3. CYLINDRICAL VASE-Coil Construction

Material — gray or terra cotta pottery clay, about the size of a loaf off bread

Tools       — use lingers mostly; one wood and one wire tool; compass; knife; plaster bat about 4" x 4"

The method of building with coils of clay is one of the simplest and easiest ways of making pot­tery and sculpture, and some of the finest cer­amics in the world have been made by this proc­ess. Technical success depends on the ability to make even coils and to join them efficiently. The beauty of the piece will depend on both sensi­tivity to design and craftsmanship.

The first step is to practice making perfect coils (Figure 1). Wedge the clay thoroughly (see In­troduction, page 12). Roll a lump of soft clay about the size of a frankfurter on a dampened table with the palms of both hands as you would roll dough. As it spreads out, roll your spread hands along the coil using only the fingers with a light pressure, so as to keep an even thickness and surface. Make several coils of varying thick­ness—some 1", ½", ¼" in diameter—try making each coil about 12" long. When you have made perfect coils, you are ready to construct both pot­tery and sculpture.

CONSTRUCTION. Round pottery forms con­structed by hand are most easily made by this method. Try making a cylinder as your first coil pottery piece. Begin with the base by taking a ball of soft clay the size of a tennis ball, pat to ¼" to ½" even thickness and cut to a 3" circle. (Figure 2). Describe the circle with a compass and cut around with a knife. Make coils of ½" thick­ness and about one foot long. Roughen the edge of the bottom with an orange stick, pointed ton­gue depressor, or modeling tool. Lay a coil along the edge and weld into place with fingers or tool on both inside and outside edges until ends meet, cut off and join (Figure 3). Place second coil di­rectly over the first and weld together. Continue adding coils, but make certain that the joints of the coils do not come directly over each other (Figure 4). Smooth inside and outside with the fingers by rubbing across coils gently. Do not push out. Keep unused clay and coils under a damp cloth.

Figure 1-Malce coils ½" thick. Roll with fingers only, using a light pressure.

If you leave the pot before it is finished, wrap a damp cloth around it and place it in damp-closet if available, or cover with a tin can or flower pot (plug hole with clay) and put away in a cool closet. Do not attempt to make the entire vase at one sitting. It ordinarily takes a beginner about an hour and a half to build a vase to a height of five or six inches if he is doing a careful job. When you resume work, make fresh coils, score top of unfinished pot with a tool, and paint with slip. Slip is made by pulverizing a lump of dry clay, adding water, and stirring to a paste. Apply slip with a stick or brush. Continue adding coils until the cylinder is about 8 to 10 inches high. The care with which the coils are applied and the striving for a perfect cylinder are the best discipline for a beginner, and a good gauge of his success as a potter. Round the top edge with the fingers.

Figure 5—Cut a foot into             Figure 6—Decorate when leather

bottom of cyl­inder.                       hard.

When the piece is firm enough to handle, turn it upside down and put a foot on the bottom (Fig­ure 5). You can do this by cutting into the bottom and hollowing it out to a depth of ⅛", leaving a ½" rim. Your cylinder is finished and ready for decoration. Allow it to dry until shiny surface moisture disappears, then decorate, using the sgraffito process (see Project XV for a descrip­tion of this process).

DECORATION. Use a linear pattern which has an upward and downward (vertical), or a circular (horizontal) movement, or you can combine both, or use a spiral movement around from top to bottom (Figure 6). After putting the slip on the vase, scratch the decoration directly on the surface, improvising it as you go. If you have made a design with a regular repeat, mark off the divisions on the surface of the pot with a soft pencil. You can divide the pot in quarters, eighths, or any proportions you wish, vertically or horizontally, depending on your design. When the design is laid out in pencil, scratch ft through the slip with a bobby pin or wire tool.

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