TeaChat

fun fun fun!

Few weeks ago I finally found an opportunity to try to learn some ceramic skills (potter's wheel mainly). I soon found out I was obsessed. I couldn't stop thinking about cups and pots, watching videos on youtube and of course abusing the clay. But in a week, I managed to throw enough stuff to fill a small electric kiln. The glazed results are finally here, and I present some of them to be judged by strict critics ot TC. I only had transparent glaze and few basic colors, so items lack some refinement and variety.

First, small wannabe guinomi:

Handbuilt cup. A bit like chawan, just smaller:

Waste water bowl:

First attempt at building kyusu:

Second attempt at kyusu - more elegant shape, but screwed up "peak"

And finally, another teacup:

What fun! How about a picture of the foot of the chawan, since that's a key point of interest?

Before someone else points out the obvious: this is way to small to be used as a chawan - I am not even sure it would fit a chasen (I don't have it near me at the moment). I am just really fascinated by chawan shape and form. So here goes - the inside look:

PaddyB,

Welcome to the addiction. Beware the Dark Side! Consume you, it will.

Nice start in general.

The waste water bowl shows some quickly acquired skills on the wheel for the time you mention. Nice general proportions too. Keep it up.

The small "chawan" cup also is a nice piece. I like the touch of the dots on the interior carrying through the motif from the exterior.

Watch the red glaze on the interior of the forms. The question there is the possible "food-safeness". Not too many bright reds are food safe. Best to know for sure.

best,

.....................john

PaddyB wrote:

So lovely! I like chawan shapes and forms. I find them highly attractive. Though if you go looking for chawan on etsy you will see a lot of CSO (chawan shaped objects) that are obviously not chawan. >.< I think you should try your hand at some chawan, yours looks lovely and very chawan like... unlike the CSO i keep running into on etsy. Then once you get really good you can sell them to us

JBaymore wrote: Watch the red glaze on the interior of the forms. The question there is the possible "food-safeness". Not too many bright reds are food safe. Best to know for sure.

Thank you for advice. I will definately keep that in mind. I was't aware of this issue - does it apply to red colours covered with transparent glazes also? If so, that coloring must be some nasty stuff.

Senchamatcha wrote: ... Then once you get really good you can sell them to us

I am glad you like it! Heh, there is a looong way ahead of me if I want to become any good some day ... But I admit that pottery had obsessed me unlike any other thing so far (except maybe tea ). So we'll see.

While I'm at it, I would like to share another "wan". This time, I had in mind pu erh or dark oolong. The walls are thick and cut a little, while the inside resembles a ball without a top. I colored it blue because I wanted to establish a bit of contrast between tea and the cup. Green might work even better, come to think of it.

Great beginnings! Look forward to seeing what comes next.

I'm impressed! It's interesting to see people come at this from the other angle- a tea drinker that makes pots, rather than a potter that makes teaware. The use informs the design.

Another thing to watch for- the teapot "fatal flaw"- the spout outlet (Let's call it the spoutlet) should be higher than the fill level of the pot. This is something that I see done wrong on even some experienced potter's work.

We recently received our pieces from the last firing and are set to get our new kiln wired up this Friday. Here are some of the new pieces:

80ml, brown, oil spot, teapot:

#2 100ml gaiwan with bowl/cup:

#3 90ml, oilspot, teapot:

#4 120ml+/-, tea caddy:

#5 80ml, oil spot, teapot (my favorite piece of the new pieces...today we poured great rounds with the pot, nice pour, great pot):

Beautiful pieces, TeaArt !
I really really like that caddy !