Flat Foods & Helpful Objects
Jenny Dowd
Some sort of crazy combination has happened in the studio over the past few months. Something like stay-at-home-covid-19 + delayed shop orders + reassessing my own cupboard needs + ideas that have been rattling around in my head for awhile = this!
What does that all that mean?
At the beginning of this year I was actively preparing myself to apply for a residency with the hope for time and space to work on new pottery designs. I love what I do, but haven’t felt that I’ve had the time to really pursue something new and just because in awhile. I’ve been slowly figuring out how to combine drawing with pottery for years, and want to link these loves.
And then bam! COVID-19. Suddenly I thought, for lots of reasons, maybe this isn’t the best time to try for a residency.
So I did the next best thing. Focused a little extra time (which suddenly I had plenty of) on some of these new ideas.
A few years ago I made a game / drawing / book arts piece for the Laramie County Library and haven’t forgotten how much I enjoyed working with ink while drawing random objects. (Check out the project here)
I wanted to draw random helpful objects onto mugs to start, and while I’ve drawn designs on my pottery in the past (pottery for Market) suddenly I was staring at a truly blank canvas. I thought about tools and how helpless we are all feeling in this pandemic.
The first mug I made was truly random and it even has a title: “Sometimes you need a hammer. Sometimes butter.” I think that just about sums up how I’ve been feeling.
The butter / hammer mug became my glaze test. I was pretty excited with how the butter stick turned out, slightly melty. This mug is now available in the 2020 NCECA Cup Auction, which is online this year. I have donated this mug because it is such a good cause. NCECA will use all the proceeds to support ceramic artists through fellowships and scholarships. Check out my mug here, it will be available until May 31st. And check out all of the other amazing cups & mugs here!
All the decoration happens after the bisque fire. I draw onto the clay with an underglaze pencil, then use a “wash” of watery underglaze to color in areas of the object. Then I carefully layer glaze / wax / glaze to get color where needed.
Next up: espresso and coffee mugs with tools. It’s hard to know what tools we’ll need to get through the day, so I figured why not just include a bunch with the morning coffee?
These mugs represent helpful objects - the top 2 mugs are ideas on how to keep it together. The mug on the bottom is “Measure twice, cut twice.”
Plus I learned how to make lemonade!
Meanwhile, Sam suggested that I make some more of the “good noodle bowls.” We only had 1 in the cupboard and it was both of our favorites for noodle dishes, nachos, and basically everything.
After making the bowls I realized I had no idea how to decorate them. So I went with “flat foods” or food that is probably usually served on plates. I love eating out of bowls, and will seriously put anything in a bowl.
We have tested all 4 of my new bowls: taco, burger, cake, pizza. Happily, they work.
I can’t remember the last time I made something specifically for myself. Usually I just keep extras from orders or seconds, if it’s something we need or I like it, so this is a pretty big deal.
I’m definitely going to keep making more of these designs. I am excited that these pots will have stories to tell and will also be extra helpful, even after these strange and scary days.
