Online Demonstration: Handbuilding Teapots and Cups with Textured Clay with Ginger Steele

Clay slabs cut to size with a template will be decorated with stamps, then conditioned and used to build cups and teapots. A hand built spout will be made on a mandrell, and handles will be pulled from cups and teapot. Technique for hand building a teapot spout without a mandrell will also be demonstrated. There will be a discussion of making your own pattern stamps from leather hard clay blocks.

You Will Learn:

1.  An understanding preparation of clay slab for accurate hand building.
2. How to draft patterns and make templates to repeat dimensions.
3. How to join clay components for perfect firing
   
   

Materials Needed:

• Dimensions of circles and rectangles to be cut from a 3/16" thick fresh clay slab are listed below. A 20"" x 20"" slab of clay will be sufficient for a single teapot, and a 12"" x 20"" slab of clay of the same thickness will make 4 cups. Clay should be soft to allow for clear impressions from stamping tools. Please note that the clay for a hand built spout should be thinner; 1/8" approximately.

• Potters will need a ruler, right triangle, serrated rib, small sponge, a small container of water, and newspaper on which to work. Any stamps or texture mats participants have may can be used to create texture on their component pieces. I also use a small brayer extensively - the kind that has a roller about 1.5"" wide that is available where wallpaper supplies are sold. Wood is preferable to plastic if you can find one! Available on Amazon as *Amazon Basics Wallpaper Seam Roller.*

• A small turntable is helpful for assembly, and very useful for hand building the teapot lid. Sheet plastic for covering work in progress is necessary. Dimensions for components: 1) teapot body - 13.75" x 5.5""; 2) lid - 5" circle; 3) bottom and shoulder - 4" circles - cut 2; 4) spout - 8" x 4"" x 1/8"; 5) Other pieces - 12" x 4" slab; 6) Mug 9.50" x 4"; 7) Mug bottom - 4" circle. Please also have a pattern for a 3" diameter circle.

The Zoom Demonstration will be recorded and sent out to all registrants if you want to attend but have a scheduling conflict during the live demonstration.

Since this is an online workshop, you will need to have a computer, tablet, or phone that can run video conferencing in a browser or app.