Sunday, October 28, 2007

bonjour-
the slides are obviously not top quality but the house is 65% in boxes. these new pots are my attempt to focus on how the handle relates to spout, the spout to the body, the handle to the body etc. i wanted to continue straight lines, bulbous shapes, and quick decision, not cleaning up connection points but leaving them honest and obvious. the large jar (as well as teapots) will have inset lids. the jar is a new idea, simple shape, to be a surface for very dry direct painting.

5 comments:

Kip said...

Hey Monica -- Great to see some pots! I was immediately drawn to the last teapot, I think primarily because it has all the components. With the lids missing on the first two I feel like I don't get the full picture.

With regards to your statement, I do really get a sense of the spouts interacting with the pots - they have a nice fatness to them that the bodies have as well. I don't, however, get that same feeling from the handles. I almost wonder how a hollow built handle would look on these pots and if that could help them relate more to the body and the spout. It does seem that the relationship is stronger in the final teapot with the line you bring through the handle. It feels very similar to the loose connection point between the spout and the body. I wonder about pulling that same wonderful line quality into the pot somewhere -- maybe in the foot and the knob on the lid? I'm sure you could do some work to draw the elements together with the treatment of the glaze, maybe that line quality could come through in your painting as well.

Now I know how everyone felt when I posted greenware -- it is hard to see where the piece will end up -- they have all been caught undressed! I am anxious to see how you treat their surfaces, and wonder if I'll even recognize these pots the next time I see them!

-Kip

critial ceramics said...

Hi Monica, it's Megan.

I'm glad you got some work posted in the midst of transitions... I know it can be hard!

I agree with Kip about the idea of a hollow handle; that could be fun! Like on your baskets from the last post, I also like the handles with the bisecting line, and think that would be an interesting element to add -- maybe if you had a line like that in the middle of the teapots? I also like how the handle on the second teapot makes such a round shape.

As far as the bodies of the teapots -- the last two feel more resolved to me than the first two. The first one has a low center of gravity that pulls it down, and the second feels undefined -- it's not sure if it wants to be angular or rounded. I like the detail around the top of the third one, and the way that relates to the foot.

One of the most striking things to me is the way the line of the handle merges onto the attachment of the spout on the bottom teapot. That is a very strong visual elements, and works well with your idea of leaving the joints exposed.

With the exposed joints -- it might be interesting if you over-exaggerated that element, so that it looks clearly intentional.

As Kip said -- a lot is up in the air with the surface unfinished. Do you have a clear idea of how you will finish the teapots?

-Megan

critial ceramics said...

Hi Monica -- (it's Juliane in MN, nice to meet you!)

You are brave in tackling teapots! I tend to avoid them (so many parts to orchestrate!). Moving also is tough, so I feel you there.

From looking at the first couple of teapots (without the lids), I thought it might be interesting to make a more bulbous, convex lid to match the bulge of the spout? Also, the feet on the first few teapots seemed a bit minimal compared to the boldness of the spout and handle. It might be interesting to try leaving more clay at the bottom to trim taller feet.

I also agree with Megan that the first teapot seems a bit bottom heavy with regards to its shape; however, I feel that you could also play with that by making a more exaggerated spout (one that is longer, traveling into that negative space on the pot's exterior) to dry the eye from the mass of the body. Have you tried handbuiling spouts? You can shape them solid, and then once they're hard enough, you can carve them out and rejoin them. Just an idea to try if you're on the roll with teapots and different spout shapes.

With the 3rd and 4th teapots (I am drawn to the 4th one the most!), I like the double line happening on the handle -- and the taller foot on the fourth teapot. A more decisive line made with a rib or when trimming could help to mimic that linear quality you have going in the handle. I also like the way you applied your fingermarks to the top of the handle on the 4th teapot, to make a more horizontal area for the user to grab. This led me to think about the possibilities in doing a bit of squaring off/altering with the teapot body, experimenting with a more "unrounded" teapot.

It will be great to see the pots when they are fired. I am curious to know what cone you fire to, and what glazing strategy you have! I will leave the teapot making to you (I make them only when I am forced to demo them for my students!)

Hope your moving is going well.
juliane

ruth said...

Hello Monica,
It is interesting seeing your teapots at this stage because so much can still change before the finished product. I am happy to see your teapots in process because I am right now trying to tackle teapots as well and am pretty much in the same stages. I agree with the other posts that the last teapot is the most successful. The line in the handle is a lovely touch which catches the eye and then brings it arount to the whole teapot. I can see that you are a fan voluptuous forms and I think a hallow handles might be a good thing to try as far as relating each piece to the others. I am right now trying to create my handles by throwing a inner-tube like form and then cutting out a section and pulling each end which traps a bubble adding a bulbousness to the handle.

My second favorite is the second teapot. There is a common roundness to each part which relates to each other. I would like to see how the lid and knob would be finished. I like that both the handle and the spout have a quality of pulling up or lightness that visually makes the whole form much more perky.

Hope I didn’t just repeat what has been said. I’m happy to be part of this critique, can’t wait to see more of your finished work.
-Ruth

mel said...

monica!

i'm so sorry to be late... a sin, i know. i just got caught up in the rush of this time of year. my eyes hurt from not sleeping. :)

like everyone else, i'm drawn to the final teapot. it may be because the form is complete, but i think it has more to do with the handle and the line that i think i can see 2/3 of the way up the body. i think the line lifts the form up, and the handle is more animated than the others. the line in the middle of the handle gives it more depth and variation, and the fact that you can see your fingerprints where you made it bend leaves a fresher feeling. i agree with the idea of a hollow handle and a bulbous, maybe even hollow lid- there is a lot of potential there!

its hard for me to really say anything else, as most of the pieces are unfinished. but i'm really excited to see where this goes next, and good luck with moving and al that jazz- its not easy. just keep working, and you'll make it through! :)

mel