Closed Form Pinch Pots

After making my open pots I then started to create 3 closed pots by creating  two dome shaped bowls out of clay and joining the 2 together by scoring the edges and using slip, making sure they are both an equal size to fit. This was to keep the sphere hollow and to punch holes in to the clay, so the pot doesn't explode in the kiln.I used different techniques to decorate the pots; punching holes through them, adding on parts of clay and adding texture by pressing into the clay. Using 2 handfuls of clay I made bowl shapes by pressing my thumb through the middle and pinching the outside lightly. Once they were about the same size they were tapped on the table to flatten the tops. Both were scored and the edge and covered with slip. I pushed the 2 parts together, making a spherical shape. The gap was closed up and smoothed out. Using a wooden stick to gently tap the outside, evening it out and and making the shape I wanted. This was then left to dry a little in front of the heater as I started my other two pieces.

Once the pieces were leather hard i was able to decorate them, using texture and adding parts of clay to them, keeping them abstract. Also, cutting out holes and printing textures on the surfaces. Each pot had to have a hole in it somewhere otherwise the air will expand inside and explode the pot when it's in the kiln. Once all the texture and parts were added, the pots were ready to be fired in the kiln.