Going Big

I decided to really work on scale.  My next big show is CraftBoston Holiday in November.  I'm planning on laying out my booth differently and bringing more substantial pieces rather than focusing on smaller functional wares.  I'll bring that as well, but I want to feature some medium and large scale work.

These first 2 images are a 24" wide platter that I threw yesterday.  The clay was mighty stiff so I basically beat it down and then centered and opened it.  I'm hoping to make another video soon.  Maybe it will be a large platter demo...we'll see if I ever get around to that.  I would have to clean up my studio a little first.  Anyways, it's been years since I've made a platter this large.  The downside of relying on someone else's wood kiln for most of your firings is that I have always been hesitant to bring larger pieces over.  Firing my reduction kiln again changes all of that.

I really liked how the platters came out last firing so this is a big bowl with the same incised lines.  It's about 20 inches across and maybe 10 inches tall.

I started to throw this 10 pounder of clay and sort of lost my way...or I may not have had a real plan going in other than bigger than my typical 4-7 pounds of clay.  I squared it and then looked at it and I liked it but it didn't seem to feel like one of my pots.  I then asked myself what the traditional and stiff looking rim was for.  I then made a few more without a defined rim...closer to my smaller wobbly vases.

Still a little stiff, but I liked the direction it's going.  These are going to be fun to decorate.  

I have a few more of these squared and semi-wobbly vases.  I'll take some pics and put them up after lunch.