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There was something about the tactile nature of working with clay which created a sense of calm in Kate’s mind. Over the years, she’d come to realise that her best work emerged when she was present. Occasional lapses of concentration when her mind roamed off to think about other things inevitably resulted in pieces that needed to be reworked or abandoned entirely.

It was different during the wedging and kneading parts of the process. Being able to work off excess energy or even anger at this stage seemed to help clear any small pockets of air. If left in the clay, they would create distortions or undermine the integrity of the finished product.

The throwing wheel was Kate’s favourite part of the process. The gentle electric hum of the wheel as it began to rotate, and applying pressure on the pedal to control the speed of the wheel – this was when her focus needed to be on the clay. After gently dampening the wheel with water, Kate quickly shaped the clay into a ball and placed it on the centre of the wheel. From this point, depending on what she was intending to make, the real work began.

With fingers firm and sure, Kate began to slap the clay into shape, helping it to centre on the wheel. She could recall times when this step hadn’t been given enough attention, and the clay had been launched into the air once the wheel had gathered momentum. Adding water to her palms, she held them against the clay, creating a slippery texture before the deliberate shaping began.

As the wheel turned, Kate anchored her arms into position, using her hands to shape the clay into a cone shape. With deft hands, the clay was then pressed down, all air removed.

Kate then opened up the clay with an indent, pressing slowly and deeply into its centre. She pressed the wall gently towards her palm, creating a flat base. As the wheel turned, the bowl began to take shape.

With the spinning of the throwing wheel maintaining a steady momentum, Kate began to thin out the wall of the bowl. Her fingers moved up and down until the right thickness was achieved. With care, excess clay was trimmed from the bottom of the bowl. Easing her foot off the pedal, the turning wheel slowed and eventually stopped.

Once firmed, the clay pot was turned with ribbon tools. Kate stamped her bowl, and it was ready for the oven. She sketched out a design and thought of the colours that she could use to create a bowl that captures the brightness of a summer day.

This piece was written to a prompt on the Writer’s Digest website. The Throwing Wheel: write about a potter’s throwing wheel.

Photo: brightly coloured bowl