GET THINGS MOVING

It has been a minute or two since I last made a katakuchi style pouring vessel so after a recent phone conversation I decided to finish and afternoon's throwing by making three, small and simple pieces. The first piece was glazed up in my Kuro-Oribe style surface and ran so far that I thought it was in a Flock of Seagulls video. This set of cup and pourer was glazed in simple oribe over black and poured white slip and I think it works well with the form and purpose of the piece. This is not a particularly large piece but honestly just right for the task at hand depending on your mood and choice of spirits or tea and as my wife point's out just because it fits snuggly in my hand does not mean it is a perfect fit, one size fits all but by grasping the back curve adjacent to the spout, it is pretty easy and ready to perform.       

As you can see the first photo shows the katakuchi and accompanying cup photographed using a tungsten light source and the second pictures is the piece revelling in the last sunlight that pours in the window. The all black interior replete with crinkled cat hair shows off the real surprise from this pot and the firing, Almost one have of the katakuchi is covered with this soft, ethereal slate blue-grey tendrils filling the spout and running down the side and pooling for a rich pond of swirling texture. Though I intentional put on an additional glaze to get things moving as it were, this surface and the way it worked reminded me that serendipity still plays a role when you use up to five surface on a pot, at the end, things sometimes take an unanticipated turn and I have no problem with that. Now I am wishing the third piece was decorated the same way!