Unf@%king your centering
So we can say this will be the first blog post complimenting an upcoming video series titled, “How to unf@%k your pot.” The series will be dedicated to showing you pragmatic solutions for common wheel throwing/pottery problems. Today I’ll be discussing centering. Centering is the most challenging part of throwing initially and I’ve seen more … Continue reading
Proper Preparation
(Make sure to come back to this blog post as I will be adding photos and videos in the future.) So, we have now gotten past the mental aspects of wheel throwing and are now entering the actual physical act. However, before we get to throwing amazing cups, bowls and vases, you first need to … Continue reading
You’ve got to respect the process
(This is my last preface post about the “mental game” of pottery. Feel free to look back at previous posts to get caught up) One of the biggest ceramic piece killers is lack of patience. The other is expecting instant perfection. One could say they go hand in hand. Ultimately, its because the potter either doesn’t … Continue reading
Discipline and Creative Self Control
Part 4 of my preface on the “mental game” of pottery As an instructor at Choplet Ceramic Studio and Island Pottery Studio, as well as my career as a production potter and ceramic studio technician I have seen more pieces die because the potter was fucking about with it than I care to count. Let … Continue reading
Creating a System and Finding a Rhythm
Part 3 of my preface on the “mental game” of pottery In my previous post I discussed how to be mentally prepare before you sit down at the wheel and start throwing. You can read it here: Know what you want to make In full disclosure that’s only step 1 in becoming a better wheel … Continue reading
Know what you want to make
Continuing the preface section of the blog that will deal with the “mental game” of pottery. w Often while I am teaching novice students (ones that have been throwing long enough to know the basics of how to make shapes) I’ll hear the frustration in their voice about how they make the same shape over … Continue reading
There is no magic bullet
Before I get into the hard and fast techniques of pottery, there will be a series of posts dealing with what I would call “the mental game” of pottery. Think of them as a preface. They can help you become a better potter just as much as technique can. It would go without out saying, … Continue reading
Pottery tips, tricks and techniques
So this is my first bog entry which will be dedicated to ceramic education. To clarity who I am, here is a little background on me that I share with my weekly 1 day workshop class at Choplet Ceramic Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I’ve been working in clay for 14 years, I am a production potter … Continue reading
Sparano Arts 