Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Lidded Jar Series

I recently made a series of larger lidded jars. This is a form that I have made a lot of in the past but I haven't for a while. I like making big round pots because they are very satisfying when everything works out. On the other hand, I don't like making these big pots because it is very frustrating when things don't work out. I tried and continued several ideas with this series. I continued with a style of knob which I have been working with. I like this idea because it gives a nice finish to the top of the piece and it gives your eye an upward motion. For whatever reason, to me, upward motion is a positive feeling in a pot. On some of the jars the proportions were a little off, or as with the center jar in the picture below, the form makes the lid appear to sit higher, which I do not like. I think the the jar pictured above, as well as on the left of the picture below, has appropriate proportions as well as a nice form. My criticism of these jars in general is that the form is to round, aka- it does not match the undulating rhythm of the rest of the pot(lid, foot, texture, and trimming marks). The walls of the pot are a little more lively on the rope textured jar on the right of the picture below; however, I would like to find a way the create this liveliness in the wall without relying on the texture to do so.

I also tried a new way of signing these pots. I decided to place a small ball of clay inside the opening of the knob and stamp that instead of the bottom of the pot. The theory behind this is that, when examining the finished pot, it may be awkward to pick up this larger pot and search for a makers signature around the foot. However, a viewer will most likely remove the lid and therefor see my stamp on it, making awkwardly handling the large pot unnecessary. Although the scale of these pots may be a bit modest for this feature, I felt that it would still be effective. I have also been working more on my cup sets project. I have been making lots of smallish cups similar in style and pattern. I have been using porcelain, an iron rich stoneware, and a porcelainious white stoneware. I also made the first larger 'trays'. I think that four cups is the right amount for these pieces. I am learning a lot about little details that I like in my cups and enhancing them, which results in better cups, simply by making a lot of them. This also helps to make them more 'my own' and to stray further from their original influence.

3 comments:

  1. Looking good man. It would be really cool if the ball of clay you stamped was floating, like not attached to the inside but have the top a little smaller so it doesn't fall out but could still move around a little. It would probably get glazed or ashed in though. Have you fired my amazing soy sauce container yet?

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  2. I did its in the studio at school. Im thinking smithsonian.

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  3. Its okay, I know you are jealous.

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