Teapots taking shape: The Showdown Begins

The Showdown challenge has lift off! This week our potters have been very busy getting going with creating their teapots 🫖

The Clay Hands studio came alive this week as our first group of potters embraced the Tea Ceremony Showdown challenge. With determination and creativity, the Wednesday morning class tackled what many consider ceramics' ultimate test—the teapot.

From Concept to Clay

Some students arrived with carefully sketched designs, while others embraced a more intuitive approach, letting their hands discover forms as they worked the clay. Both paths led to distinctive creations—some precisely executed according to plan, others evolving organically through the making process. Each potter's unique relationship with their material became visible as teapot bodies began taking shape across the studio.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Joining Forces with Technique

The photos capture the careful concentration as students worked on critical construction elements. Clay bodies took shape through various methods—slab building, pinching, and coiling—while the delicate art of joining became the day's focus.

The Character of the Pour

Spouts quickly became the personality piece of each teapot. Long elegant curves, sturdy practical forms, and even a few experimental designs emerged as students balanced aesthetics with function.

Tips + Design considerations for the spout:

~ Too narrow and it won't pour properly; too wide or not sharp enough and it might drip.

~ you can test your spout design by blowing gently through it —a traditional technique to ensure proper flow.

Refining and Reflecting

In the moments of focus the studio quieted with the meditative work of refinement (and sometimes some gentle scolding by Ronel) Tools glided across surfaces as potters smoothed joins, defined edges, and perfected curves (or curses were thrown). This patience-testing process transformed rough forms into pieces with intentional character.

Community Creation

We loved seeing the spirit of camaraderie that filled the studio. Students shared ideas and techniques, offered encouragement, and celebrated each other's breakthroughs. The challenge has clearly sparked not just individual creativity but a stronger sense of community among our potters.

As these pieces continue their journey from raw clay to finished forms, we're excited to share more progress in the coming weeks. The creativity and skill already on display suggest our external judges will have quite the task when July arrives!

*The Clay Hands Showdown continues—stay tuned for more updates as our potters transform their visions into clay reality.

and watch this space… This week we also demonstrated milk jugs for our wheel throwers…

Are you working on a Clay Hands Showdown piece? Tag us or use #ClayHandsShowdown so we can see what you’re up to!