Tiny Pots

I visited Oak Hollow Gallery before Christmas and saw some tiny turned wood vases. My daughter really liked them and, when we got home, asked me to throw some on the potter's wheel. I was already planning to thrown some plates and lidded pieces, so I thought I'd give it a try.

One tiny vase after trimming.

Throwing small pieces like this looks like maybe it should be easy, but it's difficult to get the clay so thin and small while still holding a steady shape. It's easier to throw a piece about 3 or 4 inches tall than to throw a piece just an inch high.

Tiny vases after trimming (with a penny for size comparison).

Still, I was able to get a handful of pieces thrown, maybe 15 or 20 pieces total. A few of the vases I threw ripped through the bottom and, of the three or four bowls I threw at this size, I was only able to trim a foot on one or two.

Taking tiny pieces out of the bisque kiln.

The pieces dried pretty fast and I bisque fired them before Christmas. I ran out of detail tape before I could get any of the little pieces taped. (I was taping them on Christmas so I couldn't replace the tape that day.) I ended up using masking tape which didn't stick as nicely as the other tape.

Tiny pieces taped, ready for glazing.

I fired the pieces after Christmas and pulled them out of the kiln right before we left to see family. By then I was already a significant way into what turned out to be almost two weeks of pretty awful suffering from tonsillitis and pharyngitis. I was in so much pain and so exhausted that I didn't feel well enough to both unload the kiln and take pictures of the work. (I'm still pretty amazed how awful I felt and for how long.) I suppose it was lucky that I felt so bad while I wasn't required to be at work.

Tiny pieces out of the glaze kiln.

I can't take many more pictures of the work now because I gave several away as gifts (and my daughter claimed the rest). I don't even know who I gave which piece to, as my daughter did the actual selection and distribution (while I moaned in pain), and I was perhaps even less aware of my surroundings when people opened their stockings and pulled out the pieces.

Tiny glazed pieces.

Maybe my relatives will post pictures of the ones I gave them. Or maybe I'll eventually throw a few more. I know that several of my students are also working on tiny mugs or tiny vases. It must be a trend.

More tiny glazed pieces (claimed by my daughter).