Throwing vs. Trimming - & what’s a “Bundle”?
At Waveform, you can drop in for a single class to try throwing on the wheel – or you can come back for more and purchase a bundle. When you return to the studio, you learn how to trim: a step in the pottery process that is very different from throwing. It’s not required, but it is recommended if you are interested in getting a better understanding of the material and taking up pottery as a creative practice!
What is throwing?
“Throwing” is the term we use to describe putting clay on a rotating surface (the wheel) and shaping it with the pressure of our bodies to create forms. At Waveform, where we specialize in beginners, this is usually cups, bowls, planters, plates, candleholders or ashtrays. Throwing is very physical, and it involves “centering” – steading the spinning clay with your body so that it is exactly in the middle of the wheel. This requires a “dance” in which you brace against the clay with just the right amount of force, at the right time, in order to guide the material into the middle. Throughout the throwing process you use water to keep the clay smooth under your hands.
The clay is soft and earthy, and throughout the process you get liquid clay (slip) on your hands, arms, clothes, tools and sometimes, your neighbor. You use your hands, forearms, legs and core to steady yourself against the clay. You make a mess! The clay talks back to you, shape shifts and may surprise you. Throwing is often chaotic, joyful, frustrating, surprising, amazing, meditative, challenging and rewarding.
What is trimming?
“Trimming” is the term to describe shaping the form you threw on the wheel previously, taking away clay around the bottom half to refine the shape, smooth the surface and create a foot if desired. After a period of drying (the timing which depends on the climate – sometimes a day, sometimes five) the form goes from being squishy, soft and delicate to being “leatherhard” – like chocolate. You can draw a line on the bottom of your piece with your fingernail and a curl of clay comes off (if, instead of a curl, it is more like sawdust, your work is nearing bone dry and it is past the ideal state for trimming). You place what you made in the center of the wheel, secure it with squishy clay (lugs) and spin it, pressing a metal loop tool against the surface to carve away excess clay. How do I know it’s excess? You ask! Well, beginner work is often on the thicker side, however I can help you with that spatial awareness. It’s possible you’ll trim through your work, but hey, that’s a part of learning. The vibe in the studio on trim days is quiet, focused, mesmerized, frustrated, determined, zen, challenging, rewarding. It’s not a very wet or messy process: just detail oriented.
A side by side comparison for the TLDR folks:
Throwing
Wet
Chaotic
The piece “blooms” or expands
Hands and sponge shape clay
Can be a chatty experience
Broad strokes create form, free-flowing
Squishy, wet, earthy material
Trimming
Mostly dry
Orderly
The piece “shrinks” or subtracts
Hands use loop tool to carve clay
Tends to be less chatty
Opportunity to refine your work / details
Closer to soft wood or chocolate
Take the wheel for a spin and see what happens by signing up for a Single Clay Class - Throwing, or sign up for a Bundle and get to know the full process, including trimming.
What is a bundle?
Most pottery studios offer six-week courses seating 8 – 15 (or more!) people who want to build up their skills and get to know pottery on a deeper level. I find that this weekly format, usually offered 6-9pm after a traditional work day, can be limiting for some folks – possibly too long of a day after you’ve already had a full work day, cutting into dinner or making it hard to arrange childcare. Perhaps it’s not possible for you to commit to the same day each week. Maybe the class feels a little too big, or you feel slightly intimidated by the process. The six week model works well for a lot of people – but when it doesn’t, there is Waveform! You can build your own bundle – two, four, or six classes. Now that you have an understanding of what trimming is, here’s the recipe for each bundle structure:
2-Class Bundle: Throwing + Trimming ($190)
4-Class Bundle: Throwing, Throwing, Throwing, Trimming ($350 - save 10%!)
6-Class Bundle: Throwing, Throwing, Trimming, Throwing, Throwing, Trimming ($565 - save 10%!)
Check out Waveform’s website – just make sure that you book trimming sessions within three days of your throwing sessions so that the clay has time to dry, and no later than about a week to keep things flowing!
