How to Make a Lovely Handbuilt Pitcher Margaret Kinkeade

Lately, I have been working with slab building forms with texture created using a Cricut cutter (a skill I picked up from the wonderful Jeremy Randall's video on the subject). Mostly I have been doing small-scale forms like mugs, but Margaret Kinkeade's article in the March/April 2023 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated, made me want to try out a pitcher.

I loved the clean lines and understated elegance of this pitcher so much, I thought I would share an excerpt from the article in this post. Have a look and try making one in your own studio! –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

PS. To see how Margaret decorates her pitchers with a slip inlay technique, check out the full article in Pottery Making Illustrated!

Consistency with Templates

Tar paper is an essential part of my practice as it offers form consistency while still leaving room for individuality in each piece. As an inexpensive, flexible, and durable material, it’s perfect for making reusable templates for your forms. While there are many ways to make a template, from using pencil and paper to using Papercraft software (www.papercraft3d.com), the website templatemaker.nl is a great free resource for simple forms like this pitcher. 

Handbuilding the Pitcher

To begin, roll out a slab roughly ¼ inch thick that is large enough for your tar-paper template and a circular slab for the base. Rib the slab on both sides to compress it. Place the tar-paper template on the slab and cut out around the edges.
When cutting out your shape, hold your knife at the same 45° angle, while cutting both sides of the vertical wall seam as well as the bottom edge (1). By beveling the edges, you increase the surface area of your seam, making the join more secure. 

Next, use your finger to press a soft bevel into the shorter top edge—this will become the rim. Score the two wall seams, then apply your slip of choice (I use vinegar). Stand your pot vertically with the bottom edge up, and press the seams together (2). Support the seam from the inside of the pot with a long, flat surface (I use a Kemper RB00 tool, but a wooden ruler or paint stirrer would do the trick), and use a pony roller to compress and secure the seam (3). Level out the bottom edge with a knife if needed, then flip the pot rim side up. Tip: Inserting a round cookie cutter that matches the diameter of the opening keeps the edge true and offers stability while working (see 8). Next, using a flexible rubber rib, smooth the interior and exterior of the seam and upper rim. Once the vertical seam is no longer visible, flip the pot upside down and prepare to attach the bottom slab. 

Roll out a coil that is pinky-finger-sized in diameter and long enough to go around the interior of the base. Using your pointer finger and thumb, press the coil into a triangular profile. Score one of the short edges of the coil and the interior of the base, apply slip, then join the coil just below the bottom rim, leaving enough room to fit the circle-shaped slab (4). Next press a bevel into the outer edge of the circular slab, score the beveled edge as well as along the outer edge, apply slip, and attach the slab to the coil and the wall of pitcher (5). Gently tap the bottom slab with a wooden paddle, before scoring the mitered edge with a serrated rib, and compressing surfaces with a rubber rib to smooth and finish. After flipping the pot right-side up, clean up the interior of the base by smoothing the coil edges into the join.

Fashioning a Spout

Next, create a gentle spout by pulling the rim into a teardrop shape using your pointer finger and a rubber rib edge for support (6). Define the V shape of the spout’s profile using the flat edge of the same rib on the exterior surface by supporting the rim while moving the rib in a diagonal downward motion (7). On the interior surface, compress the spout’s interior V shape. Reinsert the round cookie cutter in the top rim to bring it true after manipulating the rim (8).

Crafting a Handle

For the handle, take a ball of clay about the size of a lime and pinch it in the middle while rotating to create a finger-bone-shaped form (9). Next, using the table surface as a base, begin pinching at one end, working your way toward the middle (10). Continue pinching on each side until a tapered arch forms (11). 

Set the handle aside to stiffen a bit and prepare the vessel by marking the center of the pitcher on the opposite side of the pour spout. Score a spot the size of a quarter near the top rim and another directly below, near the middle of the pot’s vertical height. Remove any excess clay from each side of your handle at the connection points using angled V cuts (12). These cuts provide ample material for smooth handle-to-pot transitions as well as additional surface area for a sturdy connection. Score and slip to attach and then compress, smooth, and refine with a rubber rib (13, 14).

After graduating with a BFA in printmaking from the University of Oklahoma, Margaret Kinkeade earned an MFA in ceramics from Pennsylvania State University. Upon graduation, she relocated with her family to Kansas City, Missouri, to teach ceramics and establish a home-studio practice. To see what she’s working on, visit www.margaretkinkeade.com and follow her on Instagram @ohmargie.