Tooling Around

My time in the studio this week has been disjointed. When no particular deadline or goal looms, it can be this way. I spent time with friends, worked on non-clay projects and delved into the studio here and there. When creativity is a blank slate, it can be scary. What shall I make? What do I want to make? What do customers want me to make? All these questions have multiple answers, so creative decision-making can be hard. For me, the best solution is to dive in and just fool around.

I’ve been working out a new design for a berry bowl. I like the lattice base I’ve developed. I  criss-cross strips of clay about 1/4 inch wide for the base. At first, I used tools I had in the studio (a needle tool and ruler) to make the strips. I didn’t like the results.. 

So I created my own tool that can easily slice through the clay and create the exact-sized strip I need. I used two nails and a piece of cork. It works perfectly! Now I need to figure out how to make an adjustable version of this to cut out a variety of widths!

Now that the lattice design has been tackled, I worked on the bottom foot of the bowl and the overall functionality of the design. In my mind, the bowl will be used to wash and store a variety of berries. Additional randomly placed holes will provide air flow to keep the berries at perfect ripeness as they are stored. My latest version features square-shaped cut-outs to provide this function. I like how it looks too. What do you think? Am I getting closer? Click on photo to send me your thoughts!

New Twists and Turns

When you’ve been making pottery over a long period of time, it’s always fun to see some of your former creations in use. That happened this week when we had dinner at a friend’s house. One of my long trays was artfully used to serve some delicious crab cakes. I immediately fell in love with that shape all over again. This past week in the studio I’ve been working on some familiar inventory with a couple of new twists and turns. 

I am tweaking my berry bowl shape. Previously, the bowl has had a gentle slope punched with a random hole design. Based on some requests, I’m working on a new shape that is a bit deeper. The bottom features a basket-like pattern for drainage. I’m playing with adding some other drain holes in the bowl. What do you think? Do you like it with or without the holes? Click on the photo to respond.

I’m making a custom heart shape for a neighbor. She and a group of her friends plan to gift it to another friend facing cancer treatments. This design is a bit larger than the 4 inch diameter heartfelt shape I’ve made in the past. The cutout heart is also larger so messages of love and support can be collected and retrieved from the heart. I am honored to help create this vessel of love for them.

I’ve had an idea for votive holiday trees for awhile. Years ago, I created a triangular version that was Raku fired. This week, I played with several sizes of cone-shaped trees with star cut outs. A small electric votive candle will fit nicely under each one to add a festive touch to any holiday display. I’m glad winter is months away, but sometimes an idea just needs to be worked out in the studio no matter the time of year! Do you have suggestions? Click on the photo to respond.

I’m looking forward to revisiting the long tray in the studio this week. I still make a variety of tray and bowl sets, but the dimensions and techniques have evolved in the studio. The trays I made about 10 years ago used an 18-inch oval form for draping the clay. Lately, I’ve been using a 9 by 4-inch rectangle form resulting in large sloping sides for the tray. I’m inspired to play with the longer base forms again and using some of my new texture and glazing techniques. What do you think? Click on the photo to respond.