Pine Garden Bonsai Co.
20331 S. R. 530 NE
Arlington, WA 98223
phone (360) 435-5995 fax (360) 435-4865
bonsai@tgi.net
Photos courtesy of the author
1. A two pound ball of clay is thrown on a bat rotating on the wheel head. The potter's hands compress the clay as it rotates.
2. The centered clay. Centering, which looks deceptively easy when a skilled potter is observed, is in fact the major hurdle that would-be potters must overcome. Learners spend hours trying to make that wobbly ball of clay disobey the laws of centrifugal force and remain at the center of the wheel.
3. "Opening": Pushing his left hand down almost to the bottom of the centered ball of clay, the potter makes an indentation, then widens that indentation by pulling his fingers out toward himself. Meanwhile, his right hand contains the widening ring of clay to forestall its cracking in response to stretching.
4. After the clay has been opened to the edge of the bat (here an 8" one) the potter squeezes the thick walls together causing them to thin and to raise.
5. The wall has been raised once, reaching about half of its intended height. this pot has been cut through to show the thickness of the wall.
6. Once the wall is raised, the potter applies a Masonite template of his own construction to form the rounded ridges. these ridges stimulate a viewer's eyes to horizontal movement, thus reducing the apparent height of the container.
7. The pot is cut from the bat using a thin wire (not shown). A spackling tool is used to lift up the bat and the finished pot along with it
8. When the clay has dried enough that it doesn't stick to the fingers or slump when handled, the potter incises a willow leaf shape in the bottom with a needle tool. The container is still carried on the bat.
9. The container is removed from the bat and placed on a wet piece of glass. Here the potter is evenly compressing both sides of the container. The container slides evenly on the wet glass closing the leaf shape opening. Note cracks developing at right angles to the leaf shaped cut.
10. The bottom moves together closing the leaf shape opening, but in the process, the tensions set up in the clay cause two horizontal splits to appear. These are expected signs of the lengthening of the oval and of the tension consequently set up in the clay. The removed leaf is placed over the clay junction and pressed down just enough to hold the dish in place when it is moved.
11. The oval-shaped container is lifted from the glass and placed on a piece of newspaper to facilitate release, which in turn is on a rectangular bat, and the whole removed to a banding wheel (a small hand turned, weighted wheel originally used for putting decorative banding on china).
12. The bottom is smoothed with a rubber kidney (a smoothing tool about three inches long).
13. A short length of copper pipe makes holes in the bottom. We now put two holes in every oval container no matter how small: this facilitates wiring the tree into the pot.
14. The bottom (resting on unseen supports) is stamped "Pine Garden Pottery."
15. Feet are applied.
16. Here the author displays a small, collected alpine hemlock in a glazed and fired example of this container The turquoise glaze reinforces the delicate blue-green of the tree's needles.
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