First I made those bottomless circles on the wheel, really just bowl rims without the bowls, that flare outward as they rise. Then I bisque fired them to make them permanent. Now they are a kind of slump mold. I blogged about that lately. But now you can see how I am using them!
(Bowls and a plate from wheel-formed slump molds and wheel-thrown slabs. Photo Mimi Stadler 2015)
I threw round flat plates on the wheel in three sizes, from 6 oz, 11 oz, and 3 lbs of clay respectively.
I let them firm up very slightly. They were still fairly sticky. Then I lifted each one carefully and one by one (still carefully) threw/pulled them against a piece of canvas on the table to stretch them into flat ovals.
Then I formed dishes out of them in the new slump molds. I laid each soft, stretched plate onto a bisqued slump mold and gently fitted the clay to nestle down into it. I cleaned up the rims a bit, let them firm up, and removed them from the slump molds. Voila! Freeform dishes. Can't wait to put some color on them.
This is the first item on my new "Trying New Ideas" board on my Pinterest page, by the way. Because I like it that much.