Rectangular Baker

There's an article in the Mar/Apr 2013 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated on making a Rhubarb Crisp Baker that reminded me of a similar article in an older issue that I have read in the last year.  (I can't put my hands on the issue with the other article in it, so it must be an older one that Allen or Ronnie brought in to the studio.)  In both, the project consists of making a ceramic baker by throwing a large ring, altering it, and then attaching it to a slab.  This technique allows the potter to make a square, rectangular, or oval shaped baker.  

This weekend, I gave it a shot.  I took about 4 pounds of clay and threw a large ring.  I left it a little thicker on the rim on purpose.  After a few hours (I went home and took a shower and nap in the interim) when it was dry enough to handle, I cut it off the bat and shaped it into the rectangle that you see here. 

  

While the sides continued to dry, I worked on making the bottom.  I rolled out a slab, moved it to the wheel so that I could add the swirl design, and cut out the rectangular shape that I needed.  

Then I attached the ring to the slab.  The last step was to add the handles.  

For this project, I made this as big as I could.  Honestly I didn't even measure the diameter of the ring before I removed it from the bat, so I have no idea how large this is.  Sometimes I just jump in and see what I can do.  It will be interesting to see what size it is once it is fired twice.  Next time around I might be a little more careful and try to make something that is a standard size.