When making my pouring pots, I tend to draw from a diverse range of inspirations and sources, including 20th-century metal oil cans, geologic features, and the textures left by the natural forces that shape them.
When I make this form, I work in a series, making at least three at once. The variations are guided by a general master design, but I encourage them to vary in personality and gesture through the construction process. I use a coarse stoneware clay that, when scraped, torn, and tooled, creates a rough texture that enhances the wood-fired surfaces I am interested in.
Throw a Bottomless Cylinder
Center 1.5 pounds (680 g) of wedged clay on the wheel. Open the centered clay until your finger reaches the wheel head. Continue to open the piece until the ring is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide (1), then pull up to form a cylinder with straight walls. Use a metal rib to compress and remove any surface slip from the outside walls. Leave a small skirt of clay at the interior base where the clay meets the wheel head. This will aid in attaching a slab to the base of the pot later on.
Cut the ring from the wheel and place it on a porous surface such as a ware board or a wood tabletop. A porous work surface is necessary so the base of the form does not stick while being altered. Lift the cylinder from opposite sides and pull the two ends away from each other to establish a rough oval shape (2). Refine the shape by straightening the walls, pressing the walls together with equal pressure. Occasionally turn the piece 180° to work both ends. Once the desired shape is formed, set the ovalled cylinder aside and allow it to firm to leather hard.
Throw the Spout
Center a few pounds of clay into a cone shape, open the clay at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide, and pull up a small cone. Collar in just the top half of the shape, leaving the base as wide as possible. The shape should begin to resemble an upside-down funnel (3). A wooden skewer is a useful tool to support the interior of the spout while you compress and define the exterior shape with a stiff silicon rib (4). Use a needle tool to mark a line at the base of the spout and make another mark ¼ inch (6.4 mm) or more under that. Cut through both marked lines with a wire tool while the wheel is spinning slowly. You now have a sacrificial patty that will prevent distortion when removing the spout from the hump (5). Set the spout aside and lightly drape it with plastic allowing it to firm up just to be no longer tacky, but still malleable.
Assemble the Body
Prepare a small slab that is approximately ¼–3/8 inch (6.4–9.5 mm) thick. Place the oval cylinder on top of the slab and gently trace around it. Remove the cylinder and the excess clay around the marked area, leaving an inch of material surrounding the traced shape. Set the excess aside under plastic.
Next, score the traced oval no more than halfway through the thickness of the slab. Holding the slab down with one hand, use your other hand to pull the excess clay away from the traced shape in an upward tearing motion (6). This technique is a great for creating rough edges when working with slabs.
Use a piece of foam to support the rim and shape of the cylinder, then slip and score the base. Carefully place the cylinder onto the slab, checking that it is aligned properly before applying downward pressure to join the two pieces. The clay skirt o left on the interior of the altered cylinder provides extra surface area for a strong attachment.
Flip the pot upside down, resting the lip on the foam again. Compress the form and the base together by lightly paddling along the edge where the pieces meet. Soften and compress the outside edge, taking care not to completely erase the character of the torn edge.
Now, using a metal rib, alternate between scraping the exterior of the piece and smearing removed clay back onto the surface, creating a rough texture (see 7).
Add a Splash Guard
Paper templates are a quick and easy way to draft the proportions of elements to be added. Proportions can be experimented with as each form can vary (7). Lay a splash-guard paper template onto the saved slab and trace the shape. In the same manner that was used to cut the slab for the base of the pot, score and tear the splash-guard shape. Place it on the pot and position as needed, using a finger on the inside to adjust the curve and interior volume (8). Mark where the slab meets the body then score and slip both attachment points. As before, compress the attached areas taking care not to disturb the ragged edges left by the tearing technique. Add a small coil to the interior join to strengthen the bond.
Attach the Spout
Place the malleable spout on the edge of a work surface. Wrap a wire tool around the spout to visualize the angle at which it will be cut, then gently pull the wire tool just enough to mark the desired angle (9). Score along the marked line and tear away the excess clay. Rough out the spout attachment by holding it up to the form (10). Manipulate or trim edges if needed to form the contours of the shape underneath and gently trace around the attachment point. Using the traced line as a guide, cut an opening in the body leaving a ¼-inch (6.4-mm) perimeter between your cut and the traced line (11). Score and slip the ¼-inch (6.4-mm) perimeter as well as the attachment point on the spout. Compress the spout onto the body, taking care as before to preserve the torn texture. Provide support by pressing from the interior.
