The Anatomy of A Good Pot
The best handmade pots have a certain quality that sets them apart from others. Achieving this elusive quality can be quite a challenge for new potters.
Learn the Secrets to Successful Pots!
When potter, author, and scientist, Ryan Coppage, PhD, was developing his skills and voice as a potter, he set out to determine what makes a pot successful. He approached the task like a scientist, cataloguing hundreds and hundreds of images of the best in contemporary pottery on his hard drive, and making copious notes of the strengths in each piece. He discovered that he was noting the same aesthetic elements over and over. When he began considering these elements—openings, contour, elevation, visual cues, and balance—in his own work, his work began to improve. Later, he would teach these elements to beginning students and saw marked improvement in their pots.
Learn the Building Blocks to Better Pots
In The Anatomy of a Good Pot, Coppage explains how these five components are the building blocks to refined, thoughtful pottery. In each chapter, Coppage goes through individual aesthetics, one by one, building up to a full visual analysis of various works and voices in clay. Beautiful images of some of the finest work in contemporary ceramics are accompanied by detail shots with discussion focusing on individual design elements Coppage outlines throughout the book.
Techniques for a Refined Touch
In addition to those detail shots, you’ll also find twelve Process Studies that demonstrate how the artists create their signature elements, as well as Artist Spotlight discussions expanding on the artists’ creative processes. And finally, Visual Success boxes discuss how the key design elements come together to make exceptional work.
While nothing can replace the hours that must be invested in honing one’s skills to gain mastery of ceramic materials, this book will give you a leg up on developing a strong aesthetic voice in clay.