QotW: How has your work progressed in terms of thickness and shape(s)?

[Pres]

Hulk recently asked in the QotW pool: 

How has your  work progressed in terms of thickness and shape(s)?

Several folk have worked toward thin/light sections, then moved away from the extreme for strength, durability and feel. Just into my third year, I have turned away from thin, for the most part. 

I have over the years done much of what Hulk has said, first pushing myself for thinner, lighter pieces. As a beginner, I had to learn to get the most out of the bottom of the pot on the first few pulls, and to keep the walls consistently thinner as the pot got talle, until the thickening of the lip. As I started teaching HS students about throwing I went through a lot of introspection of my own throwing to discover what I did differently from a beginning thrower so that I could tip the scales in their favor. The beginning of a pull is soo important, whereas most would think it is later in the pull. 

Recently though, I have found that I still like to throw light, but am more concerned with surface, texture, form. I also find that form follows function, and weight supports function. For example, lately I have been making 10# floor vases. I could make them 6 or 7 # for the same size, but prefer to make them 10#. . .mainly because it is a lot harder to knock over a 10# vase than an a 6# vase. As for function, the earlier jars I was giving as vases had too large a neck and base to control the flowers. The newer ones have a narrow s curve shape with a base of decent diameter that controls any flowers placed in it without having to have them tied together to control them. 

So, once again. . and thank you Hulk for posting the question.

QotW: How has your  work progressed in terms of thickness and shape(s)?

 

best, 

Pres

 

[Mark C.]

I started out (after learning the basics)questing for now what I refer to potato chip pots super thin. They broke easily -I sold them to the public-I did not know any better. Time went by. I got feedback over time how fragile they where-I made lots of replacements. I learned that funtional =daily use pots for the open market need to hold up well. More stout. I made this change and never looked back. I'm not in the art pot business . I can throw a thin one for me but not for sale.People like them to last.

Shapes is a different deal thats an evolution of learning what you can do with clay and mastering it.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Mark C.

[JohnnyK]

I've gone from thick as a beginner to thinner, then back to a thicker pot. I just like the feel of a heavier piece whether it be a yunomi or bowl or one of my horsehair raku pots. The heavier pieces just feel more comfortable in my hands when I pick them up. The thicker cups also keep the coffee warmer a little longer...

[liambesaw]

I like the feel of a really thin bowl, I just hate that they're so easy to break.  So for myself in my own house I make really thin rice bowls, because I don't feel bad when one pops in the sink.  I don't sell them though.  If someone picks up a bowl of mine and the first thing they think is this is too heavy to use, well I don't know, there's no pleasing everyone lol

Way back before I can remember, my teacher was always pushing for thinner in classes.  I think that is less function and more art, like most schools are concerned with

Edited April 23, 2020 by liambesaw

[Denice]

I have a tendency to get too thin also,  occasionally I have to take a step back and evaluate my work and work thicker.     Denice

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I favour a “just right” cross section. I don’t like chippy rims or burning my fingers.