Archive for December, 2008

Taking Center Stage

Posted in Uncategorized on December 17th, 2008 by Grace – 3 Comments

I like making cups and bowls because I think that they are the most commonly used vessels in functional pottery.  I know I use several handmade cups and bowls on a daily basis.  Actually, I put quite a bit of thought (relatively speaking) when choosing a cup or a bowl.  It must be the right size and shape for my current mood and for what I am going to use.  For example, if I am planning on making hot chocolate, my cup of choice would be smaller than say for water.

One of the things I’ve struggled with in making my own cups and bowls is the issue of space.  Aesthetically speaking, it always feels like I’m cramming too much surface decoration into a small space.  To solve this problem, I put the lattice work carvings as the center panel while the slip trailing (the scroll/filigree work) fills out the rest of the space.  While this is a good step toward solving my  problem, I had this nagging feeling that I could do better.

One day, as I’m discussing this with my husband, he casually says to me that my slip trailing is strong enough to stand on its own, without the carvings.  That got me thinking and experimenting.  So without further ado, I’d like to introduce my slip trailing taking center stage…

cups - group

L to R: Blue cup 1, Waterfall Red cup, Amber Red cup, Blue Cup 2

Blue cup 1

Blue cup 1

Waterfall Red cup

Waterfall Red cup

Red Cup

Red Cup

Blue cup 2

Blue cup 2

Work in Progress – Jar 2

Posted in Uncategorized on December 7th, 2008 by Grace – 2 Comments

Work in Progress – Jar 1

Posted in Uncategorized on December 7th, 2008 by Grace – Be the first to comment

 

Old Ideas, New Approaches

Posted in Uncategorized on December 4th, 2008 by Grace – Be the first to comment
Lately, I have been playing around with new and hopefully better solutions to ideas that I’ve been working on for a long time.  For example, I’ve been thinking about ways to add height to my stacking jars.  It occurred to me one day, while flipping through my architecture books, that stupas have lots of sections stacked on top of each other and that this is how I should make my  stacking jars taller.  So, while working on a commissioned stacking jar, I decided to start off with something familiar (keeping the stacking jar in 3 sections) but to change it by throwing it wider than I normally would.  I also thought it would be interesting to document the piece from start to finish.  So here it is, fresh off the wheel.

 

Freshly thrown stacking jars

Freshly thrown stacking jars

 

Another old idea I’ve been playing with is making an oval shaped vessel.  I’ve been having lots of technical issues with this form.  After some very helpful suggestions from a terrific potter, Kristen Kieffer, this is what I have.  I am quite pleased with the end result and have eagerly started another one.

 

Oval vessel in progress

Oval vessel in progress

 

Oval vessel with completed surface decoration
Oval vessel with completed surface decoration

 

Often times, it takes me a long time to execute an idea because I have to explore lots of different technical approaches to make it all work.  This is why I have lots of “old” ideas on the back burner.  I figured that the more pots I make, the more experience I gain and eventually, I will hit upon a soultion to an old idea that has been patiently waiting for me.