Well, the Ugly Teapot has survived the first round of firing. Unfortunately, and despite being the daughter of an engineer, the ugly teapot has significant structural failures in the vicinity of the spout attachment area. The hole shrunk during firing and now a thin drizzle is all that makes it out the spout. Major bummer. I'm going to glaze him and then turn him into a decorative flower pot. Or, based on how much he weighs, a door stop. But that will have to happen next class since this one just wrapped up last week.
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Wheel throwing has been a humbling yet fun experience. It's distressing to watch my fellow potters throw amazing pieces, seemingly without major effort. Mine are small and lopsided. My goal for the next class is to throw a piece that is more circular than what I'm currently producing. Baby steps, people. In the meantime, guess what you'll be getting for Christmas! Yup, apricot jam and lopsided pots. 
The glazing is the most nerve wracking part. As you can see, I had some not-great products (the light green pot with white dribbling glaze, upper left-hand corner of the above photo) and some decent ones (I like the colors on the strainer, below).
The glazing is the most nerve wracking part. As you can see, I had some not-great products (the light green pot with white dribbling glaze, upper left-hand corner of the above photo) and some decent ones (I like the colors on the strainer, below).
This was a 'whoops' that actually looks moderately artistic. I've been telling people that I did it that way on purpose. So far, they're actually believing me.
This glaze is called lipstick purple. Interesting but not as good as the dark cobalt blues, in my opinion. The pot on the left is the result of a raku firing. Different, but not my favorite.
Thank you Rebecca for being so enthusiastic about your pottery class; I'm so glad I signed up. For those of you in the Santa Ana/Orange County Area, Aardvark Pottery is the studio where I've been going. I would highly recommend them to beginners, as well as the more advanced potter. Both of my instructors were very knowledgeable; one was a production potter, the other was a high school pottery teacher with 30 years experience.
