At the end of January...

Having committed myself to firing a kiln-full of pots in mid-February, I have had to break the post-Christmas, post-Exhibitions and all sorts of other excuses-spell and get down to work.

 In this firing I want to explore scale - I am trying to scale up my work - what forms can carry the surface decoration and intimate quality of the pinched bowls while just being a bit more assertive in terms of size - and of price....

The bowl itself does not "blow up" to an enlarged version as the pinching becomes too floppy and the porcelain tends to slump. Narrowing in the form or making pinched globular forms works OK but I think I have done that without really getting anywhere.

 These round forms don't move me any more - and as far as the surface decoration goes - I am stuck in the same scratchy grooves - they don't release a never-ending stream of variations as the bowls do. 

I am tempted to start on some pinched teapots.....

And I am almost tempted to start throwing instead of pinching..

In short, I am trying to find new ways of using the old ways , and in the meantime have contented myself with making a board-full of pinched bowls.