Saturday, December 13, 2008

100 POTS!!! Together at last

One of the other reasons I went to Clayworks on Friday night was to pull out all of my 100 pots and take some photos with Elaine.

Once I started unpacking them I was amazed at how many there were. I've been saying 100 pots for quite a while, but seeing them all in one place is pretty amazing. It has been a wonderful journey and I have learned and grown along the way. Thank you, Elaine for challenging me to stretch my boundaries and get out of my comfort zone.

This project has kept pottery in the conscious part of my brain for ten weeks straight instead of thinking about a one-night-a-week class. It has made me think, live, and breathe pottery, and not just my own. I have looked at more pots online in the last two months than I ever have. Constantly looking at good pottery has made me much more cognisant of lines, gestures, and movement. I am seeing lines now where I only saw vessels before. I notice the line from a pitcher handle following through the pot to continue along the bottom of the spout or how the gestures on a piece show movement which gives the piece life. It's seeing what was always there for the first time.

My friend Rick recently sent me a quote which sums it up quite nicely:

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
-- Marcel Proust


The eyes have it.

(Sorry, you know I couldn't resist.)


On to the pictures!


Elaine, a table, and 100 pots.


Elaine is a good laugher.


The 100th pot.


The proud papa.


1 table + 100 pots = 1 happy potter.


Since she likes cooking,
Elaine picked out a small bowl.


Some of my favorites...
(beer bottle solely for scale)


Nice form and nice glaze combo.
(luck)

Small plate with nice variation.


Another one.

Next project?

7 comments:

Jerry said...

Congratulations! They all look great. Makes me wish I had access to a reduction kiln again.

But I think that the new eyes viewpoint fits well in this situation. Since I am only able to fire in cone 6 electric, I am exploring all of the possibilities available to me there...and there really are more than I will ever use.

Good job!

Becky said...

Yay, John! How impressive is THAT!!!
The work is beautiful!

jbf said...

Jerry-
Thank you! I had no access to a reduction kiln for a few years. It's a change in thinking, but there really are a great number of good things to try in ^5/^6 oxidation. I am always inspired by what I see produced from our electric kilns. As a matter of fact I am planning on throwing some ^5 pots tonight. Pot on...

Becky-
Thank you! Thanks for all the all the moral support along the way. (I impressed myself for a change --ain't that a shift?!)

brandon phillips said...

next project? 200 pots, go.

Unknown said...

brandon said it NOT me!!! (but I am right behind him)

GREAT work John, I am proud, and I love my little bowl. Thank you so much.

Amy said...

Okay, so I finally found this post. :) Great pics with the 100 pots. I really like the texture on the big bottles. You're a great teacher. Had no doubt you'd get this all done. Hope alot sell at your sale.

jbf said...

Brandon-
Thanks, but I'm taking a breather this session. I think I'm going to try to make a set of dishes (since I don't don't think I can get Mr. McKenzie to make them --lucky you! :^).

Elaine-
(See my response to Brandon.)
Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you. I'm glad you like the bowl and I hope you use it. It would be nice to think you are using it when you make all that great food.

Amy-
Thanks for the compliments and the confidence. I hope so too.