Wasted the whole of yesterday morning trying to make some very small bowls. Why are small things so hard? You would think that, after 20+ years of throwing pots, I'd be able to make 8 little bowls, 4" across and 1" high, with no trouble. Instead, what did I get? About 50 bowls, no two alike. I tried first to throw them off the hump but found it impossible to make them all the same size. Ok, I thought, I'll weigh them out. 6 oz. of clay was too much..... ever try to centre 4 oz. of clay? With big hands?
Eventually I got the hang of that, but my bowls were too thin, or too wide, or too something. In the end I gave up in disgust and had lunch and worked in the garden all afternoon. Phoo on those bowls, I said.
So this morning I threw a dozen wee bowls, no trouble, and got them pretty much all the same. Guess the learning just had to 'jell' or something.
Of course, now I have my dander up, and I am going to make dozens more, just to prove I can.
An occasional blog about pottery, making pots, and living the life of a potter.