Thursday, October 15, 2009

Dirty Little Secret, Shhhhh

All potters have a foot fetish. It’s true. Some may not admit it. But this is a universal truth. Just go to any event with pottery and play spot the potter. The potter will be the one who looks furtively from side to side and just when she thinks no one is looking, she’ll lift that pot ever so slightly and have a look at the bottom. Oh, and just do not get me started on bottoms…..

So at this point you might well ask “what exactly does this have to do with the price of tea in China?” Well, over the past couple of days I have been consumed with making pots. And those feet have been an ever present concern of mine. See those pots up there in the top left? Just not quite right. There is no lift to them. They end abruptly. The list of deficiencies goes on and on.

So finally I have come up with a solution to this dilemma. (The life of a potter is a never ending search for the perfect foot.) I cut out little squares of clay with holes in the center. I cut them apart bevel the edges and glue them on with my super glue toilet paper clay paste. And that could be enough but I really wanted the feeling that these feet grew out of the body of the pot. So I added moist clay sculpted those feet into the bottom of the pot. After 16 of them I’ve gotten quite good at this exercise.


Much better don’t you think? You see the foot of the pot is like putting on the finishing touch for an evening out. After all you wouldn’t go to dinner in your very finest but in your bedroom slippers, would you? Maybe the grocery store, but certainly not to dinner. Not even I would do that. I have actually accidentally gone to the grocerey store in my slippers. It's OK. They know me at the local and no longer roll their eyes.

So what about that flat bottom pot I lured you into this blog post with? Well she’s gone off to the corner for unloved pots until I decide what to do with her. It’s a kind of purgatory for pots and she has a lot of company.

17 comments:

Candace said...

Well, I was going to come by to say thanks for that sweet comment on my little blog and THEN I got waylaid by the foot fetish and "bottom" talk. LOL.

I do hope all your pots are prayed out of purgatory, loved or unloved... lol! I enjoyed how you explained what goes on and how to tell what's up with potters, top to -- dare I say it? bottom, etc.

Always a joy to stop in here. Just like stopping at a friend's.
Have a great weekend!

Candace in Athens.

Katie said...

Love the pot (too bad it's been banished to the unloved pots corner...maybe you should adopt them out to loving homes?)...And I think the foot idea is really cool...

Funny how I got a little worried when I first started reading about your foot fetish...I wasn't sure I really wanted to know that much about you :o)

Thanks again for sharing bits and pieces of your process - it's always neat to find out more about what's rolling around up there...

sharon said...

Love the feet!

TesoriTrovati said...

I actually thought you would be sharing some secret about shoes! LOL!
I understand completely...that is the one thing that I was no good at with the wheel pottery class that my son and I took this winter...at 10 he was better at that than me! I like these little feet, very distinctive!
Enjoy the day!
Erin

The Joy of Nesting said...

Oh what an enlightening day!!! I just never knew anything about pot's feet.Now people's feet yes but not pots. :)

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

Lucid Moon Studio said...

You brought my attention to something that I've never thought about before...thanks? Ha, ha. I feel bad for the little pots in purgatory...I hope you find a good home for them! I, for one, am open to adoption...and would give them plenty of love :) You're right, I wouldn't go to dinner in slippers, but I wear my flip flops EVERTWHERE...I will even be wearing them to my wedding!!

Lisa

Cindy said...

LeAnn
I always love your sense of humor! Thanks for enlightening us...you know, I never really thought about the "feet" of a pot. I had NO idea you would build up the feet that way...your pictures are wonderful in showing us the process. Oh please get that beautiful pot out of the corner! He's done his time, set him free!
Cindy
www.sweetbeadstudio.com

stregata said...

Won't you come into my parlour... you are good at luring, aren't you? A delightful post, LeAnn. As a non-potter, I have never given pot-feet any thought. Yes - the pots look much more sophisticated with feet, I agree. But my heart is bleeding for the poor little pots in purgatory - unloved by you, but so beautiful...

Esther said...

wow the foot is just perfect now!! thanks for sharing your experience!! even if i will never make pottery, it's always interesting to learn !!! i would like to see your Purgatory of pots... sure it is one for you but for us is just eaven!!

Vintajia Adornments said...

Hey sell them as dog/cat water dishes. Ya can't see that there is no foot when you're standing up and the dawg/cat don't care.
Now if a potential customer asks why there is no foot - tell them it is a design feature for stability

Unknown said...

LeAnn, your feet are awesome! But I still love that first pot. I would happily give her a home so she doesn't have to sit in purgatory any more :)

SummersStudio said...

Ok, Ok, Ok, I'll give the pot a reprieve. Maybe she can come out and hold my remote controls? Or better yet peanut m&m's?

SueBeads said...

I love your feet!!! LOL! I like the pot too - I think it would make a great planter for some little plant that doesn't care about feet!

Marsha of Marsha Neal Studio said...

Great idea for the bottom finishing touches. Lips and Feet area always places we clay people examine... hmmm...

There are days where I have just about gone out the door with my slippers on. I have actually even made it into the car, then wondered why it felt like I needed to move the seat up just a bit to reach the pedals - looking down to see the slippers... ah-ha...

lunedreams said...

how about a little mixed media? Non-pottery feet? Wrought iron feet? Antiqued brass feet? A little fitted stand with feet? Little wooden feet with brass decorations? They can be your peg-leg pots.

Silver Parrot said...

I have a whole new appreciation for pot bottoms ;-) I will now be checking the bottoms of all pots I see to make sure they have Summers Studio approved bottoms ;-)

Leslie @ Bei Mondi said...

Oh, these are beautiful! Can't wait to see them with their color and glaze.