Tuesday night in my Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class, I challenged one of my students to make ten mugs quickly. Ashley was concerned that she hasn’t been very focused or productive this session. And that she seems to be spending too much time on each piece. So we discussed how repetitive practice will help with her muscle memory… especially since she hasn’t been to class or on the wheel since our pre-Covid days! I told her that just cranking out some quick cylinders will help loosen her up, get her back at it… and get her over that hump. The other benefit is that she can work a little looser as now each of those ten mugs won’t be quite as “precious” as that ONE that she would have normally belabored.

She didn’t quite make her ten cylinders during the “un-realistic” deadline I had given her… but she DID get them all thrown by the end of class. So now it will be interesting to see how she finishes them… as she had the realization towards the end that ten cylinders means TEN handles to pull & attach!!!

I decided that since she was tackling my challenge, I should step-it-up and play along as well. So I made a batch of cylinders too… which have now been stamped up in my studio!

Mug #1 –

Mug #2 –

Mug #3 –

Mug #4 –

Mug #5 –

Mug #6 –

Mug #7 –

Mug #8 –

And for now they’re all stamped and back under plastic for the night.
This way I can come back and trim them and then add handles!!!