Most every year, around March, I have an order for Communion sets from a non profit organization. These are given to graduates from colleges across country pursuing a career as an ordained individual. I have been doing business with this group now since the late 70's. when my chalices were short more like goblets, and my plates were much less than they are now. I have 20 chalices to choose from for sets this year, and am in the process of throwing the plates or as others would know-patens. As communion has changed over the years, the patens now are larger to hold either a whole loaf of bread to be ceremoniously broken , or one already broken in to smaller pieces. At the same time the chalices are a little wider in bowl size than I would normally drink from to allow for Intinction from the chalice.
The past year or so, I have been experimenting with more texture on mugs, and bowls. This experimentation has led me to texturing the cylinder before shaping it. So when doing a mug, I throw the cylinder approximately the height I want the mug, then texture most of the surface with scraper,rollers or stamps of some sort. Then I shape the mug form using only my hand or a tool on the inside of the mug. Then I finish up by pulling a smooth curving lip that partially re-centers the top of the pot.
The new bowls, and chalice bowls follow the same process. I will try to include some close-ups of the chalice bowls so that you can see how the texture is working. I especially like the way the textures get larger yet softer with stretching the clay to shape it.
The logos are rubber stamped and I use it only on the orders for this organization as it is their logo.
I have not discovered a way to make the stems use the same texturing process, or the plates. However, I am happy using the texture repeat on the plate so that the two pieces match up with matching glaze color.
Bowls
The bowls are a similar situation, as they are using a silicone kitchen hot pad pressed into the cylnder after it has been thrown. It has taken a bit of experimenting on how thin to throw the cylinder before texturing as this is to be a bowl. Too extreme a texture and the bowl will end up with holes all the way through the wall, too thick a cylinder and you will have to trim too much of the texture off of the bowl.
The bowl shown here is a retirement gift for a clients wife. I was asked to put her Name and retirement dates on the bowl. This is one of 5, and is thrown of 6 pounds of clay.
The second bowl to the set is a 4 pound bowl that is thrown to be used as a large serving bowl. This bowl is decorated in the same style on the rim, and on the outside.
The next bowl is a 3 pound bowl that is another part of the set and is meant for smaller serving bowl or for an individual salad.
This last bowl is a batter bowl from 3 pounds of clay also. It uses the same motif for the flared rim, and the same texture from the silicone hot pad as the others. I also curled down the rim opposite of the spout while in the wet state, for the later handle addition. After trimming, and signature the strap handle was pulled , textured, and joined to the batter bowl arching over the area where I had curled over the rim. Works very well that way and is kind of elegant.
The second bowl to the set is a 4 pound bowl that is thrown to be used as a large serving bowl. This bowl is decorated in the same style on the rim, and on the outside.
This last bowl is a batter bowl from 3 pounds of clay also. It uses the same motif for the flared rim, and the same texture from the silicone hot pad as the others. I also curled down the rim opposite of the spout while in the wet state, for the later handle addition. After trimming, and signature the strap handle was pulled , textured, and joined to the batter bowl arching over the area where I had curled over the rim. Works very well that way and is kind of elegant.