Cutting and Pasting to Create New Pottery Forms Shana Angela Salaff

Shana Salaff prefers to design new forms by cutting and pasting components and playing around until she arrives at a form she likes. Sometimes she even goes back to shapes that she thinks she is too comfortable with and deliberately messes with them to see what happens.

This playful approach helped her to develop her “Cut-Rim Plates.” In today’s post, Shana explains how she cuts a wheel-thrown plate into a square and then uses the scraps to create a fresh and interesting rim.–Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

Begin with six pounds of clay to create a plate about 11 inches wide with a generous foot. When the rim has dried to a point where it’s still flexible but not sticky, it’s time to create the squared rim. Center a dividing web on the bottom of the plate. Standing directly above the center, use a ruler to mark the edge of the rim at the lines labeled “4” (figure 1) to divide the surface into four parts. With a flexible ruler connecting two of the points, draw the outline of your cuts using a sharp knife. Press down on the ruler with your left hand, and then use your right hand in an arcing motion to draw out a slightly rounded outline (figure 2).

Cut along the lines you’ve drawn with your knife at a 45 degree angle. As you remove each section, bend it gently into an L shape and place it on the bat under the cut edge. Cut a 45° angle into the bottom of each section (figure 3). Score and add slip to this edge on all the pieces, then do the same with the plate edges. Place the sections without pressing too firmly, so you can make sure they are arranged evenly. Rest a bat on top to check that the rims are level with each other. Once in place, firmly attach the cut rims to the plate. Use a finger to spread the excess joining slip along the inside of the seams so they’re slightly rounded and full of slip.

Wire the plate off the bat when you’re done, then wrap it in plastic and put aside. Once the joins have set, use a pony roller along the outside of the rim to compress it even more firmly (figure 4). Use a sponge to finish the job of compressing while you smooth the exterior. Press a coil of clay into the interior joins. Add a small amount of clay to the narrowest part of the upright rim plate to visually connect each edge as well as prevent cracking (form follows construction!). Use a sponge to clean up any marks and to smooth joins further. Cover lightly and set aside until the rims and the base have set up enough to turn it over onto a square piece of foam.

When you trim the base, it’s really important to fully support the whole rim so it doesn’t crack under the pressure of trimming.

**First published in 2015