Don't Reinvent the Wheel, Be a Student

• My college Art Department
• My teacher, John Beckelman, who is also the chair of the Art Department.
• Magazine: Ceramic Review - Information on Ceramic Review, The British Magazine for potters, students, collectors and enthusiasts, which has a worldwide circulation.
• Magazine: Ceramics Monthly - featured selections from the current issue, brief descriptions of future articles, and recommended books.
• Magazine: Clay Times - for clay enthusiasts of all kinds. Featuring photos & articles on wheelthrowing, handbuilding, glazing, firing, & more.
• The CeramicsWeb, the home of Richard Burkett, who works out of San Diego State University. This is an incredibly extensive Web site.

Inspiration to Relieve "Potter's Block":

This collection of pages with pictures of thrown pottery is intended to provide a variety of shapes to view.

http://www.uky.edu/Artsource/vce/VCEhome.html

Hopi

Santa Clara and San Ildefonso

Acoma

Jemez

Potscape in Hungary

Eleanor Murphey

Ruth Shuster

Linda Woodward's teapots

---

Current Project: Soup Tureens

Some shapes are of more concern to me than others, as I'm currently organizing ideas and inspiration for a project to create lidded soup tureens. Large, lidded, with feet and handles.

Project notes:
Idea: large, lidded soup tureens with handles and some with feet. Must actually be functional and not annoying to use. This means it must not be difficult to ladle the soup out of it nor must it be difficult to clean.
Types of forms and surface qualities desired.
Type of clay body: white stoneware. Stoneware is needed for body integrity during throwing to obtain the desired size. White stoneware in order to experiment with coloring some of the clay, for contrast to the dark toned glazes anticipated by glazing some areas with clear alone, and to obtain the purity of color that I desire.
Type of firing and firing temperature needed: oxidation only, cone 10, I presume.
Types of glazes and other necessary surface treatment materials: Since I have to distinct preferences as of yet, I plan to use different surface treatments on each new piece. Some treatments anticipated can be seen at HERE. As for glaze colors, I'd like one matt and one glossy of both clear and black, glossy teal, glossy cobalt blue, and a glossy plum.

I was unable to find even one particular artist/craftsman that exemplifies my chosen interest. I think this is more a function of not having narrowed my own interests yet rather than not liking any particular artist. As for eras or styles, I sheepishly admit to being drawn to decorative techniques that turn out to be some of the most difficult to work with, such as microcrystalline glazes and the red and black work of ancient Greece. However, I can identify that I prefer contemporary forms, as opposed to traditional folk ones. I did find a great harmony in the forms of the Baekje-Yoo Pottery. http://www.evin.ad.jp/yoo/catalog.html. I do like Mackenzie's work, but I'm not sure if that's not just familiarity, having lived nearby him for a number of years in Afton, MN.

Back to Pakpanther's home page.

This page hosted by