Playing with clay again

 I am back in the studio and having a great time. This photo shows me using one of the pottery ribs that I have made. A pottery rib is a tool that is used to help conform the surface of a pot to a particular shape. In this case I am using it to form the inside curve of my bowl. I could also use the pottery rib to define the exterior of a bowl.
This pottery rib is made from an exotic wood called  paduk which has been laminated to form a composite wood that is used most often in bow making (as in archery). In the close up you can see that this one is an oval teardrop shape and it works great for small bowls. As I study the shape of the inside of the bowl it gives me more thoughts on rib shapes to make. So, maybe I will be back to the wood shop tomorrow.