Exploration

It’s been a more productive week than last, in the sense of actual pot production. After a slower week of observing what my finished pots were telling me, I feel more secure in the direction I am heading. Another firing is coming quickly around the corner and I am excited.

Of course, I am still enthralled by the pursuit of a smooth pouring and visually pleasing teapot/coffee pot. With this round of teapots, I am playing around with different style of handles and how they influence the profile of the vessel.

Testing is underway! I’m close to the bottom of current clay bucket and I am interested in changing clay bodies again. Three new bodies have been mixed and thrown into some sample cups. The second test I am planning are, fingers crossed, functional wadding markers. The spoons are an equal parts Newman red and Hawthorne bond, two fire clays that I have previously tested in the soda firing.

During exploration, you need to shake up your approach to the process. Just like any experiment, there needs to consistency, but also a changing variable. I created the stands first and made the inhabiting pots fit the stand instead of the other way around. You can even see me using some older work to visualize what the cups that will be made.

Lastly, I am playing around with slip decoration with flashing slips. The combinations of flashing slips give similar surfaces and I am interested in how noticeable are the patterns or sections after the firing. Playing with obscuration again.