mel jacobson on tue 3 jun 08
one of the sure fire ways to design new pots
is to draw.
not fancy, shaded, gradation images...just
line drawings.
fast, quick...big thick pencil.
in fact, draw two or three over each other.
do a hundred images...fast.
then pick out one...just one.
then make a nice drawing, detail.
think of the size and volume
....then
throw that piece on your wheel.
to scale. fuss.
now you can see it...if it is good...make
ten.
fire them.
but, don't make 80 silly pots and fire them, then
throw them out. `damn, none of those were any good.`
plan ahead.
in fact, i am convinced that new designs are a very
slow process. slight changes in already good images.
i would be willing to bet that i have not copied an image
from cm or pmi/claytimes in twenty years. i just don't think
that way. i like simple forms....almost like canvas` that will
make my art/drawings work. even they are not complex.
just simple brush action drawings.
i have altered my rims, to expose more clay, give the rim
more strength. i have changed my foot rings because of
bison tools. they are just cut with more precision. deeper,
and i love a glaze catcher ring at the bottom. and that was
copied from chinese pots from the year 800. if i knew who
started it...i would give credit. but, i bet that was a slow
design change over a hundred years.
look at the great pots. look at ming, sung....look at
korean simple designs. look at hamada, shimoaka, and the
great potters of the last 100 years.
simple, direct, made to be used.
some days i am totally aghast at pots i see...more going on
than a twelve ring circus. twenty design elements, thirty colors.
nothing can be seen or felt. just hodge podge. no thought
of elegance. it is like a high school rock band, it you are not any
good, be really, really loud.
i like to think of sitting in orchestra hall, and the mjq, `modern
jazz quartet` is playing for two hours.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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