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.