flatten it to form a base. Then you roll the rest of your clay into long strips. Dip your fingers in water and wet the edge of your base piece slightly before putting down the first strip of clay. Every time you put clay on top of clay moisten it to make it stick together. Once you have your pot built to the desired height, wet your fingers again and smooth the inside flat. You may also want to smooth the outside and mold it into differing widths.
The slab method of pottery uses flat pieces of clay, usually square or rectangular, to form box structures. You first cut your slabs of clay in the size you want and allow them to harden slightly to make them easier to handle. You then wet the edges and, using one slab as a base, attach the other slabs at right angles.
By using molds you can make many identical pieces of pottery. In slip casting, you pour a clay-water mix into a mold and allow part of it to dry. The part closest to the mold dries quickest and after a few minutes you pour out the extra mix and allow the remaining mixture to dry. In jiggering, you take two pieces of plaster that form a mold and put clay between them. You then press them together to form the clay into the desired shape.
Using a potter's wheel creates more delicate, individual pieces. The wheel itself is a round, flat surface that is turned by foot pedals. You place a lump of clay on the surface and smooth the outside with your hands as it spins with the wheel. Poke your thumbs through the top to make it hollow. To draw the sides up and shape them, place one hand on the inside and one on the outside to smooth the sides and pull them to the desired height. When it is shaped to your satisfaction, trim the excess clay from the bottom and use a knife or wire to free the bottom of the pot from the wheel.
Once you have your pot shaped, you may carve or paint designs on it. Depending on the type of pottery, you will glaze it either before or after the first firing and then fire again.
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