Upending

The mugs I spoke about last week are slowly evolving. I’ve been getting a handle on handles, doing away with the strappy ones of the past in favour of a purchase with more robustness. I found that turning the handles upside down, with the thicker end at the base, narrowing towards the rim, complements these tapering vessel forms. Simon has introduced me to Clary Illian’s ‘A Potter’s Workbook’ which has some interesting points regarding both the physical and psychological strength of handles, as well as the importance of considering them from every angle. It cheered me up to read ‘one of the last shapes that student potters master is the mug’. There’s hope for me yet. 

Experimenting with handles

I realise that with my sculptural work I’m used to lessening the burden of choice making with my building technique. By throwing lots of components and assembling them together, I self impose constraints that stop me from getting paralyzed by the ‘blank page’ hurdle. With those pots I value serendipity, torn and smudged edges over fussiness. I don’t want the pieces to look overworked and lose their liveliness. Now however I’m faced with how to adapt to an upending of my usual process. The weight of serendipity lies instead in the firing process and I want to take advantage of its unique effects. 

We’re preparing for my first firing here next week and will be loading the kiln from Friday the 24th. I’ve been packing and unloading the bisque, sanding pots, sieving ash from the wood burner to use as a refractory kiln sealant and preparing paper rectangles for an FLM Ceramics (Forrest Lesch-Middelton) delivery of tiles that will be arriving early next week, and are to be fired in Simon’s train kiln. In between studio hours I’ve been getting in some driving practice on the right (wrong) side of the road. We’re only five minutes’ drive from the nearest convenience store in Pawnee but it would take an hour and a half walk along a highway ditch, which I’m not quite desperate enough to try yet. Looking forward to what the week ahead holds and to getting acquainted with the kiln.