Saturday, April 12, 2014

Simple....... Bowl.


I'm obsessed with making bowls right now. Bowls are so satisfying to make. I love the inner curve, I love to carve a foot ring. I took me forever and ever to make a bowl. First my friend Barbara McKenzie taught me how to make one,then Susan Wells, then Deborah Harris taught me how, the Ronan Peterson, then Susan Filley. They all have a different technique, all different in their approach, and trying to put all the things together that I learned from each of them was difficult.

I once commented to a very gossipy woman in a community studio that after taking one of Susan Filley's classes on making bowls, I couldn't make a bowl to save my life. It was misinterpreted and that comment was shared with Susan as me saying Susan couldn't teach bowl making very well. I was mortified and contacted her immediately to explain what I meant. Susan Filley makes one of the most technically correct bowls I have ever seen. My other teachers made great bowls too, but their techniques were easier to reproduce. Susan was way beyond my skill level at the time, and try as I might, I could not do what she showed us.

I kept at it though, determined to make a bowl, and now my bowls have a little of each of the teachers I studied with in them. I remember bits and pieces from them as I make each bowl, and I can make a pretty fine bowl now. It's not a Susan Filley bowl, but it''l do.


No artist statement required here. No metaphorical meaning, no explanation of why I made this, what was in my subconscious. It's just a bowl...... pure and simple. Perhaps maybe one metaphor, the way I want my life right now.... simple, filled with good and honest things.


Thanks to my friend Trish Welsh for getting me back on track with bowls and raku. She had asked me to make a bowl for the food bank's empty bowl fundraiser, suggesting that since I didn't make functional ware, I could make a raku bowl for the auction. Well, now, that sounded perfect and gave me a little kick start I needed to get back to clay.


 Obligatory pet photos: Jasper, Wesley's beta fish that I am babysitting right now. Crazy fish!


Callie, glad to finally have naps in the sunshine.

Kiln is firing a bisque today, hope to raku some bowls next week! and Laura, if you are reading this, I am testing some glazes, we will raku together sooon!

12 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

Nice post. Nice bowl. Sometimes a bowl is just a bowl and does not need to be ruined by having a dissertation attached to it.

Carol said...

Absolutely beautiful - bowls are my favorite things to make.

littlemancat said...

It's beautiful - and nice photos too. Love Callie in the birdbath!
And Jasper knows how to pose too.
Mary

smartcat said...

Good looking bowl! A birdbath is the best place for a cat to rest!
Enjoy the day!

Tracey Broome said...

Bowls seem very soothing to me right now, not that I need soothing, but it feels good making them.
Yep, my cat loves that birdbath, it's where she gets the little "gifts" she brings us, ugh....

Michèle Hastings said...

My sister had a cat named Callie, she looked a lot like your Callie. So pretty.

Lovely bowls, I wish I could say I enjoyed trimming bowls. Love to make 'em, hate to trim 'em.

Laura Farrow said...

I'm reading!!!

cookingwithgas said...

Sweet bowl.
I love bowls.
Is there anything more useful than mugs and bowls...

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Michele, I used to hate trimming, but for some reason I really like it now, actually my favorite part about making....
Hey Laura, let's check our calendars
Yep, Meredith bugs and mowls, nothing better!

Vicki said...

Simply..... beautiful.

'Twould be my dream to turn a bowl as lovely as yours. Maybe one day.

And, some people need to either open their ears properly, or keep their mouths shut ;)

Tracey Broome said...

Haha, Vicki, so true! This woman is the kind you can't say anything to unless you want it passes on:)
Thanks for the compliment, it took many many many tries to get a decent bowl off my wheel!

Lori Buff said...

The bowl looks beautiful. so inviting.