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Show Us Your Teapots


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  • 2 weeks later...
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Okay, so here is a teaser, as I am trying to get up another page on the blog. You have probably read that my kiln load with 8 teapots, mugs and mortar and pestles fired to cone 7 instead of 6. Yeah, darker pots, but not all a loss.

 

Check out the gator teapot.

 

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Well, in the interest of stirring up trouble, I'm going to inflict an opinion on you all.  My apologies in advance.

 

I came across a nice Pinterest board that has a terrific collection of teapots.

 

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/ceramic-teapots/

 

I repinned a few of these onto my own clay tea vessels board, but as I was going through these images, it occurred to me that a lot of these teapots (by very talented potters) appealed to me as sculptural objects, but not as teapots.  Looking at many of them, I couldn't imagine making tea in them.  Even though I recognized the enormous skill it took to make many of these objects, I found myself tiring of the constant use of the teapot "concept" for everything but actually making tea.

 

What do you think?

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post-2431-0-50154300-1445898695_thumb.jpgpost-2431-0-76677800-1445898741_thumb.jpg  this is a teapot with two lids that i made in 199?  

 

 

thank you Ray,  for that post!  it will be something to contemplate during the long winter days ahead.  some are gorgeous!

 

there was a competition years ago and it seems that was the opening wedge that allows anything that is remotely shaped like a teapot to be called one.  now, anything goes.

 

hard to reconcile with a childhood memory of all the relatives around the table with a lace tablecloth, cake and a steaming teapot filled with hot tea being poured for everyone to enjoy.

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I have not made many teapots (probably 6) The last one I made got a chipped spout as I was unloading it from the kiln. It was a sign from the kiln gods not to make more teapots. :)   I recently saw a potter post some photos of the coolest french press  on Facebook. I wonder why we potters make more teapots when our society in general drinks more coffee? 

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Just for you, I went down to my basement and dug out my chipped teapot. This is the last one I made.  you can see the chip in the spout if you look closely enough.  I am not satisfied with the knob and the handle. I know I can make better handles than that... and the knob I think is too thick and clunky.

 

  Ignore my dirty spot... unfortunately that is the cleanest spot in my studio at the moment, finishing up a huge order and am not allowing myself to clean it until it is finished. 

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I'm going to use that Rebekah, "I am not allowing myself to clean it.."

But I have to,getting my new kiln this week and my clay order.

So mask on  and go..Spray and wipe for a day should do it, though the throwong area, well the wheel etc gets the meditative clean up after every use.

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I am coming to this subject a bit late.  Travels and work have interfered with my CAD lurking.  I have posted one of my teapots here.  Others are on my websites.  I know this is going to sound oxymoronic because teapots are time consuming, but I mostly create teapots because my time in the studio is limited (day job).  I find the rhythm of throwing, drying, assembling, drying more, bisque firing, glazing and glaze firing works for me.  As for handles I use both side handles and handmade cane handles.  I try to compliment the teapot by the choice of the handle.

 

A few years ago I developed a “fly-wayâ€, exaggerated thumb rest for my side handles. (I have no idea why I call it a fly-away rest other than it seems to fly off the handle.) The inspiration was my mother-in-law.  In her advanced age she had trouble holding a full teapot…even a small one.  The ergonomic thumb rest allows the thumb to work in concert with the fingers to grip the handle without the need to squeeze the hand.

 

Peace………..

 
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It is a very nice tea pot Neil, I love your spout on this one! Strangely enough, spouts are why I have never completed a tea pot.. Can't seem to make one that makes me happy.

 

Also I love how your logo is representitive of your unique handle application. It makes my graphic design heart happy.

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I am coming to this subject a bit late.  Travels and work have interfered with my CAD lurking.  I have posted one of my teapots here.  Others are on my websites.  I know this is going to sound oxymoronic because teapots are time consuming, but I mostly create teapots because my time in the studio is limited (day job).  I find the rhythm of throwing, drying, assembling, drying more, bisque firing, glazing and glaze firing works for me.  As for handles I use both side handles and handmade cane handles.  I try to compliment the teapot by the choice of the handle.

 

A few years ago I developed a “fly-wayâ€, exaggerated thumb rest for my side handles. (I have no idea why I call it a fly-away rest other than it seems to fly off the handle.) The inspiration was my mother-in-law.  In her advanced age she had trouble holding a full teapot…even a small one.  The ergonomic thumb rest allows the thumb to work in concert with the fingers to grip the handle without the need to squeeze the hand.

 

Peace………..

 

 

great handle for arthritic hands!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Celia, all my glazes are ones I've made myself.  I've never used commercial glazes... not because of any disdain for them, but because I find glaze chemistry so fascinating.  And also, for the last 20 years or so, I've been firing at Cone 8, for which there are few if any commercial glazes.

 

There's a high titanium slip under that glaze-- you can just see a resisted blackberry blossom, touched up with a little sgraffito. The glaze itself is a deep green blue, but I couldn't give you the formula.  A few years back, my studio was flooded when I was away, and by the time I got back, all my notebooks had composted into illegibility.  That was a little depressing, since they recorded over 30 years of work.

 

I actually still have a little of that glaze left, but once the bucket is empty, I'll have to develop a new version.

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