Phase I of the....

Whirling Dervish Teapots!!!!

See here for a wonderful video of the sufi whirling dervishes!!!

So this is the first phase in trying to realise an idea....i have been greatly inspired for many years, by these amazing dancers! My attempt at translating that form, flowing and lyrical into a clay sculpture - in the form of a teapot, began yesterday. First some very rough gesture drawings....there are many many more on the studio table....but the real work begins with me throwing a bunch of slightly different forms, enabling me to play around with proportions! What you see here are the 3 parts i've made so far....the middle section, the top and the foot! they were still too wet and plyable to manipulate today! I'll wait till tomorrow and then the fun begins!!! stacking them, trying different tops with different bottoms, applying different types of textures using a variety of diffent tools.....then there will be lots of time to assess the forms to see what needs changing or adding etc!

It's bitterly cold outside today! we had a lot of rain so much of the snow is gone, and now we have that horrible hard surface of ice!!! There is such a difference in my ability to head out for a walk....it can be really cold, but if there is soft new snow, bright blue skies....it's easy! today not so much! grey, dreary and hard! so i'll do 20 minutes on the eliptical machine in the studio, after i've put handles on 36 - oh actually 35, i dropped one....mugs!!!