I just completed these porcelain mugs that have no handles. So would they be called cups?
I think so. Japanese tea cups traditionally have no handles. This is the shape and design of my high fired mountain mugs that have handles. My turquoise glaze and hand carved design of the red rocks I see outside of my studio are my trademark. The stain is the same iron oxide that makes our hills reddish in color. A true Sedona experience.
The client request was to have no handles. This is someone who likes to feel the warmth of the liquid within; who wants to be a part of the enjoyment of the drink they are having at that time.
I like to make a round, organic shape when I am throwing this style vessel . I do want the hands to fit around the cup . Feel, as well as shape has always been a factor in my clay work. I do a lot of hand building but this is really my wheel thrown style for the mug/ cup. So it was a fun adventure to make a mug that is really a cup.
Well, in the last blog I was siting at the potters wheel. These two photos are examples of what I created out of that basic cylinder form.The top shot is the rounded, carved out mountain mug. The shot below shows the actual indentations of my fingers in the basic shape. I think I do like it that the marks of my fingers are so apparent in the finished product. "Made by hand" has a whole new definition and feeling to me.
A long time ago I made a lot of mugs. They were a sure seller, albeit not so exciting to me as a sculpture. I stopped making them for a while, not wanting to follow that path any more. Then I changed my mind. An artist friend tells me that any functional object we create deserves to be as excellent as we can possible achieve. I agree.
I started refining my shapes; the designs; adding a lighter glaze interior.The turquoise outer glaze always works best on porcelain.Using that clay is a lot like playing with butter, easier on toast I assure you.However, the end results seem worth it to me. The vibrant colors and the smooth texture.
When I am in the gallery, I have encountered people from all over who collect handmade mugs. Used for coffee, tea, or just to feel the handmade drinking vessel, no matter what it contains. Often it is a memory of where they visited. I like that . It is my desire to take the functional, and make it beautiful and joyful for the hand holding it.
