Measuring Up

I love making big pots. Recently I was reading The Penland Book of Ceramics, and the chapter on Cynthia Bringle inspired me to try to make a tall pot for the first time in several years. I made three sections, each about 10 inches tall, planning to add a top with a narrow neck. I left them to sit in the studio overnight before assembling the pot the next day. About 3:30 in the morning, as I was laying awake solving the world's problems, I realized my kiln would not hold a pot that tall. In the morning, I went to the studio and measured my kiln. I could fit a 25-inch tall pot, still a good size. I assembled the pot, saving the top third for the top half of a large pitcher.

I used plastic and wood ribs to make a lot of marks in the pot. The next day I used a cheap yardstick (less than a dollar from Lowe's paint department) to beat the hell out of the pot. The yardstick is lightweight and flexible, so it really adds some nice marks. Beating the pot also helped to release some of my aggravation with the current political campaigns. It wasn't until I went back a few days later and added Newman's Red terra sig to the pot that I noticed the details of the impact of the yardstick.

In a few weeks I will be taking a class from Cynthia. Making this pot has given me a number of questions for her, so I am glad I made it when I did. Right now it is in the kiln for a bisque fire.