Drinking Vessels: Workshop One

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The drinking vessel is one of the triplets of useful pottery forms - the cup, plate, and bowl - from which almost every other functional clay form is derived. And there's nothing better than using a well-designed cup that does its job perfectly!

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In lesson #1, I'll share with you the throwing, decorating, finishing, and some simple altering ideas – plus a handle-making and attachment demo – on five simple drinking forms:

• shot ‘glasses’  

• wine cups

• espresso cups

• a small tumbler/beaker

• and large tumblers/beakers

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And I’ll share with you the weights, measurements, and tools used for each form as I make them.

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In lesson #2, we’ll make mugs… and more mugs!

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I'll demo the making of five mugs in a progression of sizes in more than a dozen shapes:

- small cups with single-fingered handles

- different-shaped mugs with 2-finger handles

- mugs with 3-finger handles and lids

- large mugs with 4-finger handles

- giant ‘tankards’ with hefty 4-finger handles

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Along the way, I'll show you more than a dozen altering and decorating techniques: faceting, squaring, stamping, sprigging, loose throwing, and patterned scratching, and more. And I'll describe my thought process as I demo the basics of handle-making in detail. Plus, a little add-on… making lids for coffee and tea mugs!

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Tips and Techniques in abundance to help you make your best mugs!

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Drinking Vessels: Workshop Two

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There are many ancient forms of drinking vessels – vessels that have certainly influenced contemporary cup designs and the forms we potters make. Surprisingly, the handled mug we all use today wasn't often found among ancient vessel forms. But two-handled drinking vessels? Yes… the large Roman and Greek double-handled chalice forms are the forebearers of one of the forms we’ll make in this workshop: the goblet, or as the ancient forms are called; the chalice.

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Equally historic drinking forms like the handless cup or yunomi, and the curious drinking horn are also forms we’ll make…along with the contemporary tea or coffee cup and saucer.

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In lesson #1 I’ll share with you the making of four styles of goblets.  I'll make two different goblets in each style showing different forms and proportions, surface treatments and decoration:

•  tall 2-piece goblets with faceted stems

•  short 2-piece goblets with different faceting on each cup

•  2-piece ‘chalice’ with wide-cups of different shapes

• short 1-piece goblets with trimmed and thrown stems

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In lesson #2 we'll make four different tea or coffee drinking vessels plus that curious-looking horn’-shaped cup:

• yunomi-style footed cups with different surface decorations

• tall footed cups (yunomi) with handles

• Chinese-style teacups of different shapes off the hump

• teacups and coffee cups and saucers

• a horn shaped ‘I can’t put it down’ cup

 

The making of a good drinking vessel, whether a cup for tea or coffee, wine, sangria or beer is an essential skill we all should have in our ‘making toolbox’. And in this workshop, I’m here to help you gain those skills. So, drink up and I’ll see you there!

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