Cup Collective Design Notes: Sometimes, more is more...
This is the second of a series sharing the design notes of pots I’ve made for my Cup Collective, an annual subscription based membership where you receive a cup every season. It’s a chance to own (or gift) bespoke pieces that will only be available to cup collective members.
Seafoam White Tumblers
I was teaching a workshop and found myself saying the old adage of “less is more.”
As soon as the words had tumbled from my lips, I paused, and corrected myself with “but sometimes more is more.”
Many areas of my life lean towards minimalism - a small home, less stuff, less scheduled commitments etc. But, once in a while I embrace the “more is more” route… liiiike my earring collection, starting a complex array of flower seeds, even though I have no idea where the seedlings will eventually go, and my annual fall Rancho Vignola nut/dried fruit order.
As a notorious overthinker, I wanted these cups to celebrate spontaneity, as well as the infinite design possibilities when it comes to carving clay.
I challenged myself to whimsically carve without prior sketching or planning.
Once the clay was leatherhard, I contentedly sat beside the woodstove over the course of a few nights post-bedtime, rewatching beloved movies while I carved each unique pattern.
glaze applied (and removed, in some cases)
Once the cups went through their first kiln firing, I applied wax to the bottoms (so they wouldn’t stick to the shelves). The cups were dipped in my “seafoam white” glaze, and once dry, I scraped and sponged off the excess from the high spots, leaving behind glaze only in the carved spaces while the surrounding clay body was bare.
Not only do I love the look of this juxtaposition of bare and glazed clay, it’s so enjoyable to hold and feel, really highlighting the tactile nature of pottery.
The cups were then fired to a final temperature of 1200 degrees celsius over the spam of 16 hours.
Spots in the Cup Collective open in the spring of each year. Previous members and newsletter patrons get first dibs on spots, so be sure to subscribe if you’re interested!