Throwing Big

Last week I drove to Durham and returned with supplies and 150 pounds of clay in three different shades. I have torn through two bags of Little Loafers and have been making large 12″ and up bowls. I’ve scrapped some of the work and have been reusing the clay for plates. I don’t have the best plate skills. It seems that maybe 30% of the ones I throw make it through the whole process. My biggest struggle is getting the thickness right so that they can be cut off the bat. The second biggest struggle is letting them dry slowly enough so that they don’t crack in the middle. There is currently one drying on a hydrabat — not cut off — and one on a particle board bat that was cut off but not removed. I can’t cover them since the underglaze swirls would get boogered up. I saw an instagram picture of a fellow potter that was placing wet pieces in what looked to be a plastic portable greenhouse, the clear tent kind. I need to see if that is something I could purchase. During this time of year, the air humidity in the garage is pretty unpredictable.