Create a Handle
Roll out a coil of clay around 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) thick. Flatten the coil using your palm, flipping it over to compress both sides. Cut away some clay from both lengths, narrowing the middle (12). With the coil resting on foam, use a soft rubber rib to compress the top and soften the edges by pulling the rib toward you at a 45° angle. This technique mimics the motion and pressure used when pulling a handle without the need to add water (13). Flip the handle over, applying the same technique to both sides.
Map out the placement of the handle over the top of the form, between the edge of the splash guard and the back edge of the form. Trim the handle length and shape the ends to match the contours of the attachment points. Again, use a metal rib, alternate between scraping the exterior of the piece and smearing removed clay back onto the surface to create a rough texture. Score and slip all attachments and attach the handle (14).
Finishing Touches
Leave the pot wrapped in plastic overnight. The following day, give all seams and attachments a once-over. Compress the attachments and soften any burs or overly sharp edges left from the construction process. Pay special attention to the spout attachment. If the joint between the body and the spout is left too ragged it could be prone to leaks. Once the pot is complete (15) allow it to dry slowly under plastic.
Firing
My work is fired primarily in wood-fueled kilns between cone 7–9. I make certain my pouring pots are loaded in zones of the kiln where they will be in close contact with an ember bed throughout the firing. When I have reached top temperature, I stall the kiln by building up the ember bed in each of the side-stoke channels and maintain it for the remainder of the firing. I actively cool the kiln in reduction to approximately 1350°F (732°C). This is done by closing the damper, mudding overall air intakes, and introducing small amounts of fuel to maintain reduction as the kiln naturally cools down. Lower peak temperatures, building side-stoke ember beds, and reduction cooling all work together to create sintered, matte-ash surfaces with rich, dark coloring. Results from these zones in the kiln can differ drastically depending on clay chemistry, wood species used, and firing schedule.
Nikita Nenashev earned a BFA from the University of Utah in 2019. He has attended long-term residencies at the Cub Creek Foundation and Pleasant Hill Pottery, and has worked as an assistant to John Dix, Tara Wilson, and John Jessiman. Currently he lives in Logan, Utah, where he is a graduate student at Utah State University. To see more of his work, visit www.nikitanenashev.com or follow him on Instagram @nikitanceramics.
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When making my pouring pots, I tend to draw from a diverse range of inspirations and sources, including 20th-century metal oil cans, geologic features, and the textures left by the natural forces that shape them.
When I make this form, I work in a series, making at least three at once. The variations are guided by a general master design, but I encourage them to vary in personality and gesture through the construction process. I use a coarse stoneware clay that, when scraped, torn, and tooled, creates a rough texture that enhances the wood-fired surfaces I am interested in.
Throw a Bottomless Cylinder
Center 1.5 pounds (680 g) of wedged clay on the wheel. Open the centered clay until your finger reaches the wheel head. Continue to open the piece until the ring is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide (1), then pull up to form a cylinder with straight walls. Use a metal rib to compress and remove any surface slip from the outside walls. Leave a small skirt of clay at the interior base where the clay meets the wheel head. This will aid in attaching a slab to the base of the pot later on.
Cut the ring from the wheel and place it on a porous surface such as a ware board or a wood tabletop. A porous work surface is necessary so the base of the form does not stick while being altered. Lift the cylinder from opposite sides and pull the two ends away from each other to establish a rough oval shape (2). Refine the shape by straightening the walls, pressing the walls together with equal pressure. Occasionally turn the piece 180° to work both ends. Once the desired shape is formed, set the ovalled cylinder aside and allow it to firm to leather hard.
Throw the Spout
Center a few pounds of clay into a cone shape, open the clay at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide, and pull up a small cone. Collar in just the top half of the shape, leaving the base as wide as possible. The shape should begin to resemble an upside-down funnel (3). A wooden skewer is a useful tool to support the interior of the spout while you compress and define the exterior shape with a stiff silicon rib (4). Use a needle tool to mark a line at the base of the spout and make another mark ¼ inch (6.4 mm) or more under that. Cut through both marked lines with a wire tool while the wheel is spinning slowly. You now have a sacrificial patty that will prevent distortion when removing the spout from the hump (5). Set the spout aside and lightly drape it with plastic allowing it to firm up just to be no longer tacky, but still malleable.
Assemble the Body
Prepare a small slab that is approximately ¼–3/8 inch (6.4–9.5 mm) thick. Place the oval cylinder on top of the slab and gently trace around it. Remove the cylinder and the excess clay around the marked area, leaving an inch of material surrounding the traced shape. Set the excess aside under plastic.
