Melissa Beckwith centers a ball of clay on the potter's wheel.

Centering is the MOST important step in throwing clay on the potter's wheel. It takes a lot of practice. 

Once I am sure the clay is centered, I create a small divot in the top.

Now I start to "open" up the ball of clay.

I love watching the clay morph through my fingers.

Now I work on the bottom cavity of the pot and in preparation of forming the top of the pot.

Here I begin to "pull" the wall clay up to carefully form the walls of the pot.

Once I get the achieved height of the pot, I make a few more passes up the walls of the pot to be sure there is even thickness from bottom to top.

Attention to the "lip" of your pot is critical, especially when making mugs. A nice smooth lip is best for sipping coffee and tea.