Hopefully, I got the teapot right this time. I've been working for several days straight just trying to get my teapot finished and ready for the fall outing and I think I correctly fixed the spout issues and the lid problem.
The spout itself was very basic and rather chunky and unappealing so I spruced it up a bit by shaving down the shape to be more feminine and added a goldfish. The fish was a last minute "a-ha" moment and I just ran with it. I believe it helped distribute the weight of the spout better. Before, all the weight seemed to be on the bottom portion. Which, I will confess, I really struggled with. I pulled a straight spout and then flared out the bottom portion a bit but cutting that shape on an angle and getting it to sit properly against the pot was truly a challenge. I still feel like I fumbled my way through that one. I'm going to try and make another teapot this week and I want to attach the spout better and in a more beautiful way. With each one I'm sure it will get easier.
Overall, the spout on both teapots (this one and the first one) proved to be the most difficult part of this project. And, I did test this new one in the leather hard stage to see if it would hold the proper amount of water. It does, but I didn't let the water sit fully in the pot and I didn't pour. I'll leave the real tests for after the firing. Wish me luck. ;)
I served pancakes and waffles today cause it's raining and we are celebrating. Ok, well, I am the only one happy about the rain. LOL My husband and son both gave a collective sigh when they heard the rain come down a bit harder while we were all snuggling in a group hug this morning. Rain...hubby...my son and the rain beating on the pavement cleaning the city free of its grime. A perfect start to a morning! After 18 years of getting to know me my husband has come to just accept the fact that rain makes me giddy and happy.
Hopefully the rain won't distract me too much today. Between the housework I put off all week and the many projects I am involved in my head is in overdrive this morning. Overdrive is not necessarily good cause the gears sometimes get all gunked up and confused. I've had to write down everything I need to accomplish today on paper. It's the only way I can keep things in order and running smoothly. If given the chance I WILL just stare out the window and into the rain for the whole day.
One major "to do" is the sale of my little Halloween mice boxes today. I really like the way they turned out and I am selling them this morning. (First come, first serve) If you like any you can email me at studiodanza@optonline.net. Please be sure you visit the Danza Ceramics News Group if you need more information and please join in order to hear about future offerings. My personal favorite out of this batch is the little ghost mouse. He looks sorta sad and mushy about trick or treating. For some reason that is striking a chord with me.
Another major to do, besides get the dust bunnies under control here in the living room, is make more headway on the new teapot I am making for my church's fall outing. I threw the bowl portion, the spout and the lid. The bowl trimmed up perfectly yesterday, but the lid left me frustrated. No matter how I trimmed the rims I couldn't get the lid to sit perfectly on the top of the bowl. That is an important aspect to a teapot. Can't have tea spilling out from a lid that shimmies. This is how I solved the problem:
Pretty, but not functional.
So I cut off the handle.
Turned it upside down...
...and WALLA! It now sits perfectly!
It has a Japanese feel now. I can't help but see a fish tail coming out from the very center of the lid. I suspect I'm going to run fully with the water/fish theme. Such a theme would certainly make the tea cups much more interesting in the end. This has been the most challenging project for me to date. I haven't even gotten to the glaze stage which is the most difficult stage for me.
Well, those dust bunnies never disappear on their own, so I'm off (with another fresh cup of coffee in hand) to disrupt their little party. I'll leave you with a little Garbage. It's the song that has been in my head all morning. :)
Why....YES! A resounding, YES! It CAN pour.....umm, all over the place!
My heart raced when I opened the kiln this morning to find that my little tea pot for two had fired perfectly. The stoneware was the perfect tan color it was suppose to be (if overfired it turns pinkish). I was surprised by how much it had shrunk though. Not a big deal. I would just label this offering at the fall outing raffle table as "Tea Therapy For One" and not "Tea For Two".
The holes in the handle sections looked small. They too shrunk in the firing process.
Note to self:"Make bigger holes next time".
Despite the small hole issue, the lid fit perfectly. I mean, it was brilliant! All my work this past summer struggling to make lidded vessels paid off. This one fit without any shimmy.
But the most important part was yet to be tested. Would it pour? And it did. It dribbled almost instantly since the shape of my spout was incorrect. It went out and not out and up. The UP part was the part I didn't think to research. I have tea almost every night from a pretty porcelain tea pot and never once thought to LOOK at how the spout was designed. My tea pot can't even be filled half way. Once the water hits the beginning of the spout the water naturally fills that cavity too and that cavity is just straight so the water fills it and comes right out.
:: Sigh::
Good Morning Tea Pot!
You know who saw this issue before the piece when it was in the drying stage? My sister-in-law the homemaker who is always going on about something in the kitchen or household. We've come to listen with half an ear when the Sunday dinner table discussions start. I'm ashamed to say that I gave her half an ear when I showed her the piece in the leather hard stage. The moment she saw the piece she said, "That is beautiful but the water is going to spill out from the spout." HAHA....ok, I thought. She was the first person I thought of this morning when water dribbled all over my PJ's.
BIG note to self: "Don't ignore April and let her review and critique the next teapot before firing."
Reluctantly I drag my butt back to the drawing board. I have no idea if I can make another in time for this outing in early October.
A peek inside an artist's studio and all that happens during the creative process of a regular day. My primary focus is on equines, but I love keeping my hands busy with illustrations and clay too. Join me daily, won't you?
