Mud to Pot in Five Minutes

Have you ever wanted to see how my lovely bride makes one of her signature items of pottery?

It all starts out with a measured amount of mud. She uses the same amount every time and centers it on the wheel. I have heard this is the hardest part to get right.

 Next, she has to flatten it out so the base is the right width. She doesn't use a measuring tool, she just eye-balls it.

 Then she has to open up the middle and leave a flat spot at the bottom that is not too thick, and not too thin, but is just right.

 She pulls up a cylinder that has uniform thickness and somehow knows just how high to go. Maybe she runs out of mud somewhere along the way.

 Now, she is starting to close in the top.

 There it is! All closed off and rounded over. There was some hocus-pocus going on because I looked at my viewfinder and Voila! It was closed off and I didn't see how she did it.

 The magic continues as she rounds it over to the perfect shape

 This is where I would put two grooves in it and call it an ashtray.
 She puts a whole lot of grooves in it.

 And calls it a Beehive Honey Pot!. The top part will become the lid and will fit down inside the base. She does some other magic with glazes and a hole for the honey dipper. I will show you the completed project when it is out of the oven. Our honeybees will be so proud of her!