Christmas Pottery

When you have a family member who is a student potter, that's what you get for Christmas - hand-made pottery. Months ago, I teased you and my sister, with her Christmas present. All I showed you was a pot hidden under a paper bag.

Since I have given her the present, I can now show it to you:

grape jelly on white stoneware

It's a jar for storing garlic, in case you couldn't guess. In that same post I linked to, there is a sugar bowl and creamer set. Since it is in the same glaze she liked, I gave them to her as well.

For Mom, my goal was to make an oval casserole dish. The idea was to throw a round container, then make a cut in the bottom and squoosh the sides in, turning a round thing into an oval thing.

I threw three different round dishes. I used two different techniques to transform two of the three pots from round to oval. The third piece was too dry to try to alter its form, and it's a good thing, too. The two "ovalized" casseroles both developed a major crack in the bottom, along the line where I made my small cut, and only the round one turned out.

textured kiwi on brown stoneware

I thought it looked like a dog water bowl, and when Mom first opened it, that's what she said, too. However, I convinced her that it was indeed a casserole dish, and I think she believes me.