My name is Katherine and I’m a potter. The materials I use for my job are a wheel kiln ,clay and a pail of water. The first thing I do is separate the clay from the pile. Then I shape the clay into a ball. Once the clay is shaped into a ball I toss it on the wheel and make another hollow ball. While doing this I press my thumbs in the middle of the clay. The way I turn the wheel is with my feet. This makes a pot . The clay must dry before it’s fired. After the clay is fired it’s dried again but you must dry it slowly so it doesn’t crack I don’t make all my pots the same shape or size because some people need big pots for cooking and other people need small pots to store small things in.

    Watching the clay change from a ball into a pot is the most exciting part of my job. When the clay is fired, I like to see my masterpiece.  Separating the clay from the pile is boring and tiring.  Cooling the clay is difficult because you have to cool the pot slowly or it will crack.

    I depend on the cabinetmaker to make my wheel.  I also depend on the broommaker so I can sweep my shop.  The painter needs me to make pots for his paints and the baker depends on me because he needs pots for his ingredients.

To the left is the sign that hangs outside of my shop.  The picture on the right shows examples of the kinds of pottery that I might have made.

 

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