Soft Slab Construction

Summer Mug:

For this project, I began by making a pot-like structure, but with a twist. I created its shape like a cone as it gets smaller at the top than at the bottom. I think the shape looks super cool once fired. My inspiration for my mug design came from my friend Mia's mugs at her house. In her cupboard are many mugs–some from this class! Many of the colors she uses are warm bright colors–many yellows, oranges, and reds. So, with a few of her mugs in mind, I chose two glazes that I thought would match the inspiration I got from hers.

Then, I began thinking of a design, and went with thick zigzags across its surface. I then glazed the inside. I thought having the zigzags as bright orange made the design pop especially against the bright yellow! The colors together made me think of summer and Mia's house's mugs! I really like how the colors turned out when the mug was fired. I think the glazes look so vibrant, I am very happy with how they turned out.

One thing that was a challenge for me was creating a handle. They look so easy to make, but as soon as I tried, I immediately found difficulties with the shape of my handle. I tried two shapes and the second one was much better. I found that it held its form better and it was more supportive and stuck on to the mug better. I also kept in mind the shape of the handle in relation to the hand itself that would hold it. I ended up doing the same handle shape for my "Christmas Mug" and they both turned out looking really good and held their shape.