pitchers - ceramic arts network · table of contents 1 anatomy of a pitcher by julia walther 6...

PIT

CH

ER

S, TEA

PO

TS, C

UP

S, AN

D M

UG

SH

allC

ERA

MIC

AR

TS SELECT SER

IES

PITCHERS

TEAPOTS

CUPS & MUGS

Ceramic Arts Select Series

Editor Sherman Hall

Pouring and drinking vessels are some of the most commonly used items in

any home. As such, they need to function well, be ready to work overtime,

and be engaging objects to interact with. These parameters provide a

creative challenge for the potter. This book is part of the Ceramic Arts Select

Series, which focuses on groups of related forms and presents some of the

best examples of how contemporary artists are exploring, innovating, and

celebrating those forms.

Pitchers, Teapots, Cups, and Mugs, features 18 detailed, step-by-step

projects that explore various approaches to making these pots using

both wheel-throwing and handbuilding techniques. From the handmade

thermos and mug set inspired by a cold commute to various approaches to

making pouring and drinking vessels of all kinds, you’ll find opportunities

to learn new techniques and apply your own experiences to developing a

personal aesthetic. It’s time well spent on forms that are the foundation of

many potter’s stock and trade.

The American Ceramic SocietyCeramicArtsDaily.org

Printed in China

BOOK2_CA161 Cover.indd 1 6/20/16 11:20 AM

iv

The American Ceramic Society 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210 Westerville, OH 43082

© 2016 by The American Ceramic Society, All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57498-381-4 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-57498-590-0 (PDF)

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review.

Authorization to photocopy for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 U.S.A., www.copyright.com. Prior to photocopying or downloading items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This consent does not extend to copyright items for general distribution or for advertising or promotional purposes or to republishing items in whole or in part in any work in any format. Requests for special photocopying permission and reprint requests should be directed to Director, Publications, The American Ceramic Society, 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville, Ohio 43082 USA.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. Due to differing conditions, equipment, tools, and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses, and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book. Final determination of the suitability of any information, procedure or product for use contemplated by any user, and the manner of that use, is the sole responsibility of the user. This book is intended for informational purposes only.

The views, opinions and findings contained in this book are those of the authors. The publishers, editors, reviewers, and authors assume no responsibility or liability for errors or any consequences arising from the use of the information contained herein. Registered names and trademarks, etc., used in this publication, even without specific indication thereof, are not to be considered unprotected by the law. Mention of trade names of commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the publishers, editors, or authors.

Publisher: Charles Spahr, Executive Director, The American Ceramic Society.

Series Design and Graphic Production: Paula John, Boismier John Design

Assistant Editor: Forrest Sincoff Gard

Cover images: top: Creamer by Hannah Meredith; right: teapot by Jeffrey Nichols; bottom: mug by Lauren Karle.

Frontispiece: Thermos set, approximately 9 in. (23 cm) in height when stacked, stoneware with glaze, wood fired, by Kenyon Hansen.

Printed in China

BOOK2CA162_pitchers_i-21.indd 4 6/20/16 11:23 AM

v

Table of Contents

1 ANATOMY OF A PITCHERby Julia Walther

6 DARTED PITCHERby Deborah Schwartzkopf

10 LIDDED CREAMERby Liz Zlot Summerfield

15 SMALL CREAMER, BIG PRESENCEby Hannah Meredith

17 ALTERED EWERby Martha Grover

22 SOFT SLAB TEAPOTby Margaret Bohls

28 LOOSE-LEAF TEAPOTby Clay Cunningham

33 FACETED TEAPOTby Jeffrey Nichols

38 HANDBUILT TEAPOT WITH A WIRE HANDLEby Sarah Pike

44 THE SQUARED MUGby Nick DeVries


vi

Table of Contents

47 HOT COFFEE & TEA by Kenyon Hansen

49 CARVED GOBLETS by Yoshi Fuji i

54 ONE PIECE GOBLETS by Jan Parzybok

58 EXTRUDED CUPS by Richard Burkett

64 FOLDED CUPS WITH PATTERNS by Lauren Karle

71 WIRE-CUT FRITWARE CUPS Frank Krevens

vi


vii

76 CUPS AND HANDLES by Annie Chrietzberg

83 PULLING DYNAMIC HANDLES by Mike Jabbur


1

Anatomy of a Pitcher

by Julia Walther

Humans have always had a compulsion to cre-ate, to improve, and to make something func-tional just a little prettier than necessary. Once in a while I come across a handmade object that acts like a time machine, bringing me to a spe-ci�c moment and the mind of its maker, a�oat in the careful act of creating beauty. I hope that

viewers and users of my work feel the same way, if for just a moment.

