Circular Logic: How to Explore Shapes for Handbuilding Generate new slab pottery ideas from simple templates for slab building! Sandi Pierantozzi

There is so much potential in slab building. But I find it challenging to go from a flat slab of clay to a functional vessel (probably explains why I don't do much slab building!). It is just hard for me to picture what a two-dimensional shape is going to do when it's folded into a three dimensional shape.

So I love this little slab building explanation by Sandi Pierantozzi. In this clip from her best-selling video What if? Explorations with Texture and Soft Slabs, which is available in the Ceramic Arts Network Shop, Sandi shares her "circular logic" and shows you how to turn a flat slab into a nice little bowl. Sandi's tutorial is a great way to get started with slab building, or come up with new shapes if you are an experienced hand builder. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

This clip was excerpted from What if? Explorations with Texture & Soft Slabs, with Sandi Pierantozzi. To learn more about Sandi or to see more images of her work, please visit www.sandiandneil.com.

More Fun with Slab Building!

Slab building is a wonderful way to create forms that are all your own. There are many ways to build with slabs, and we have a ton of great slab building techniques from a variety of experts in the Ceramic Arts Network archives. Check out this one on how to make a clay mug using slab building from Liz Zlot Summerfield. Lisa Naples is a masterful maker who uses soft slab construction to make her work. If you prefer working with slabs that are a bit stiffer, you'll enjoy this post from Lisa Pedolsky, who uses tar paper slab templates that double as structural support when building. Brilliant!

These are just a few of the slab building resources on Ceramic Arts Network. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get tons of techniques delivered to your inbox!

**First published in 2014.