how it gets made.
six steps, two kilns, a lot of patience. from a lump of clay to something you can hold in your hand.
wedging
every piece starts here. smack the clay against the table, fold it, turn it. repeat. this evens out the moisture and pops any air bubbles that would explode in the kiln.
~15 min per ball of clay
throwing
center the clay on the wheel. press down with the heel of your palm. open the form. pull up the walls. this is the part everyone thinks is the whole thing — it is not.
5–20 min per piece
trimming
once the piece is leather-hard, flip it over and trim the foot. this is also when you find out if you centered well. the foot is the only part of the pot that touches the table, so it matters.
~10 min per piece
bisque firing
first kiln trip — slow and steady up to about 1830°F, then a slow cool. the clay becomes ceramic. it will no longer dissolve in water. this is irreversible.
~14 hours in the kiln
glazing
the piece gets dipped, poured, brushed, or sprayed with the glaze. glaze is glass. when it melts, it becomes the skin of the pot — the part you see, the part that holds your coffee.
~5 min + drying time
final firing
back in the kiln, this time hotter — around 2230°F. the glaze melts. the clay vitrifies. twelve hours later, you open the kiln and see what you got. sometimes it surprises you.
~12 hours in the kiln
a handmade mug will never be as perfectly round as a factory one. the handle might be a hair thicker on one side. the glaze might pool a little on the rim. the foot might rock slightly on a flat table. that’s not a defect. that’s the piece being a piece.