Meanwhile, back in the studio. . .

Calla Lily Mug

I loved this mug. Completed in 2024, I have used it as My Favorite mug ever since. I love the colors and the glaze. Yes. I love this glaze. It was just the right size, about a 3" diameter, and 4 1/2" tall, and the handle was generous. But. The handle was also the weak point. I like the style of it, but it was on the thin side. Still, it never let me down until I knocked it with a ceramic coaster a couple of days ago. The handle broke into 2 pieces. 

I've left a lot of possessions behind in my 71 years. Just Stuff. But there are a few things that are more than stuff to me. Fortunately they are all small objects. This was one of them. I've made mugs since that had these components;  the calla lilies, the glaze,  the form, but this particular mug was always my favorite. It's funny how very subtle differences can alter one's feeling about an object.

Broken handled mugs

It is the nature of ceramics objects that they break. It is a marvelous material in many ways, but nothing about it is permanent unless it's put away and not used. And that's never my intention.

So. Now I'm on a quest to make a "perfect" mug. Maybe thrown, maybe hand built. I don't know. Even when one takes notes (which I don't often do), it's hard to reproduce an item, so the new one will have to be Something Different.

Thrown and appliqued mug

First, the utter failures. The above are two hand built mugs. I used a new handle technique that I had seen on a YouTube. Needless to say I won't use it again. I think I made it thinner than I should have, but I don't like the lack of grace of these handles anyways. 

The mug to the left is ok. It's got a nice feel to it, is appropriately thin at the base, and interesting. The proportions don't feel quite right to me, though. It's 3 1/4" wide, and 4 1/4" tall. Too wide for it's height, I think. So that's not it.

Cone-shaped mug

The next two mugs are still unfired greenware. I wanted to experiment with the cone shape again. Early experiments with this form were not successful, but I have a better handle on hand building now.

I still like the idea of a simple cylinder mug (below), but it has to be exactly the right proportions to work. Well, it doesn't, but that's what I'm looking for. I've made a bunch of cylinder mugs that were either a little too narrow, a little too short, or not quite a pleasing proportion. And what with varying clay shrinkage rates, it's hard to predict how it will work out. The mug below was just made this morning, so it is super green.

Simple cylinder mug

Finally, how about a couple of successes? What? That never happens. 

I decided to make some tiles, using varying techniques, all of which would be flat.

This idea comes from a very pragmatic place. Some friends of ours are uncomfortable with my carved porcelain coasters. I love them, but also get that not everyone likes the uneven surface, even though drinks do sit on them evenly.

First, the original tiles, aka coasters:

Carved Porcelain Tiles

These were so fun to make. I started with porcelain slabs, let them dry to leather hard, and then carved into them. Then, I made a plaster cast of the leather hard tiles so I can make them again and again if I so chose. The porcelain is fired to full vitrification, so it is as tough as it can get, and I love the look of the unglazed vitrified porcelain. It looks pure, right?

But. On to something with a level surface.

Both techniques are borrowed from my vitreous enameling toolbox. The tiles below are screen printed (screens I made myself years ago for enameling) using either a wet colorant (engobe), or a fine powder colorant called Mason Stain. After bisque firing they are glazed with a sage green celadon (transparent) glaze.

Screen Stoneware Tiles

The Mason stains (tree root tiles) were a pain to work with, because they were still loose after the bisque firing. This means they were Very Easy to smudge before the final glaze was sprayed on. The engobe was much easier to work with, but messier. Always something.

Because the celadon glaze is very shiny after firing, I had to etch it with a very nasty material to remove the shine, and make the surface less slippery. 

Speckled brown clay tiles with decals

The tiles below are a brown speckled stoneware. They were glazed with a matt white glaze, and then a decal (that I made, also for enameling) applied and refired at a lower level to fix the decal. The glaze actually absorbs the iron oxide in the laser printed decal. Cool, huh?

Both techniques are a success. The tiles feel so good in one's hands. . .cool and smooth and substantial.

So. Failures are great for learning and heartbreak, but everyone needs a success from time to time.