bowls

the hardest shape for me to throw consistently is a bowl. its hard to get the exact same height, width, base size and inside curve. for example, if i had to make a set of eight bowls for a dinner set, i will throw at least an extra five or six to get them to look like a cohesive set. a consistently thrown set of bowls also just stack better.

i am lucky to work with a company that commissions me every year to throw gifts for their clients. they give me total freedom in what to make which i’m always grateful for. this year, i collaborated with a pasta restaurant and we wanted to give everyone a ceramic bowl that came with a bag of freshly handmade pasta (yum).

this was a great opportunity to practice and dial in a bowl shape. there was no pressure to make every single bowl exactly the same since they weren’t required to be part of a set. still, i was determined to get better at throwing the same bowl over and over again. the goal was to approach every bowl intentionally, rep after rep.

whenever i’m in production mode and throwing a batch of anything (mugs, spoon rests, etc) i always wedge all my clay first. i like to get that out of the way. to throw consistently, it helps when every ball of clay weighs the same. 

i usually throw the first piece to the desired width + height using a ruler, then set up a throwing gauge. that way, i don’t have to measure every single piece which saves soo much time, and find it helps me when i visually see where i need to throw to.

i needed to throw 66 bowls. as usual, my first batch wasn’t very similar in shape. they all varied slightly in height + width. 

when some did happen to be similar, the inside often lacked that ideal bowl curve:

but i knuckled down and kept trying to stay present with each bowl. i started to realize that when i was present in every step, consistency followed. but there are so many steps! even something as simple as placing the clay on the wheel head differently, the speed of the wheel, or opening to a slightly different size can affect the final shape. 

as a kid, my tennis coach would make me hit a basket of 200 serves with the goal of hitting the exact serve every time. this felt similar…except pottery is harder. you have to stay focused for longer. you can hit a serve in five seconds, but throwing a bowl takes five minutes. it’s mentally tiring to stay present the entire time. when i start to feel tired, i found that i would lose focus and begin to rush or forget something. but just like tennis, i tried to show up rep after rep. sure enough, things become more consistent.

i tried to keep notes if something went well or noticed something new (sometimes hard to read though). 

around halfway through the project, i start to feel like the shape becomes more defined.  also felt like i was utilizing all the clay better and the interior curve improved.

it took 2 x 6hr sessions to throw all the bowls and about 6hrs to trim them. i had the freedom to decorate them however, so i trimmed texture into the exterior and used a glaze that breaks to reveal it. the inside is glazed with my favorite green. here they are all glazed and in their glory.

since completing this order, i’ve made more of these bowls and i’m happy to find that i can continue throwing them consistently. notes are incredibly helpful when i want to return to the same shape.

i’m very grateful this order came my way and gave me the opportunity to practice bowls. i applied what i learned to this large bowl here and love how it turned out. 

i’m working toward having dinner sets consistently available for preorder and now feel confident offering this style of bowl as part of a set.

thanks for reading.