Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Mugs, tools and a prayer for Haiti

First of all, my heart goes out to all of the people of Haiti, let's all keep them in our prayers! Living with a news photographer makes it hard to get away from any news going on. There is a group from Camp LeJeune marine base leaving maybe as soon as tomorrow and Gerry covers Camp LeJeune so there is a possibility he could get deployed with them. Since he is leaving for the Olympics in a few weeks, it's unlikely, but still......
I spent the day working on mug designs and finally threw some batter bowls. This has been on my list of things to do forever, I love batter bowls and use them all the time. I am considering trying some ^6 glazes, I have pretty much decided the Olympic kiln is going to be for Raku and bisque and lower firing. I think it is a suck ass kiln for ^10 and since Olympic and Axner won't stand behind their sales, I'm not risking it anymore.
Here are some mug designs I'm thinking about. I like the tall straight one, Gerry liked the round one. What do you think? If you don't like either one that's ok too. I'm not quite settled on either one just yet.......
I do like the way this feels when you hold it though, it sort of "cups" in your hand.. haha!!
My new tools. The round disk (Marugote) makes the most perfect bowl bottoms of any rib I have ever used, the long tongue (Gyubera) lays bowls down beautifully and the Dolan knife is the very best knife I have ever used! If you don't have one of these Shimpo banding wheels, it is a must have for your studio, run and get one right now!!!!! The little square thing was a bamboo pot scraper I found at a tree hugger store in Chapel Hill called Twig. They have some great things, I got Wesley a bamboo eating utensil set for her lunch box and one of the new environmentally friendly water bottles. If you live nearby check them out, they are near Whole Foods. Anyway, the pot scraper makes a great rib for the bottom of cylinders and sides of small pieces. It also scrapes clay off the wheel nicely.
So that's it for today, waiting to hear if Gerry is going to go to Haiti or not, I'm hoping for not, but I know he would love to be there. Dilema.....

12 comments:

potterboy said...

I like both mug shapes - why can't you do them both? I like the foot of the taller one - the little lip thing going on there - something I've never quite manage to get right.

Bert said...

I think of the tall one as a stoneware shape and the smaller more refined one as a porcelain shape. I would choose the tall one with the foot treatment you gave it.

Tracey Broome said...

I'm 50/50 on getting the lip thing at the bottom of a mug right. I watched Linda Christensen do it one time and she makes it look so easy. Doing both shapes would probably be best with my short attention span!

Hollis Engley said...

Sure, switch off between the two. Keep the buyers guessing which one is the real Tracey Broome mug. I've done a lot of mugs like the one on the right. I like doing that ribbing up thing to build some movement into the mug body. Nice handles, Trace.

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Hi Tracey - I hope Gerry doesn't have to go to Haiti but can understand the desire he must have as a journalist to experience it and capture the scene and human drama through his photographs. Am thankful for all of those who go into the brink to bring us the news. My prayers for all.

Trish said...

I like both mugs too, Tracey..I would use the tall one for coffee and the other for tea :). love the batter bowls. T.

Kari Weaver said...

Several years ago, I bought two mugs from the same potter, one tall and cylindrical and one shorter and round. Both felt great in my hand. I broke the round one a few weeks ago. I say make both shapes.

Laura Farrow said...

I vote round cup! They seem like boy and girl cups to me. The round one more feminine, intimate. Your batter bowl is lovely. Good luck at cone 6! Did you check out Georgies?

cindy shake said...

Yes, I like to round cup, it seems more feminine and the tall one more masculine -both perfect for a couples favorite beverage! I really like your handle treatment on the round one.

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks for all the votes everyone. I'm working on a third option today. I bashed up all of the tall ones, they were way too heavy. I used a pound of clay but they got very tall and I stopped pulling them. I'm using 3/4 lb. today with much better results.....Laura, I do like Georgie's glazes, just not sure if they are too expensive as opposed to mixing my own. Need to do some Math, but I do like them a lot.

Stacy Shepanek said...

I like the round one :)

Jerry said...

I like both shapes, but I think I prefer the taller one. And I agree with Hollis, those handles look great! They were what caught my eye first.