Avery Speas "Waterfall"
1x4x5, Stoneware and Glaze, 2026
My goal for this project was to make a pitcher that could hold and pour water. I really liked the idea of a blue pitcher because water is blue and I think that it would just match the theme very well. I also loved the idea of a handleless pitcher because I think it looks much less tacky and much more aesthetically pleasing. I started off with two square slabs. After compressing the air out and getting the clay buttery, I cut the edge of the side of both slabs and used the slipping and scoring method so that the two slabs would stick together. I then used more slip to get the two slabs to mush seamlessly into each other. Once I could not distinguish a connecting point, I placed a pattern onto the clay and firmly got the print into my clay. After removing the pattern maker, I stood up my clay and began to make the pitcher shape. I sliced a little bit of the inside at an angle so that the piece connected smoothly with each other with scoring and slipping. I welded the sides together. After this, I inserted a locking coil to the inside of the pitcher and the handle section of the pitcher so that I was sure it would break. Then, I welded both of these together to the clay until it was smooth to my liking. I then used a sponge and water to make the pitcher spout. I then traced additional clay to the bottom of the pitcher so that it had something the keep water in. I used a rib tool on the bottom so I could write my name and it wouldn’t scratch the table. After fixing the remaining amount of cracks, my pitcher was ready for the kiln. I used Arctic Blue and Satire Blue on my pitcher. I first put Satire Blue in the inside of the pitcher and the outside. I then layered Arctic Blue on the pitcher to make the pattern shown. Finally, I used a different brush to add speckles of Satire Blue on top of the first layer of Satire Blue to give it more texture. This artwork means patience and peace. I think this because when making the pitcher, I had to trust the process and take my time. I want the audience to imagine the water flowing out of the spout and how they would feel when watching it. I think that the hardest part of making the pitcher was trying not to get the crack down the middle of the pitcher. I tried to keep the area moist and smooth the crack out. I also put a long and thick interlocking coil in the pitcher so that water could still be placed inside the pitcher. If I started over, I would definitely be more patient when folding the clay and I would even make sure that the slab was perfect before I began folding it. I could argue that the pitcher is abstract with its original shape that is not like a traditional pitcher. I love that there is no actual handle which I believe would make it less valuable. I love that it looks very high quality and I could use it as a decoration or as an actual pitcher.