QotW: When doing complex pieces do you mix and match, or do you design and one off?

[Pres]

Hi folks, after last weeks QotW about time frames of making pieces, I think I'll take a different approach to making. 

Often when I am doing something that requires a lot of pieces, I make a lot more pieces. In other words if making chalices, teapots, honey jars or other objects I make more than one, and then mix and match to the best aesthetic with what I have. This usually comes out with completely different pieces that what I would have had if I had planned out the design, and made each piece to the design specification. This way is also a lot more fun at times. 

I still draw out idea in sketch books, and make these pieces to spec, but these are usually combination pieces like slab jars with wheel thrown tops, lids or even feet. some of them get to be a little wild. At other times I have an overall image. . . mentally, and work with pieces to build the image. These are usually slab constructions that start with a large base slab and just take off!

QotW: When doing complex pieces do you mix and match, or do you design and one off?

 

best, 

Pres

[JohnnyK]

It's rare that I get to make a complex piece, but if I did, depending on what it is and its function, I would probably make multiple versions.

I'm currently working with my extruder making lotion dispensers in both square and octagonal configs, so, I am making  4 squares and 5 octagonals since that's what I can get out of each slug in the extruder. Tops and bottoms are cut from slabs. In addition to the lotion dispensers, I can make salt and pepper shakers using the same dies by cutting the pieces shorter. I also plan on slab-building tissue boxes and glazing them the same as the dispensers with the idea of selling them as sets.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

Because I make with a certain amount of consistency for my customers in mind, I will do play sessions like Pres describes as a design session to come up with new ideas, or refresh older ones. Once I’ve picked one or two versions to run with, I’ll make a bunch of copies without having to think too hard about it. 

[Denice]

When I start on a mural  I will already have the image in my head,   I start putting my idea down on paper,   I redraw it several times improving and and increasing the size of the drawing  then I have Kinko's blow it up to the final size.   My husband and I check out any problems it may have with the perspective and flow.    When I throw I tend to make the same thing over and over again and then give them some personality with glaze.  Hand building is where I tend to start with a large slab that just takes off,  sometimes I am just challenging myself to see what I can make the clay do.   They usually don't make it to the kiln.   Denice

[Pres]

This is a one off slab construction based on an idea inspired by a bunch of weeds, Preliminary sketches were similar, but I made the thrown rim and lid a little larger than planned. Of greatest importance here was the texture in the slabs that wraps around the piece. Glazing was done by staining the piece with iron oxide and cobalt stains, with wash off.  The inside was glazed after washing off the stains as was the top with and upside down dip. Them areas of the piece were glazed with brown, blue and off white glazes sponged and dry brushed on. Then an atomizer was used to spray  a rutile green glaze over large areas emphasizing the natural landscape look of weeds in dark forest.  I am very happy with the way the textures and the rest of the piece turned out. This was originally made as a demo/door prize piece two years ago, glazed this year. It was given away as a door prize along with some chalices, and vases to folks taking the adult Ceramics class a the HS I used to teach at.

 

 

best,

Pres

[Mark C.]

Teapots-I throw a bunch of spouts-the bodies with each lid-then cut an assemble the spouts I think work best.So that a mix

Honey pots are all 10c seats and 10 c lids-never one offs. I make extra lids and they fit any honey/jam/garlic keeper potsiall the same size galleries-all lids off the hump

Butter dish same deal always 17 c lids a bit larger 17.2

same with french butterdishes all the same

Now with meduim large bowls all are one offs although they are weighed so they sometime do not vary much

all salt glazed pots are one offs

 

[Hulk]

Where there's more than one part, I still almost always make extra parts*.

Handles, I'll typically pull an extra one or two, then recycle the extras.
There isn't always a "worst" one, nor always an oops, but when there is, the extras come in handy.

Lids, I'll make several extra, then check for fit, profile, feel, etc. after bisque and match them up - a matching mark in underglaze helps me keep them together.
The extras pile up, but so handy for oops, broken; yes, we might have a lid that fits that; I don't like any of these, maybe there's a fit in the boneyaaaard; etc.
When the lid and piece are formed similarly - same thicknesses, similar arc/profile, similar amount of "working" - they have a good chance of fitting together.
A good chance, heh.

Put togethers - like teapots, also towers, extended vases and pitchers, fountains - I'll make more add on bits than bodies, then pick at assemble time, and recycle the extras.

Early on, I'd seen Bill van Gilder's video clip on lids, where he advocates standard sizes.
I started out on the half inch, then switched to millimeters; I do 80mm for cups, jars, teapots; 100mm for larger mugs and jars; 120mm for jars; 140 and 180mm for jars and bowls.
Standard sizing helps!

*Here's some extra lids

I'm throwing the knobs, then torch them to leather hard just afore needling them off to attach.
Having tried a few (not all) lid styles, I'm doing almost all lids this way now - no gallery required, fully glazed container, lid and piece fired separately (not touching).
The lid is thrown upside down, trimmed upright. The cylinder knob provides width and height with uniform thickness - without bulk.
The underside of the lids gets liner glaze.

[LeeU]

42 minutes ago, Hulk said:

*Here's some extra lids

Candle holders! Sell them with the candle included.

 

[Kelly in AK]

I make multiple parts then mix and match, like Pres describes. I usually have one sketch as a model, and riff off that as I’m throwing.

One thing I haven’t gotten into is making multiple handles and attaching them assembly line style. I did it early on and there’s no doubt it’s economical, practical. I like pulling them off the mug (or pitcher) though. It took a bit of practice to work out, but I never went back 

[Pres]

Since I went to extruded handles, I have a tendency of  extruding them on plastic sheet, then covering while I join pieces. I have found that the extra time adding bits and pieces for back filling, decorating and finishing makes them a little more personal and less machine like. I really miss pulling handles, but with a dead rt thumb joint, and a poorly trained left hand I just can't make them that way anymore.

 

best,

Pres

[Denice]

I enjoy pulling handles but I also want handles that are more ornate or contemporary.  I have extruded contemporary handles and made press molds for ornate handles.  For a more rustic feel I will cut them out of a slab of clay.  I tried making mugs  without handles but they looked incomplete,   I wound up carving intricate patterns on them.    I enjoy assembling  the cup and handle,  I guess this is why I like the challenge of throwing a teapot.    Denice

[Pres]

My power hand held putty gun extruder usually gets 4-5  14" extrusion out of one tube of clay. Works well as long as they don't dry out. I am still working on the perfect die, but have several that work for now.

 

best,

Pres