Individualizing and Refining a FormWhile glazing and �ring are a means to an end for me, the interaction I have between hand and


2

clay—freezing a moment in time—is the most exciting part of making. I enjoy the feeling of possibility the newest batch of work creates, �ll-ing up my shelves with freshly thrown pieces, and �nding decorative solutions for those fur-ther along in the process.

We all bring our unique interests and aes-thetics to the table when creating our varia-tions on particular forms. I have a great love for the swelling forms of German salt-glazed pottery and of historical fashion, especially the Victorian era and Dior’s New Look from the late 1940s and 50s. The exaggerated waists and skirts that both define and conceal com-prise a silhouette that, given pottery’s strong relationship with the human form, beg to be captured in clay. This is one of the reasons I enjoy making pitchers.

As I see it, the main challenge of mak-ing a pitcher is that it has to be large enough to contain, yet light enough to carry, and still durable enough to feel safe in use. It’s also nice if it pours well. My earlier pitch-ers tended to have handles that were attached quite close to the mouth of the pot with a high center of gravity. In using them, I realized that wasn’t particularly conducive to holding a pitcher full of liquid and have since moved my handles down toward the waist of the pot.

Creating the PitcherUsing about 3½ pounds of clay, I begin by throwing a tall, narrow cylinder. I then care-fully swell out the belly and neck until there is a curvaceous fullness to the form, especially on the lower half (1). I create the foot of my pitcher

Pitcher, wheel-thrown and altered porcelain, sgraffito decorated underglaze, glaze, fired to cone 6, luster, fired to cone 018, 2015.


3

with a small notched rib (2). �is leaves a coil shape behind, providing a logical place to end glazing and a small amount of shadow under-neath the form, while eliminating the need to trim the piece. As much as I love making work, the fewer times I have to put it on the wheel, the better.

Once the clay enters the so� leather-hard state (moveable, but not creating �ngerprints when touched), I get my hands wet and pinch about a quarter of the mouth’s circumference

with my thumb and fore�nger. Using my other hand, I run my index �nger from side to side on the inside of the pinch, beveling the spread-ing clay outward (3). Once I feel the spout is thinned and shaped, I pinch my two anchor points a little closer together to plump it up. At this point I pull a long tapered handle with rounded edges and set it on a board to sti�en.

When it is at the point where I can touch it without leaving a mark, I make a diagonal cut on the fat end and I bend it into a loop, working

1. Throw a tall, narrow cylinder with 3½ pounds of clay, then push out the form from the inside.

2. Use a stiff, notched rib to create the coil-like foot that acts as a transition from glazed to unglazed areas and provides visual lift.

3. After pulling the spout, bevel a finger back and forth between the anchor points of the pinched mouth.

4. Pull a handle, allow it to stiffen, then curve it into a loop, pressing the small end into the large, diagonally cut end that fits the pitcher’s curve.

5. Trace and score the attachment points on the handle and pitcher, then apply slip and join the two.


4

the clay from the skinny end into the fat end, sealing them together (4). I outline and score the two attachment points for the handle on the pitcher (5), and then work the seams be-tween handle and pitcher with a chamois until they are well integrated. I then wait for the en-tire piece to approach the slightly sti�er side of leather hard.

I try to keep my edges on all parts of the piece rounded and generous, especially handles, an example of how John Glick’s practical approach continues to in�uence me. A�er working with him in his studio for two years, it’s hard not to hear his voice in my head, saying “One knock on the kitchen counter and that’s done for!” �ere’s a time and a place for every possible kind of ce-ramic expression and sharp edge, but I want peo-ple to adopt my pots into their cupboards free of worry, so I make them round and hearty.

�e other major challenge of a pitcher, espe-cially a pitcher just a little prettier than neces-sary, is the large vertical surface—the terrifying abyss of a blank canvas.

Surface StrategiesIn addition to costume, I �nd fellowship in a va-riety of folk cra�s, Japanese woodblock prints,

cartoons like �e Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, and paper cutting, all of which use abstracted shapes to convey stories and show evidence of the human hand.

