Wednesday, January 23, 2008

not great aunt edna's teapot

This is one of my favorite tea pots- I made it hoping that it would look like a traditional china teapot, but the knob on top is a bit wonky, and the glaze I chose, a deep celadon that reminds me of old Fire King Jadeite, has flashes of bronze verdigris and a drippy character. I use a plastic zipper bag filled with slip to make the dots- I use this glaze a lot with my slip-dotted pieces. I think that this big guy holds about 24 oz, or 3 cups.

When I grow up I want to be Josiah Wedgwood. This teapot, based loosely on his work, shows that I still have quite a ways to go!

When I made the deep celadon pot, it was a stretch for me. My first teapot wasn't so bad, but it wasn't so great, either. I was intimidated by the form but felt that I HAD to make one because my friend Katherine, who was also my student at the time, wanted to make them. I think that she actually made a few before I made my first, a tiny one cup number modeled after a sea urchin. It is still my favorite- even though I put the spout at such an angle that tea leaks out, and the placement of the handle means that it can be difficult to pour the water in from the kettle. It is a milestone of sorts, not a piece to be sold.

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