Project 5: A Teapot

This time I decided to go with a more familiar form of a teapot, at least in the Western world. Again I chose to use the brown clay. Actually I worked on project 4 & 5 at the same time so it made sense to use the same clay. I had planned this one in my head already. Teapot 4 sort of evolved as I made it.

This time I got the shape I was trying for and I got the full lift out of the clay! That felt great!

I threw the spout for this teapot and then curved it a bit to fit my design and also of course pour more smoothly. I pulled the handle instead of throwing it like the side handles. I then curled it in place to fit the design and let it dry before attaching it.

Assembled teapot.

After the pot had dried some I painted a tree on both sides in black slip (which actually fires brown).

Here is one side:

The other:

And the lid:

I wasn't completely sure how I felt about the trees until they were bisque fired.

I loved the result! Next I waxed the tree leaving a rough outline so the clay would also show as a sort of outline and applied the glaze. I choose a matte white to go with the natural look of the design.

Here is where I started to worry again that it looked sloppy and not like I had imagined; however before you get use to the behavior of glazes and clay the final appearance seems so much of a mystery. As you can see here it does look sloppy. The final result totally made up for all the worry...










Here it is!

I was absolutely thrilled again!

It was exactly as I had hoped for.The way the handle curls with the design of the trees and the spout leaned  away from them.The beautiful way the clay showed around the tree and the glaze completely fit the earthy feel of the design and colors.

What I learned:

1. This spout has a much smoother pour then the teapots in projects 2 & 3. 

2. It is also a bit larger because I managed to get the most out of the clay and I improved the ball shape of the body compared to the others. 

3. I was a little sloppy when I made the holes for the filter inside. I need to remember to clean it up a bit before firing.

Project 4: Another Kyusu Teapot

This time I used a brown clay which has a wonderful earthy feel.

I did not get it lifted as much as I hoped, but it left the body a bit thicker and it gave me an idea of a design I wanted to try. I did get a slightly rounder shape this time so that made me happy that I had improved a bit more. 

After the body and lids had dried a bit I turned a knob out of the chunk of clay left on the lid.Again I forgot to take pictures of the spout and handle, but after I threw them they dried a bit and then I attached them to the pot. 

This teapot had a fantastic chunky feel so I decided to carve into it deeply to create a really nice texture and look. 

I so completely enjoyed carving this pot and I am absolutely thrilled with the way it feels and looks. I believe carving the lid added even more depth to the pot as a whole.

Bisque fired and ready for glazing.

Glazed and ready for firing!

The color you see here is completely different then the end result. I have never used this glaze before, but it seemed perfect for this pot. It is a matte glaze which varies according to thickness and has a really unique earthy look. I almost went with something I was more familiar with, but I have to say when I saw the finished result I was SO happy that I took a chance...

The finished teapot!

I am really ,really happy with the end result! It is beautiful and feels terrific! 

What I learned:


1. I resolved some of my spout issues in this teapot. This one has a much smoother pour and I think the shape is much more aesthetically pleasing. I hope to continue to improve my spouts.


2. A couple of my filter holes inside got clogged with glaze. It did not greatly disturb the pour but I need to be aware of this issue and check closely when I am finished glazing.




 I will definitely try this design again, perhaps larger. I originally thought I may have made the handle a bit too short but actually it fits perfect with the stoutness of the pot.

Each time I throw the same shape I get better and better which, I suppose is fairly common and it never stops feeling good to see improvement. In the beginning it is so difficult to even get the clay centered let alone produce a form. 

Project 3: Another Kyusu Teapot

This time I am going at it on my own. Of course I asked for advice when needed, but it's all me!

Teapot body and lids

This one is not as round as the one my instructor helped me with but it is a good start.  I forgot pictures of the spouts and handles again, but maybe I will remember next time. 

Lid finished and teapot assembled.

Now it's time for it to dry, so it can be dipped in slip...

This time I decided I wanted to make some matching cups as well. I threw these cups on the wheel and then squared off the top for a different look and feel.

I decided to decorate them both by applying slip and carving into the clay. I took pictures of them during the process to show the difference.The cups were dipped in slip and decorated while the teapot was drying.

Cups.

I dipped these about 1/2 way as they are small and I wanted to be able to see the pattern and texture.

First cup finished.

Cups bisque fired
 and waiting for the teapot to dry.

I really love the way the carving turned out!

Teapot dipped in slip.

I decided to only dip 1/3 of the teapot and a ring on the lid. I like the contrast of the earthy rough texture of the slip with carved details and the smoothness of the glaze.