Next, score the traced oval no more than halfway through the thickness of the slab. Holding the slab down with one hand, use your other hand to pull the excess clay away from the traced shape in an upward tearing motion (6). This technique is a great for creating rough edges when working with slabs.
Use a piece of foam to support the rim and shape of the cylinder, then slip and score the base. Carefully place the cylinder onto the slab, checking that it is aligned properly before applying downward pressure to join the two pieces. The clay skirt o left on the interior of the altered cylinder provides extra surface area for a strong attachment.
Flip the pot upside down, resting the lip on the foam again. Compress the form and the base together by lightly paddling along the edge where the pieces meet. Soften and compress the outside edge, taking care not to completely erase the character of the torn edge.
Now, using a metal rib, alternate between scraping the exterior of the piece and smearing removed clay back onto the surface, creating a rough texture (see 7).
Add a Splash Guard
Paper templates are a quick and easy way to draft the proportions of elements to be added. Proportions can be experimented with as each form can vary (7). Lay a splash-guard paper template onto the saved slab and trace the shape. In the same manner that was used to cut the slab for the base of the pot, score and tear the splash-guard shape. Place it on the pot and position as needed, using a finger on the inside to adjust the curve and interior volume (8). Mark where the slab meets the body then score and slip both attachment points. As before, compress the attached areas taking care not to disturb the ragged edges left by the tearing technique. Add a small coil to the interior join to strengthen the bond.
Attach the Spout
Place the malleable spout on the edge of a work surface. Wrap a wire tool around the spout to visualize the angle at which it will be cut, then gently pull the wire tool just enough to mark the desired angle (9). Score along the marked line and tear away the excess clay. Rough out the spout attachment by holding it up to the form (10). Manipulate or trim edges if needed to form the contours of the shape underneath and gently trace around the attachment point. Using the traced line as a guide, cut an opening in the body leaving a ¼-inch (6.4-mm) perimeter between your cut and the traced line (11). Score and slip the ¼-inch (6.4-mm) perimeter as well as the attachment point on the spout. Compress the spout onto the body, taking care as before to preserve the torn texture. Provide support by pressing from the interior.
Create a Handle
Roll out a coil of clay around 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) thick. Flatten the coil using your palm, flipping it over to compress both sides. Cut away some clay from both lengths, narrowing the middle (12). With the coil resting on foam, use a soft rubber rib to compress the top and soften the edges by pulling the rib toward you at a 45° angle. This technique mimics the motion and pressure used when pulling a handle without the need to add water (13). Flip the handle over, applying the same technique to both sides.
Map out the placement of the handle over the top of the form, between the edge of the splash guard and the back edge of the form. Trim the handle length and shape the ends to match the contours of the attachment points. Again, use a metal rib, alternate between scraping the exterior of the piece and smearing removed clay back onto the surface to create a rough texture. Score and slip all attachments and attach the handle (14).
Finishing Touches
Leave the pot wrapped in plastic overnight. The following day, give all seams and attachments a once-over. Compress the attachments and soften any burs or overly sharp edges left from the construction process. Pay special attention to the spout attachment. If the joint between the body and the spout is left too ragged it could be prone to leaks. Once the pot is complete (15) allow it to dry slowly under plastic.
Firing
My work is fired primarily in wood-fueled kilns between cone 7–9. I make certain my pouring pots are loaded in zones of the kiln where they will be in close contact with an ember bed throughout the firing. When I have reached top temperature, I stall the kiln by building up the ember bed in each of the side-stoke channels and maintain it for the remainder of the firing. I actively cool the kiln in reduction to approximately 1350°F (732°C). This is done by closing the damper, mudding overall air intakes, and introducing small amounts of fuel to maintain reduction as the kiln naturally cools down. Lower peak temperatures, building side-stoke ember beds, and reduction cooling all work together to create sintered, matte-ash surfaces with rich, dark coloring. Results from these zones in the kiln can differ drastically depending on clay chemistry, wood species used, and firing schedule.
Nikita Nenashev earned a BFA from the University of Utah in 2019. He has attended long-term residencies at the Cub Creek Foundation and Pleasant Hill Pottery, and has worked as an assistant to John Dix, Tara Wilson, and John Jessiman. Currently he lives in Logan, Utah, where he is a graduate student at Utah State University. To see more of his work, visit www.nikitanenashev.com or follow him on Instagram @nikitanceramics.
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