Artist Statement

This trimester I wanted to challenge myself to go beyond individual pieces and see how to successfully put together multiple piece sets with either similar or contrasting features.  This specific project gave me the chance to work matching pieces together with the two different cats while trying to figure out how to give them each their own individuality.  I really wanted to work on another unique mug set here and used the handles to give that effect. Contrasting usual mugs, these two have ears attached to the lip along with a curved tail-like handle to represent a cat.  I based the design on my two cats, Gracie and Autumn, and by using their fur colors as a template for the glazing choices I was able to bring the pieces together.

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This piece focuses almost solely on the elements of Shape brought out by the protruding ears from the lip of the mugs of stars and the curving tail design for the handles.  The Emphasis of the mugs is clearly on these elements and makes it easy to understand the rest of the Form which brings out certain Variety with the splotched earthy tones and the striped brown used to represent the fur that bring the piece together.

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This project allowed me to learn (the hard way) how to use clear glaze over the colorful underglaze to make a glossy finish. This allows for the underglaze to be seen while also making it safe to drink out of and wash. Unfortunately the mug based on Gracie, the smaller dark brown mug, ended up darker than I hoped. Using the glaze on top of the underglaze made it harder to see the stripes the mug was supposed to have. While it is disappointing to have the glaze turn out different than you wanted on anything you make, it definitely gives me the opportunity to learn how to estimate the change in the glazes after firing and how to use clear glaze to seal off my pieces before going on to larger and more time consuming works!

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The process was as follows:

  - Wedge the clay and roll into two soft-ball sized spheres
  - Center sphere on wheel and use thumbs to pull up to create mug form
  - Trim away skirt clay with wooden rib tool
  - Cut away from wheel with wire cutter
  - Place on wooden bat and wait to dry turning leather hard
  - Trim away excess clay with ribbon tool to finalize shape
  - Scratch and attach two triangle shaped pieces of clay to rim of mug about 1/2" apart
  - Roll a coil thicker at one end and thinner at the other
  - Scratch and attach the coil as a handle with the this side toward the top
  - Curve the end of coil to look like a tail
  - Repeat for second mug
  - Apply underglaze with brushes for color
  - Place in the kiln and Bisque-fire
  - Dip bisque fired mugs in clear glaze
  - Place in kiln and Glaze fire to finish hardening the glaze