Each and every bowl at Chow Bella is handmade on a traditional potter's wheel by Claire Pearson. Claire makes the bowls in her studio at home.
1. Wedging
The clay is kneaded to make sure that it is evenly mixed and to expel any pockets of air prior to throwing the bowl. Each lump of clay (usually enough for 2-3 medium sized bowls) is "wedged" at least 100 times and it takes as long to prepare the clay as it does to make one medium sized bowl!
2. Centering
This is the most important part of the throwing process. The clay is coaxed with firm but gentle pressure from above and from the side to sit perfectly centrally on the spinning wheelhead.
3. Opening up
A hole is made in the centre of the clay and pulled outwards to to create the bottom of the bowl.
4. Pulling up
The walls of the bowl are pulled up in two to three goes until the full height and width of the bowl has been reached.
5. Measuring
The height and width of each bowl is measured according to the style being made to make sure that each bowl is the correct size.
6. Painting & Finishing
The bowl is painted using underglaze colours mixed with "slip" (basically very runny clay). Once painted, the outer surface of the bowl is quickly dried with a blow torch so that the letter stamps can be impressed into the surface without damaging it - by drying just the surface, the clay underneath is still soft enough to accept the impression.
The bowl is then removed from the wheel and left to dry out for 7-10 days.
When "leatherhard" the bowl is put back on the wheel upside down so that the bottom can be "turned". This is similar to woodturning in that a sharp tool is used to shave off the clay and create a foot. The foot is the unglazed area where the bowl stands on the kiln shelf - if glazed the whole bowl would be stuck to the kiln shelf, not a pretty site!
It is vital that the bowl is bone dry before being fired in the kiln. In the kiln the temperature is slowly raised and at around 200 degrees centigrade, any trapped water in the clay turns to steam and literally causes the bowl to explode, so the bowl must be absolutely dry before being fired. At 600 degrees the "chemical water" (bound to the clay particles) is driven off and at this stage the clay changes irreversibly. It is then taken up to 1000 degrees centigrade during the first firing.
After the first (bisque) firing, Claire washes colour into the letters to make them stand out. The bowl is then dipped into a bucket of glaze and fired for a second time (the glaze firing). Chow Bella bowls are earthenware and are taken up to 1060 degrees centigrade for their second firing. Each firing takes around 10-12 hours to reach the top temperature and a further 24 hours to cool down completely.