Form body: Throw a 4-pound ball of clay into a bulbous shape about 9 inches tall. Measure the opening with calipers. Set aside utill leather hard.

While attending a workshop at the Art League of Marco Island in Florida, I watched Mark Issenberg create his signature piece: a vase, thrown in three pieces, embelished with decorative handles and ash fired. The making of the vase is described in the folowing process. A THREE-PIECE WHEEL-THROWN VASE First, throw 4 pounds of clay into a bulbous shape about 9 inches tall with a bowl-shaped bottom. Leave enough room to comfortably get your hand inside the pot. Leave the piece attached to the bat and set aside to stiffen to soft leather hard. The piece should be dry enough to support the top section, but still soft enough to manipulate. Monitor the drying carefuly (avoid areas with drafts to prevent uneven drying). Attach top and body: With its bat still attached, place the body on the wheel head. Score and slip the rim. Turn the top piece upside down and place onto the body (top). Turn the wheel slowly your fingers to attach the top to the body, then smooth the joint (bottom). Dry to leather hard. Place upside down on a bat and trim the bottom to match the bowl shaped interior

Mark Issenberg – Lookout Mountain Pottery

Tip: Mark works with two buckets of throwing water, one bucket for each hand on either side of the wheel head. This will prevent bumping the thrown form. When the body section of the vase is appropriately stiff, open a 1 ½ – pound ball of clay all the way down to the surface of the bat, moving outward to form a solid ring. This piece will form the top of the vase and is thrown upside down. Use a rib to scrape away any excess clay that remains on the bat inside the ring. Bring up the wall, but leave the base fairly thick to strengthen and emphasize the top rim. Use calipers to measure the top of this piece, which will be turned upside down over the body of the vase. This measurement should be slightly larger than the opening in the top of the vase body previously thrown. Cut off the piece with a braided cut-off wire, but leave on the bat. Place the body of the vase and its still attached bat onto the wheel head. Adjust if the piece has moved off center. Score and moisten the rim using slip. Turn the second bat with the top section on it, upside down, and very carefuly (since it has already been cut loose from the bat) place onto the top of the body. Remove the bat from the top section. Adjust the alignment between the two sections, carefuly moving the top piece as close to center as possible. Attach foot: Score, slip and center a 1 1/2 pound bal of clay in the middle of the upended body. Turn the wheel slowly and center the clay on the foot (top). When centered, open the clay using as little water as possible. Pull the clay up and shape the foot (bottom).

Mark Issenberg assembles wheel thrown parts to create a classic vase.

You can now add the decorative handles. One way to do this is to roll out a 3 x 4-inch slab of clay. Roll a drill bit over the clay to create texture. Then roll the clay around a pencil or smal dowel rod with the texture on the outside. Slide the clay off the pencil and attach the handle to the vase by scoring and using slip. You also can add more texture around the shoulder of the vase, using stamps and/or a sewing tracing wheel. Clean up any unwanted marks or bits of clay with a sponge. Use your fingers both inside and outside the vase and, with the wheel turning very slowly, pul the top section downward onto the rim of the body, smoothing the join between the two pieces both inside and outside the piece. Be careful not to touch the top rim, so there is no damage to the design from the braided cutting wire. The body and top section are now joined together. Cut the piece off the bat, cover inplastic and set aside to dry to medium leather hard – generaly overnight. The piece should be dry enough to be turned upside down without damaging the design on the top rim, but moist enough to trim the bottom of the vase. Decoration: For decorative handles, roll out a 3 x 4- inch slab of clay and wrap it around a pencil or dowel (top). Attach with slip (top right). Use stamps or other wooden tools to add more decorations (bottom). Wrap each vase in several layers of plastic and set aside for several days to alow the moisture content of each section to equalize. Then remove the plastic and a low the piece to dry completely before firing. Form top (left to right): Open a 1.5 pound bal of clay down to the bat, moving outward to form a solid ring. When inverted, this wi l be the top of the vase. Bring up the wall until the top is slightly larger than the opening in the body (bottom). Cut the top loose from the bat using a braided wire. Center, fasten securely, and trim the bottom of the pot to match the bowl shaped interior. Score a 2 – 3-inch circle at the center of the bottom of the piece and wet with slip. Place a ¾ pound bal of clay onto the center of the bottom of the piece and carefuly press into place. With the wheel turning very slowly, center the clay using as little water as possible so you do not soften the pot’s base. This step takes concentration, ski l and practice. After centering, open the clay in the same manner as if you are throwing a new pot. Pull up a wall and shape into the foot. Again, don’t use a lot of water or the surface of the pot will be damaged from the excess moisture. Set aside and alow this area to become leather hard. After the foot has stiffened, turn the piece right side up.

Andrea Perisho has established Orchid River Pottery Inc. in southwest Florida. She specializes in wheel-thrown and hand built raku pottery. She can be
reached by email: [email protected]