I'm back... I hope

It's been a while, longer than I realized. Somehow life intervened and clay fell to the wayside. But then we visited Cranbrook Art Museum, and I became inspired.

Toshiko Takaezu is known for her ceramics, painting, and weaving, but mostly the former. The exhibit included the usual cups, plates, and teapots, but then expanded to double spouted teapots, connected vases, and closed forms, evolving eventually to lifesize beings.

It was the closed forms that captured my imaginations.

My attempts to make mugs, bowls, etc. take wabi sabi to a new level - they always look amateurish. But closed forms don't need to be smooth and perfect. Or even round.

I'm working on my own collection of closed forms, starting with these spheres, which use about one pound of clay each. What happens to them after bisqueing is to be determined. Right now, I am perfecting techniques. Even if all I do with them is scatter them around the yard, they will be perfect.

Right now I don't have a very good place to work. The garage is too cold, so it will have to be the laundry room for the time being. I contemplated returning to the Build Guild, but I really like having everything close at hand. My short term goal is a form a day. We'll see how that works out.