Potter's Inspiration

Using a sponge with slip on porcelain looks like a great idea! sultanakazanas: A Serving of Culture I am so lucky and proud these talented artists are my cousins.  The Jay Craft Center is their studio and storefront in Jay, New York. They create handmade, hand-painted, beautiful pottery. Although to me each piece is a work of art, it is sturdy, functional, and perfect for serving everything from an every day breakfast bowl of oatmeal to special holiday dishes for guests. Every branch of my family has a different set of their earthenware. When we get together for meals and the table set with their beautiful serving pieces, filled with our favorite recipes, l see not just bowls and dishes, but a physical representation of fond memories, special bonds of love, and the things we have in common (such as an appreciation and talent for the arts) that tie our family together.  The process of pottery making is both an art and a science. First, clay is prepared by hand-wedging. The clay is thrown on the wheel and shaped by hand.  My cousins have long since understood the tension and forces the clay can handle as it takes shape. The piece is dried just until it can be trimmed, then dried further before it is fired. The next steps are glazing and painting, and then the pieces are fired again in the kiln. Take a close look at the serene motifs of  of irises, pines, and fish—they are famous for these gorgeous, signature designs. Soup stays hot much longer, and ice cream melts more slowly in these special bowls. They spark great conversations while I’m hosting. Using these dishes means everything is served with an extra-helping of love. View Larger

Using a sponge with slip on porcelain looks like a great idea!

sultanakazanas:

A Serving of Culture

I am so lucky and proud these talented artists are my cousins. 

The Jay Craft Center is their studio and storefront in Jay, New York. They create handmade, hand-painted, beautiful pottery. Although to me each piece is a work of art, it is sturdy, functional, and perfect for serving everything from an every day breakfast bowl of oatmeal to special holiday dishes for guests. Every branch of my family has a different set of their earthenware. When we get together for meals and the table set with their beautiful serving pieces, filled with our favorite recipes, l see not just bowls and dishes, but a physical representation of fond memories, special bonds of love, and the things we have in common (such as an appreciation and talent for the arts) that tie our family together. 

The process of pottery making is both an art and a science. First, clay is prepared by hand-wedging. The clay is thrown on the wheel and shaped by hand.  My cousins have long since understood the tension and forces the clay can handle as it takes shape. The piece is dried just until it can be trimmed, then dried further before it is fired. The next steps are glazing and painting, and then the pieces are fired again in the kiln. Take a close look at the serene motifs of  of irises, pines, and fish—they are famous for these gorgeous, signature designs. Soup stays hot much longer, and ice cream melts more slowly in these special bowls. They spark great conversations while I’m hosting. Using these dishes means everything is served with an extra-helping of love.

Reblogged 3 months ago from sultanakazanas 3 notes

divingintotheclay:

Found this 5 minute video on Tumblr that walks through the making of a bowl in a hybrid pottery studio - not quite handmade, not quite manufactured, but somewhere in between.

For me the hands-on responsiveness of the potter to the materials is key - it’s where the light come into the process. And yet I find myself agreeing with many things Edith Heath says about the dinnerware made with her hybrid approach. How does it strike you?

-from punica-granatum-nana:

Edith Heath on Martha Stewart, 1989

The materials should tell the story…

Reblogged 3 months ago from divingintotheclay (Originally from punica-granatum-nana) 6 notes