Next the carving... 
I chose to carve the clay with a matching pattern into both the clay dipped in slip and the plain clay, because I am using a glaze that has beautiful variation according to thickness.  I am so excited and can't wait to see how the glaze comes out.

Carved teapot.

I really like how it looks so far.

Teapot and cups dipped in glaze
and ready for the final firing.

 Now the wait....

Finished teapot and cups!!

Again I am extremely happy with the results! 

These cups turned out to be excellent for drinking. They fit perfectly in your hand and the texture is nice with a smooth lip.

Things I learned:

1. The glaze was thin at the back of the teapot so the glaze was not utilized to it's full potential as when it is thin it does not show of the carving. You can see in the above picture between the spout and handle beautiful deep blue lines. That is what i wanted. On the back the carvings are more yellow like the end of the handle and spout. It's still lovely but next I will be more careful.

2. The other is again that this spout shape is not the best for pouring tea. It is functional but it drips a bit. I will work on that in the next teapots to come until I figure it out.

Project 2: Kyusu teapot

Kyusu means teapot in Japenese but it usually refers to a teapot with a side handle and is used for green tea.

This is my first project involving many parts that needed to be assembled. With a teapot there is many things to consider in addition to the style. My instructor helped with this project a bit although the design and most of the work were all mine.

Here is the body and a couple lids.

My instructor helped me to get the body a little more round after I threw it. When the clay is drying it gradually shrinks. This particular clay decreases about 10% in size. So it is smart to throw the lid at the same time as the body so you know it will fit as they are thrown at the same water consistency. If you throw a couple then you have a back up if something goes wrong with one. There are other alternatives but this is the way I learned.

I forgot to photograph the spouts and handles when I threw them and again I threw a couple of each to find the right fit and make sure I had one ready if I did anything to damage one while attaching it. My instructor attached this spout to show me how to do it. The handle I did myself. I have to say I find the side handle so visually appealing!

Here is the assembled kyusu teapot!

The front view.

Next I smoothed all the rough edges and dried it slowly under plastic at first and then by air. Once this stage was completed it was bisque fired, which I did not photograph. then glazing and the finally firing!!!

Glazed and ready.

I made this teapot after the espresso cups but glazed them all together along with a small bowl, which is more efficient then glazing one piece at a time.  It also means I got it all back at once which was very exciting!! Usually you have many project going at once in pottery as they all are at different stages which is really fun!

Final result!!!

Another view.

The side handle also feels so great to pour. I am not really sure how to put it in words. The best I can say is it just flows so nice as if it is an extension of your hand.

Again I was thrilled with the result!

Things I learned from this teapot:

1. The shape of the spout is not great for pouring. Unfortunately I started my next one before I realized that. It is functional and it felt incredible to use it but it does drip. You learn as you go, which is part of the fun! :)

2. I left the bottom a bit thin so when it came to turning the foot it was a bit thin so it is not as appealing as  I would like.

With the lessons learned and the result as it was I was just so happy and more than ready to move onto to more teapots. I think I may be in this phase for awhile while I perfect my form and enjoy all the decorating options!!! Yay!!

Project 1:  Espresso cups

 After learning the basic forms and trying out some different decorating techniques, about 4 or 5 months into my journey,  I wanted to start my first pottery project. I chose to make a gift for my friend's birthday. I decided on some espresso cups. Then I set myself free to go with what I felt and ask advice when I needed it.  


This is the body of the cups before I turned a foot into the bottom and attached handles.

Then I had to decide what handles I wanted. I knew I did not want ordinary handles so I got some potential suggestions from my instructor. I chose circular handles  cut from cylinders I threw on the wheel.

Then I attached them to the cups.I am really happy with my choice!

When they dried I smoothed out any rough edges. Once they were completely dry they went in the kiln for their first firing (bisque firing).

Finally I glazed them and now they are ready for the kiln.

I chose 2 bold colors that I like to use together.  One is cobalt and the other is ginger. Now for the final firing... 

 I was so nervous! I was thinking of all the things that could  go wrong. Like, maybe I didn't apply the glaze well or something else I hadn't thought of would happen. I had invested so much in them already as pottery is a dynamic process and  so far everything had worked out great! Of course you learn from each experience but it still stinks when you are waiting for something and it comes out a mess. :)

I was absolutely blown away with the results. It was an amazing feeling to design and start a project and follow it through. To start with little lumps of clay and work them into espresso cups that I am still so proud of! Every time I look at them or touch them I feel complete and total satisfaction in the deepest depths of my soul.

 This project literally opened up a whole new chapter in my pottery journey. My first project was an absolute thrill and success! Now, onto my next one!!