QothW: Does size matter?

[Pres]

Oh well, once again, we seem to be lacking suggestions for the QotW.   I will humbly submit another of my own, with the catchy tongue in cheek phrase. . . Does size matter?  Now that we have your attention, I will clarify.  Recently I saw one of the most derided (by potters) movie representations . . . from Ghost , In the scene Demi Moore is throwing a large vase. . . sensuously. Whoa, but wait. . . is that piece being thrown off the hump? Why would they do that? Size! 

So that got me to thinking, about my own use of the hump, and throwing and how I use throwing off the hump. Most times I would never throw a vase of size off the hump unless there were something special about the trimming, or the some other structural thing involving the form. Most of my throwing off the hump would be smaller items like cups, mugs, chalice stems, lids, and other things that I can reasonably repeat the shape and  size by using my hands and relative ball sizes to repeat the same form over an over.

That got me to thinking about size in slabs also. . . especially when using a slab roller. I usually would roll out the largest slab I could, and cut pieces from that slab to build with. Often using a template, but many times using multiple smaller pieces to assemble without a template, only a sketch or mental idea of what I wanted to do, like a castle on a rugged mountaintop all out of slabs. The size of the slab did matter, as I often used edges, and other areas when needed, then used large pieces for base and interior  supports.

 

So in you work, Does size matter? Why, How, When!

 

best,

Pres

[liambesaw]

The thing about size for me, is that I find it annoying to center anything from about a pound and under.  15lbs? No problem, 12 ounces? Why bother.    So if I am going to do some smaller items I will throw off the hump just because it's so hard for my big hands to center anything that small.  For mugs and bowls I'll do chunks of 1lb, still takes a minute to center sometimes.  I do love making a nice big pot though, something alluring in making something that big even though it's useful for nothing.

[oldlady]

i think that once i can make something in any size i want, i am satisfied that i have learned that skill and can go back to the normal size for me.  yes, i can make a huge salad bowl for 20 people but would rather make 20 personal size salad bowls.

[Mark C.]

In my 35 forms they vary from larger cannistyers to 20# large bowls to 1/2# spoonrests.

Size maters depending on the form.

For me right now the real income is in small stuff-like the 120 spongeholders I sold to one outlet-they pay the bills.

Yes I can make the big sectional pots but I'd rather make lots of meduim bowls.I sell about 2-3 a week in my outlets where a large pots sit for 1/2 a season .

Edited April 16, 2019 by Mark C.

[Chilly]

8 hours ago, Pres said:

 

That got me to thinking about size in slabs also. . . especially when using a slab roller. I usually would roll out the largest slab I could, and cut pieces from that slab to build with.

So in you work, Does size matter? Why, How, When!

 

best,

Pres

When rolling slabs, the advice I read from Alfred Ceramics, is to cut from the centre of a larger slab, to eliminate the weird stretching that happens around the sides.  http://www.readypedalgo.co.uk/Particles-%20Orientation%20and%20Density%20-%20Alfred's%20Clay%20Store.pdf, page 55

So, yes, size does matter.

[Pres]

Great article Chilly, thank you for posting it. Good to read a different take on cracks than The Potter's Encyclopedia.

 

 

best,

Pres

[Gabby]

I would like to be able to work larger but do not at this time have the skill to do that on the wheel.

One reason I prefer that is that I do not do this as a business and am interested in narrative decoration that doesn't cause me eyestrain.

[Pres]

I do some large pieces, some fully thrown, some with wheel thrown and slab elements combined. Check my albums. Combining forms takes considerably less energy, but design becomes even more important as proportion, texture, and details become more important when combining in that manner.

 

best,

Pres