I say "a line of pots," but I don't really want to think of them that way, I'm just not sure how else to phrase it. A bunch of pots? A style of pots? Maybe that's the thing, thinking of what I make as "lines" rather than as simply different ways of creating and surfacing them. They are in constant evolution, really. I want them to be interesting, both to me and to the user. I want people to connect to them, and to enjoy their food just that little bit more when they eat or drink from them.
But what is the right pot? I *think* I have the glaze colours down, ones that I like and that fit the mood I'm trying to present, and my personality. I like the textures I've been working with. I enjoy both throwing and hand-building. But something still isn't quite working. It's closer than it's ever been, but still not exact.
I've got a ton of ideas, pictures in my mind of how they look, but not quite the time required to produce them fluidly. And then, should I use both white and brown clay? My heart says use brown, but should I provide other glaze colour options? Maybe not. Am I working too hard to produce a "product," rather than an expression?
So many questions!! :-) This is how my mind works. Questioning myself all the time rather than just making.
For the Farmer's Market I'm working on some pieces that I've never made before--mortar and pestles. I think the first ones will be for pressing garlic cloves. My sister will give one a try so hopefully I'll get some good feedback on them. Also French butter dishes. That's new but could be an interesting item. For the market I'm trying to think a lot about food prep and serving.
This is an example of my latest favourite "way of making:"
That's a slab built, textured sandwich plate and small soup bowl. The glaze is painted in the circles, then wiped off the raised surface. The glaze recipe was given to me by a friend. It leaves such a lovely glow on the clay. I just love it. And it's fun to see people looking at them, picking them up and fitting their fingers into the grooves.
