Today's Sketches

Since Christmas I haven't really had much time to think about my own work with teaching and three weekend workshops. What does happen though in teaching is that I try to problem solve someone else's pots and thru that process think about how I can use the demo as fodder for my own creativity. This past couple of weeks a student has been replicating the classic Hans Coper form and a form she calls a "paisley" which is a tribute to her homeland of India. For the paisley I introduced the Dutch claw for enclosing a form and for the Coper's we opened a cylinder and left the bottom thick and lifted it onto a leather hard first section and opened it with a broom handle. You have to hire me for a workshop for the demo.
So today I had a day in the studio. I had sketched what I thought were paisleys and I decided to add the thrown bottle upside down as the neck and celebrate where I attach it. Much easier to throw that way. As I began trimming and assembling they became not at all what I intended but a ewer with a little boys wee wee for a spout. Will they work, will they pour, will anyone use one for liquids- hell no!!!! I still put the hole in. Will they work for flowers or serve a visual function- hell yes!

I learned a lot from the sketches and will make 5 more tomorrow. I have some ideas on how to improve the foot. I had forgotten how much fun it is to make things in the studio when the sun is shining, the tunes are on and you have no idea what you're doing.