This is my journal documenting an ongoing creative endeavor sustained by a single underlying current with 100 momentary breaks, each indicated by an individual porcelain cup which reveals both continuity and uniqueness in the way the pot is thrown, the handle is pulled and wrapped,
and the form is carved and sculpted. Each piece is photographed in its raw
porcelain clay state before being fired or glazed. If you would like to follow the progression from Cup #1, scroll down and click "Older Posts" or begin at the Blog Archive "2010", "March".

Visit my public archive forum on facebook: Julia Munn Livingston Pottery Archive.

The 100 Cups collection is available for exhibition.



Saturday, January 15, 2011

Cup #64

The handle I "intended" cracked and split at the base of the cup when I attempted to attach it so I turned the remaining stub into a loop. The handle cracked because the clay I used to make the handle lost it's elasticity. The loss of elasticity occurred because (for the first time) I spent 10 hours putting my 400 lbs of aged, elastic, 10 year old clay (it was a little too dry) through a pug mill (the Champion juicer or meat grinder for clay) with some slip to re-moisten it and all that mixing broke up the living connections in the clay and it lost it's elasticity. Panic....then I found some scraps of old elastic, non-pugged clay and started a new handle. The new handle comes from the top of the cup down to an energetic meeting with the loop....the cup seems to be smiling...I am now too......

Oh, and new clay has arrived (luckily unfrozen) from Minnesota...there will be more cups.

3 comments:

  1. This is an incredibly beautiful piece. It almost looks like it's liquid or that it's still moving...the fluidity you captured is just sublime.

    Glad to hear you're getting in new clay, but what a bummer to waste all that time and energy on the other :0( bummer

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  2. Thanks Gini...I'm holding on to some hope that the pugged clay will age again...hmmm...age again?

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  3. Your work is absolutely stunning.

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