Saturday, October 3, 2009

New Clay, New Pots



I've been making faceted bowls for years, throwing thickly and then cutting facets after a bowl or cylinder was roughly finished, but this week I started making them differently. I caught a bit of a YouTube video of someone(sorry, can't remember who it was) throwing a very thick cylinder with a bowl-like bottom, cutting the facets, and then opening a bowl from the inside with dry fingers. The dry fingers pushing out the wall of the pot torques the clay and distorts the facets as the bowl walls open. The result is dynamic motion in the pot. I like the look of it. We'll see how it looks in the glaze firing.
I'm planning on firing in about ten days, so that I'll have new pots for the Wellfleet OysterFest, a big two-day oyster and craft fair at the far eastern side of Cape Cod Oct. 17-18.

12 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

I saw Mark Peters do a great faceted bowl demo on youtube a while back, was that it? I like the facets on these bowls, every time I try it I slice right through the pot. They are gonna like some shino!

FetishGhost said...

Those look they will be beatiful... love your feet.

Hollis Engley said...

That might have been it, Tracey. I'm not sure I knew who it was. The secret is throwing very thick walls. And having an adjustable facet wire that only lets you cut in just so far. I use a commonly available adjustable cheese slicer. And you're right, they ought to take the shinos real well. And I do like trimming feet on bowls.

ang design said...

oooh shino thats a great idea..love the facetting!....ha tried some and cut straight through the wall...!

Ron said...

I love those Hollis. I learned this same technique from Mary Law back at Arrowmont. I like the way the facets torque like you mentioned.

Docks-Pottery said...

Ciao Hollis, these trips to Korea has opened to me the doors of paradise and was full of hot pepper or maybe it was a pleasant spicy hell.

Hollis Engley said...

Hi, Ron. I'll have to look at Mary's pots. Haven't seen them for a while. I think Hank Murrow does something similar, too. There are no new ideas in pottery. Yes, Roberto, a pleasant spicy hell, indeed. I love Korean food.

Dennis Allen said...

Learned this from Gay Smith.

imagine said...

I love the fresh simplicity of your pots, I can't wait to see them fired.
It just shows those cheese slicers are good for something, although I think it is the hand and mind behind it that makes the difference.

Hollis Engley said...

Hi, Dennis. yes, I've seen Gay's work and she uses faceting a lot. I first saw it in a Phil Rogers workshop, waaaayyy back. Imagine Gallery (whoever the actual person is behind the name, thanks for the kind words. I looked at your site and it looks like you've got some great people showing in the gallery.

Craig Edwards said...

Nice facets...I would have to classify these pots as "tasty". I saw Warren Mackenzie do this, way to long ago, I think that yours are probably nicer..it's the feet!! Glad that you are well and still making, making, making.

Hollis Engley said...

Indeed, still making, Craig. You, too. These pots are in the kiln now, just about to begin hard reduction.