Thursday, May 10, 2012

Get a Handle

I have finally found another square shape I like for my square mugs.  Many years ago square mugs were my first big success.  I used a square small milk bottle which was perfect for what I wanted.  Alas I never made any permanent forms and the bottles stopped being made; even plastic wears out eventually.  But hydrogen peroxide now comes in square bottles, pint and quart sizes.....oh happy day.  I use hydrogen peroxide a lot for cleaning so it's a double deal.....recycle, recycle, recycle.

One of the things I enjoy about hand building is that most of the work can be completed in one step.  These need to have the rims finished and a general clean up.

I've been experimenting with some new mug handles.  I am not thrilled with what I have been making. They are adequate, but have not evolved along with my mugs.  I'm trying wider, flatter handles with various ridges in them.  The two views of the first one has a ridge down the center.  The edges are slightly rounded; using a mug is not supposed to be painful.


      


 The second two views show a handle with two ridges with thinned out and rounded edges. I like to put the handle on the corner as it forces the user to drink out of a corner.....sort of like a pitcher spout.  It's possible to make a square mug which uses the side rather than corner, but it takes altering the rim a bit.  Otherwise it's like drinking Niagara Falls.

I've been remembering two artists.....Maurice Sendak, eighty-three, who gave us a vision of his unique world, and Roman Totinberg, one hundred and one,  who was still teaching while bedridden in the last days of his life.  Artists have LONG LIVES!

There was a rather soggy humming bird (It's been raining for three days.) at the columbine.  Now I have the camera out in hope that he/she will return.

Thanks for stopping by..............*s*

8 comments:

  1. Love the square mugs and handles!

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  2. I'm having a hard time imagining drinking out of the corner, have never done that before.

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  3. your comment about mugs shouldn't be painful made me laugh, just yesterday I picked up a mug in shop and thought the handle was painful! it's those little details that count when making pots for everyday use.

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  4. Ronan Peterson gave me a square tumbler that he made in a recent workshop. I love using it! Some artist have said that people are afraid of square drinking vessels but I've learned that they work fine, just like round ones. They may even fit tighter in your cabinet so you can get more too.

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  5. Hi Judy....thanks, i'm looking forward to decorating them.

    Hi Linda....you hold the cup by the handle and drink from the nearest corner. I used to always drink from one when I was doing a show.

    Hi Michele.....the littlest things can be painful, like sharp little crumbs of clay...ouch!

    Hi Lori.....I guess it's up to the maker to educate the buying public. I have some neat square mugs too.

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  6. I kind of like the idea of drinking out of a corner. Should be less spillage. Neat idea.

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  7. oh, its a cutie alright, with an esp. nice handle!

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  8. Hi Patti.....it's sort of like pouring the liquid into your mouth!

    Hi Gary.....thanks....I'm having fun experimenting with with new handle designs and styles.

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