Mugs

I love making mugs! It's fun to see all the different ways other potters make theirs, which give me inspiration or make me think how I'd make other choices. They are great to collect from other potters, too--they are compact enough to fit a bunch in my cabinets, and each is a great snapshot of the artist's work. There are so many choices I can make in this simple object, just a small vessel with a handle, but I can shape the walls, the handle or the rim, to better suit a user's ergonomics. I can change the physical and aesthetic balance of the pieces as well, to make it comfortable to hold and to look at. I've arrived at a form that I'm pleased with-- for now, at least! 

 

I begin with 1 1/4 lb. clay that I throw into a tapered cylinder, approximately 4 3/4 inches tall, 3 1/2 inches wide at the rim. I try to take off as much clay from the bottom as I can before I blow dry the base-- my clay body has no grog, so I found it collapses when I try to shape it if it's too thin and wet. I use a rib to belly out the bottom third. This thins the walls even more, and adds to the volume the mug can hold. I like the shape that creates and how it leaves a nice space for fingers to fit between the handle and the mug body.

I can't stand trimming tons of mugs and other little items like that, so I trim it while throwing. I think it's because I spend a lot of time on throwing it to get it right. I feel like it changes the flow of the mug when I trim it. I also created a foot tool out of a small piece of laminate, shaping a curve with a Dremel. That gives the mugs a common foot profile even if the mugs bodies are slightly different. Metal ribs are great for taking off extra slip and smoothing out the surface to prep it for decoration. I just got a new one that is as tall as my mug, so I can get all the slip off in one pass. I even smoothed the edge of it on my whetstone so that it leaves a super smooth surface on the clay. 

After attaching the handle comes decorating, the best part! I use mason stains or underglaze on greenware, clay that hasn't been bisque fired yet. I sponge it lightly for a wash effect. or paint it on to make it thick and opaque. I love experimenting with decorating methods, and I explore brush painting, sponging, stamping, carving and pressing plants into the clay surface. I want to keep trying new ways of illustrating the surface, especially for time consuming techniques that could be replicated with printing or stamping. I love when people ask me to make things for them, putting together concepts that I hadn't done together before. It feels like a good way for me to explore my creativity further. Mugs are a good place to try things out: it's the right size to see the complete result of an idea without putting in too much time or space in the kiln!