To make a slab bowl the easy way, buy a hump mold, or in my case I bought a bisque bowl (a pot that has had the first firing) from my local ceramics shop.
1. Roll out your slab of clay
2. Apply your textures etc to the clay. In this case I pressed a wooden antique stamp that I bought from an antique store.
Using an antique wooden stamp with clay
3. If you are using a bisque bowl lay your slab on the inside, or in this case I turned the bisque bowl upside down and put the slab of clay face down on the bottom of the bowl. I then added a few extra coils and small balls of clay to the edges and joined them to the main slab. A bisque bowl is the perfect mold to use as the clay does not stick to the mold and it helps the clay to dry out evenly thereby avoiding cracks in the clay.
Bisque bowl can be used as a mold
Slab bowl
Thought I would make a few plates with left over clay. For these plates I also lay the clay into bisque plates. Again to help provide the shape, but also even drying etc.
Row's Pottery Shed 
NICE. Thanks for sharing. Great tips.
I love the lace imprints a lot. Since I’ve seen your black lace plates a while back, I wanted to try it… THIS year hopefully.
Love the coils and balls at the rim of your plate.
Awaiting pictures of these finished glazed plates.
Very nice 🙂
Can’t wait to see the finished product of these all glazed and shiny.
Hi, yeah me to. Thanks for visiting. Hey, I’m so glad I came across your blog. I absolutely love your writing and perspectives on life. Great insights to ‘cuddle up to change’…
Row
Hi!
I am so glad to hear you found insights from my blog. That makes it all worth it!
But I am even more happy that you found me because I am loving YOUR blog! I am totally a handbuilding and love the inspiration and comments on what to do (and not to do) for specific techniques. My local pottery studio just closed so I am trying to figure out what I can do at home vs finding another studio.
I love your plates with doilies and the face mold vase! Both of these gave me great ideas. I think I will cut up old t-shirts and use between my clay and already glazed bowls that I want to use as molds.I don’t have much space in my little apt. for lots of bisque molds, so I am looking for alternatives with what I already have.
Thanks for sharing your art with me!
I also have an art blog that you might like: http://lilgirlart.com/
it’s more about the art than reflection and stories.
Riki 🙂
Hi, thanks heaps for your comment and link to your great art blog. How wonderful! Yes, I’ve cut up old sheets and used that for placing in plates and bowls to use as molds to.
See you around
Row
Old sheets are a good idea. Any great ideas about what to use instead of a slab roller?
Rik
No I just use a good old fashion cooking rolling pin.
Row
That’s what I use at home. I got hooked on the slab roller at the pottery studio cuz it was so fast and consistent.