We lived in Illinois one year before moving to California. We were near the Haeger Pottery factory. They produced slip cast vases with vivid colors. We bought 2 of them. One was a tall orange pitcher. We moved that pitcher from old home to new home 5 times before it finally broke. That pitcher was the inspiration for the pitcher shown above. This pitcher is 13.5 inches high and about 4.5 inches wide at the widest point.
For the other potters reading this, notice the spout. I call it a potter's joke because the spout is the natural result of throwing a pot slightly off center. I didn't know that when we got that pitcher from Haeger Pottery but I recognize it now.
I made a vase in the traditional Grecian urn shape and added the handles to make it look even more like a Grecian urn. It is 10 inches tall, about 3.5 inches wide at the base and 6 inches wide at the widest point (not counting the handles). It is 9 inches wide from handle to handle. The clay body is Long Beach. The handles, rim and stripe were glazed with Tenmoku then everything was dipped in clear glaze. The clear seems to come out gray and it changes the Tenmoku from a dark red to a black. I like the result.
My first student, Ruth, has finished a few pots. She has only been a potter for a few weeks. The plate and bowl shown above were made by her. She is a teacher and since school is now starting she will have less time to "play in the mud" but she says she wants to continue.
