Cup O'the Month for July came from a shop in the distillery district of Toronto, called distill gallery.
He's made by Jama Burford (I hope that's right). I'm on holdiay in my cabin in the woods now and I have my coffee in this chap every morning. Heaven!
Cup O'the Month for June was made by Daphne Carnegy. Daphne has a new book about tin glazed earthenware Maiolica out now and she will be my tutor next year. I'm delighted with my lemon mug and glad to say that it and all my precious cup collection survived the flood, although not much else in my kitchen did. They were in a special place, being special, loved and lucky.
For May's Cup O' the Month, I was lucky enough to get one of Ayumi Horie's beautiful cups. When she posts items for sale, they go very quickly. I was hoping to get a mug with a beaver or log cabin on it, but I didn't get there fast enough (maybe 1 hour late).
I like my pig though. It's a lovely cup. The bottom swells a little and the handle is very comfortable. I like her minimal use of coloured glaze dots. I wonder if those are glazes she's mixed herself or if they are bought paint-ons. I think the pig wonders too.
April's Cup O' Month is from Jacqueline Leighton Boyce. I found her wonderful website and really admired her work. I couldn't see any cups for sale so I emailed and asked if I could commission her. To my delight, she accepted and made up five wonderful cup/jugs which you can see on her fb page here.
I loved them all and couldn't choose. In the end I bought two, one for April and one for a friend's birthday.
I had a hard time choosing, but decided to keep the one with the clover. I can remember playing with clovers as a very small child and being intrigued by how much stuff was going on in such a small flower. Also I have been drawing them in sketchbooks recently. So I guess that's what swung it.
I love this cup! The iridescence of some of the lustres is magical and well suited to the small flowers and bugs scratched into the surface. I love how it has a different profile from every angle. It is very comfortable to drink from.
Now that I own a piece of Jacqueline's work, I'm an even bigger fan. It is really special.
I'm working on my next book a lot at the moment so don't have much ceramic or painitng fun time right now. This little plate has been bisque fired and is waiting for it's final firing.
I've been searching for April's Cup O'the Month but have nothing to show and tell yet.
March's mug has to be special, since March is my birthday month. I chose a cup by Shoko Teruyama, one of my favourtie potters.
I'm delighted with it. It is much bigger than I expected. Although the colouration is delicate it really lifts the drawn sgraffito work. The lines of the sgraffito work seem quite fine. Finer than mine, anyway.
Love it, love Shoko Teruyama, love March!
I bought February's Cup O' the Month from Elke Sada at the Ceramic Art London 2011 fair.
Elke paints slip onto plaster and then pours wet clay on the plaster. When this firms up, she uses the slabs to build her ceramics.
The colours were bright and the marks were gestural. I also really liked her shapes. On the mug I bougth the painted slab is used for the bottom of the cup, which is a nice surprise inside.
I paid £40 for this cup and I think it is another treasure.
I have been inspired by (Mud)bucket's Mug of the Month and A plate A Day to build a collection of hand made objects. Okay, I'm directly ripping off Mudbucket, because I too, will be going for a collection of mugs and cups. It's one of my favourite forms and they are often affordable.
It is interesting to imagine what else you could collect on a limited budget, perhaps gilicee prints of artworks, or vintage books or plates. It is easy to think of many antique or vintage items that could be affordable monthly, but more difficult to think of items by contemporary makers. I thought this would be a nice way to support fellow makers as I learn my ceramic skills. Plus I get nice things!
I know it's March already, but I'm going to start with January. My first cup is by Jenny Mendes.
I start my collection with her mug because her work has been my first contemporary love. I'm a big fan! I love this cup, which is pinched by hand in a terracotta clay and then decorated with terra sigillatas. It feels lovely in my hands. her pinches fit me. The surface is much more beautiful than the internet can show, which makes me really glad to own it. There are glazed splatters,colour break through and layers which won't show up in any photos.
Here are my photos of the circumference as you turn the cup. I'm delighted with it!
I bought my February mug at Ceramic Art London 2011 and I will show it to you next post. I have ordered March's mug and will show that when it arrives. I'm enjoying looking for April's.
