How to Make a Tall Two-Part Vase with Buttress Details Ted Neal

Several years ago, I dreamed of a blueberry patch in my yard. This led to the construction of 40 feet (12.1 m) of raised beds to accommodate several varieties. Despite my best efforts, after a few years of valiant attempts to keep them alive, I realized it was not to be. Although that endeavor had not succeeded, it led to having lots of room for new flowers. I now enjoy all aspects of the process of growing flowers, from preparing the soil, seasonally planting and digging bulbs, and displaying the arrangements in our home. I find the cyclical nature and the feeling of the earth in my hands synonymous with more familiar ceramic processes. One of our favorites in the flower beds is gladiolus. The slender flower stems are beautiful, long lasting, and continue to bloom once cut. 

These vases are an amalgam of my interests in functionally displaying flowers while experimenting with themes of structure, volume, restriction, compression, and deformation. I enjoy how the flowers contrast the dark industrial forms and surfaces achieved through the wood-fired, reduction-cooling process. 

Throwing in Two Parts

Although a single piece is possible, the sharp transition between top and bottom is easier to precisely control when done in two parts. You can use between 2–3½ pounds (32–56 oz) of stoneware clay to throw the base, which might be best described as a parking cone with a slightly convex volume. After throwing, smooth the surface with a long rib (1). This step is important for clarity of the surface lines that will be added later. 

Next, add horizontal lines when the form is still on the wheel and the clay is freshly thrown. Use ribs with a corner or other small pieces of metal (2) to push into the spinning surface to create the appearance of raised bands around the form (3). Once all bands are made (4), push the form back out to its original shape from the inside with a throwing stick. This is critical as it gives the appearance that the raised lines were added above an otherwise flush surface. 

Throw the top of the form from a larger hump of clay while measuring to fit the base. I find the proportion of the top is most pleasing when it mirrors the circumference of the widest part of the base. Add horizontal bands in the same fashion as the base (5), and then cut the top off from the larger hump of clay. It’s a good idea to leave a little extra clay for a perfectly trimmed fit when attached later.

Surface Alterations and Assembly

You can store parts wrapped on a porous surface, such as a plaster bat or drywall, until they reach a level of dryness that I refer to as “suede hard” (credit Kristen Kieffer for the term). When the clay is at this stage, you can carefully manipulate it enough to press into the clay and make marks, without cracking, yet it is firm enough to handle easily without unwanted deformation. 

Begin by marking six divisions (or as many as you prefer) using a circle divider and transferring corresponding marks up the side of the base (6). Then, press rigid metal tools into the surface on each side of the marks to create the appearance of raised vertical ridges perpendicular to lines made on the wheel (7, 8). These lines provide a visual structure that acts counter to the thrown volume to help create the illusion of constriction. You can exaggerate this further by gently pushing inward with your fingers at the intersection of all lines on the base and on the top edge of the form (9). 

Once leather hard, score both parts, making sure all ridges are aligned when you attach the two pieces (10). Smooth the joint (11).

Finishing Details

Form the buttress material by rolling out ½–¾-inch (1.2–1.9-cm) coils and then flattening them with a brayer into a triangular shape. Since no two vase forms are perfectly identical, it is best to create a simple template out of cardstock custom made for each vase (12). When your coils are leather hard, use the template to cut out enough for each of your divisions (13). Score and attach them at the intersection of the top and bottom of the vase and align them with vertical ridges (14). You can use a Surform tool to soften the curve of the buttress slightly to blend the transition from the pot to the buttress (15). 

Finally, you can add finials on the upper and lower ends of the form (see 15). Of course, there are infinite variations of form, scale, proportion, and detail that can be used to create differences within the vase theme, so have fun experimenting with the possibilities!

Ted Neal was born and raised in upstate New York. He received his MFA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and his BFA from Utah State University. Neal is currently a studio artist and kiln builder, and has been a professor of ceramics at Ball State University since 2006. To see more, visit www.tednealceramics.com.