Kettle-Style Pottery: Centering Clay

Video Transcript

"So I'm going to start with the kettle style tea pot which is the one with the flat bottom; the first step is going to be centering the clay, take the ball of clay throw it down hard on the center of the wheel head. Now your left arm is going to be your stabilizing arm; you want to lean into the splash pan or put your elbow into your hip, whatever you can do to try to make it to where you body weight is what the clay is fighting against rather than your strength and your right hand you're going to get your sponge; you want it wet enough that if you squeeze it water comes out but dry enough that it's not dripping. Get the clay nice and wet; now your right hand is going to be the one doing the work, I'm pushing towards my left hand and pulling up; and now I'm going to make a fist and I'm going to push down with my left hand stabilizing the clay from the outside, my left pinkie is pushing in a little further than the rest of my left hand; this is to keep this pot of clay from spreading out across the wheel head. Now once the clay looks and feels like it's not moving very much; it's on center and you're ready to start opening up your pot."