Saturday, September 24, 2011

Bowls: Done!!

The bowls are done, the bowls are done! Yay, hurrah, cheer, fist-pump, happy dance!!!!

Yes, I know 200 soup bowls is hardly a career. But for me, a small studio potter, it was a big job. It took over the Studio for several weeks. I enjoyed making them; allowing myself to play with shapes and colours was great fun, but I kept having to push thoughts of the orders I wasn't working on to the background. Never mind, the BOWLS ARE DONE and next week cometh!

Next project: a series of platters and mugs showing Raven in the Autumn..... oy. They have to be done for the West Carleton Arts Society annual Show, Expressions of Art, October 8-9.

Another challenge!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Bowls, Bowls and More Bowls

Well, the bowls are coming along. I need them all finished by next Thursday so I guess they had better! I keep summarizing to myself, like, 'OK, all 200 are thrown.... 175 are trimmed...... 150 are bisqued...... 100 are finished and packed....'. Actually all but the last 25 are ready for the kiln so the end is nigh. Whew.

For anybody who missed the earlier post, these are for a good cause. The Anglican Church Women in Carp are selling them, with soup or chili in them, for $20 each to raise money for the West Carleton Food Bank. They are doing this during the Carp Fair, which is next weekend (not this one, the next one). Check out the Carp Fair website for more on the Fair, but I don't suppose they mention the Empty Bowls. Or my wonderful bowls, either.

It's been a bigger job than I expected, mainly because I left it to the last as usual. I never do anything until a big haulking deadline looms. (I admit that. Why not? I've been like that for 65 years so far, and I really don't expect it to change, so hey.) I did them in groups of 25. Each group was one shape and then I decorated them to suit the shape. If I can, I'll take a picture of the 8 types and post it next week. What was interesting about the project was that I found that certain shapes were distinctly easier for me than others, and I wonder if that is part of how personal style develops. I find curved walls easier than straight walls, every time. Is this because I've done them more, and so am more practiced at them? And do I like curves better because that is 'me', whatever that means, or because I am better at them?

Next time you throwing multiples, muse on that a bit. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing, but does that mean that personal style is random? This is getting deep.... I may have to make a lot more bowls.