Thanks Doug and Judy
























Doug and Judy,
Thank you both for your kind comments which were much appreciated and a real boost to the morale on what has been a bit of a stressful day. I tried to post a reply comment on my blog to your ones in the comments place, but couldn't get that to work for some reason this evening so have this here instead.

So..., I'm not alone after all in my struggles with handles! I used to do them with very stiff clay, but seem to need things much softer now. I saw something on the internet about a method of attaching handles that was done in medieval times where a hole was cut in the pot and a little "tenon" or rivet of clay was used to join the handle to the pot. I've never tried it, but wondered if anyone has??

Doug, thanks for the reference to the museum of London site. It is one that I haven't found before, and I am loving it. Good to see photos of complete pots, and also ones that are in bits, the latter are most informative technically, giving clues to wall thickness and so on. I have also discovered your web site, www.douglasfitch.co.uk and seen your lovely watering pots. It is nice to think of you making them on your side of the world, and me doing my take on watering pots down here, and interesting to see our different approaches. Yours with sumptuous glaze and applied decoration, and mine mostly unglazed and unadorned, but for the fire!

With the problems I have been having with attaching large handles, I also found your very recent post on your blog site very helpful, with the photo of you putting on the scroll at the base of the handle of the harvest jug.

Judy, I'd love to see your bird jug, I do hope that you will post a photo of it. I know what you mean about the narrow neck and the difficulty with getting the handle right. I found my first one also gave problems in the firing as the neck twisted somewhat and took the top of the handle around with it. Still usable, but the handle is definitely not vertical. I sometimes allow for that, if I remember, when joining the handle on, a bit like allowing for the twist in a teapot spout.

Thoreau, Wonderful! I actually took the Thoreau quote on my "Icarus and Sprigs" post from where it was in "On Whale Island" by Daniel Hays. I've just finished "On Whale Island", and found it a really great book. Very thoughtful and challenging, by a man who took his family to a tiny island way up North not far from the Arctic circle and lived there for a year.

Comments

Judy Shreve said…
I posted a photo on my blog of my bird jug attempts. I love that shape - but will need to make many more before I am happy with the handle. I read On Whale Island a few years ago -- Nova Scotia right? - he took his wife, step son & two dogs out to an island he owned. Hays also wrote 'My old man & the sea.'

Anyway I love your work - and your approach - does your wife have a web page of her drawing/painting?
Peter said…
Hi Judy,
Yes, you are right about Whale Island being up near Nova Scotia, I must track down the other book by Daniel Hays.

I am trying to develop a blog for my wife, Laura (she's not so into the computer side of things)and will put a lot more effort into adding more to it soom. Currently if you follow the link off my blog to Laura's Paintings
http://opolaura.blogspot.com you will see what she is up to (blogger permitting!). Her blog should have a slideshow with some of her work on it, but when I looked at it just now, it is not playing for some reason. I am waiting to photograph a new painting that she is working on at the moment, but... the painting is currently a secret as it has been commissioned by someone for a Special Occasion and I can't reveal it to the world until the great day! You should see something soon though!
I'm off now to have another look at the photo of your lovely bird jugs and will leave a comment about those on your site. ( http://mountainhousestudios.blogspot.com)
Best Wishes,
P.
Judy Shreve said…
WOW - I love Laura's work -- it's so colorful & unique & there's a mystical - magical quality to them that I find very interesting.
What a great pair you guys are. Do you have kids? Are they into art projects as well?
Thankfully my son is into music not 2 (or 3) dimensional art. Although my husband has just started working with clay. He works with earthenware & mostly makes tiles -- that he then frames or adds different materials to.
Peter said…
Hi Judy,

Laura says "Thank you for the kind comments, and I enjoy looking at your work too."

As far as kids go, we never quite managed it, which is probably a bit sad, but we do our best to populate our bit of the planet with paintings and pots instead!
P.

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