A�er years of working with cone 10 clay bodies and glazes, several life changes in the summer of 2014 catapulted me into a whole a new body of work at cone 6 and provided an opportunity to rede�ne my surface decorations and techniques. During a workshop at Penland School of Cra�s taught by Kathy King, I gravi-tated toward underglaze, sgra�to swirls, and a stylized prickly pear cactus motif. I love the way sgra�to embeds decoration into the sur-face of the clay and the hand-carving allows for abstract, �owing gestures.

Laboriously carving the �rst few pieces at Penland was satisfying, but for regular studio use I wanted to �nd a way to achieve a similar sur-face without such a great time commitment. �e method of sgra�to I now use requires painting only the areas I plan on carving, leaving the color of my creamy clay body in the negative space.

Conquering the Blank CanvasOnce the pitcher is at the right state, I’ll brush on underglaze in swirls underneath the handle,

6. Paint underglaze or slip onto different areas of the pitcher, allowing the clay body’s color to be part of the composition.

7. Find logical intersections where individual shapes fit the composition, like the cactus shapes added here.


5

along the rim above the handle, and inside the mouth (6). For the scaled-up, pitcher-sized ver-sion of my swirls and cacti motif, I leave the handle out of the underglaze decoration so there is some breathing room in the scene.

I then go back and paint blobs for the cacti, trying my best not to paint too many (7). A�er three coats of underglaze, I use a plastic sculpting tool as a stylus to outline the cacti, and then draw the abstract swirls with a lot of movement (8).

Once the underglaze has dried slightly more, I create sgra�to marks in the underglazed ar-eas, subtracting the cacti spikes using the knife side of a clean-up tool (9). �en I outline the bulbs with a stylus (10). A�er that, once it’s bone dry, I re�ne it and remove burrs from the surface decoration using a green kitchen scrub-

bing pad prior to bisque �ring. I dip the bisqued piece in a clear glaze and �red to cone 6, then carefully apply gold luster to the bulbs (11) and pop it back into the kiln one last time and �re it to cone 018.

A Multi-functional Form�e life of a pitcher has a di�erent rhythm than that of a cup or a bowl. In my home, pitchers come out when it’s time to host company or ar-range fresh-cut �owers; gestures above and be-yond the daily demands of eating and drinking. Pitchers mean something lovely and wonderful, usually with other people, is about to happen. Sure, it takes more e�ort to make a pitcher than a cup—especially if that pitcher is just a bit pret-tier than necessary—but if it weren’t above and beyond, what fun would it be?

8. Outline the motifs (cacti on my form) and draw swirls or other shapes that compliment the composi-tion using a plastic sculpting tool.

9. Carve away areas of the underglaze to create sgraffito decoration; here I’m drawing spikes on the cacti with the blade side of a clean-up tool.

10. Add outlines using a stylus for forms that will be accented with lusters or overglaze later.

11. Paint luster on the glazed piece; filling in the out-lines of the cacti adds a third layer of color and detail.


PIT

CH

ER

S, TEA

PO

TS, C

UP

S, AN

D M

UG

SH

allC

ERA

MIC

AR

TS SELECT SER

IES

PITCHERS

TEAPOTS

CUPS & MUGS

Ceramic Arts Select Series

Editor Sherman Hall

Pouring and drinking vessels are some of the most commonly used items in

any home. As such, they need to function well, be ready to work overtime,

and be engaging objects to interact with. These parameters provide a

creative challenge for the potter. This book is part of the Ceramic Arts Select

Series, which focuses on groups of related forms and presents some of the

best examples of how contemporary artists are exploring, innovating, and

celebrating those forms.

Pitchers, Teapots, Cups, and Mugs, features 18 detailed, step-by-step

projects that explore various approaches to making these pots using

both wheel-throwing and handbuilding techniques. From the handmade

thermos and mug set inspired by a cold commute to various approaches to

making pouring and drinking vessels of all kinds, you’ll find opportunities

to learn new techniques and apply your own experiences to developing a

personal aesthetic. It’s time well spent on forms that are the foundation of

many potter’s stock and trade.

The American Ceramic SocietyCeramicArtsDaily.org

Printed in China

BOOK2_CA161 Cover.indd 1 6/20/16 11:20 AM

pitchers - ceramic arts network · table of contents 1 anatomy of a pitcher by julia walther 6...

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