The Value of Repetition

It wasn't that long ago - maybe five years, maybe eight, I forget - that I still had this idea that I ought to decorate every item that I made differently from everything else. I didn't have any qualms about throwing the same forms, but I always tried to stamp, slip-trail, and glaze them differently.

It's funny how long it took me to see that the same value that lies in repeating thrown forms lies in repeating decorative schemes as well. This is how proficiency is gained! And because of my process, they are all one of a kind anyway. Tonight it was three- and 4-pound mixing bowls. I glazed every one of them with a pattern of curliques on the outside and a glossy white on the inside. By the last one my motions were quick and smooth, with nary a stray dribble.

This approach has had a salubrious effect on my production as well. Much of my glazing time was spent on staring at pieces, deciding on their surfaces. If I only have to decide once every dozen or so pots, obviously things move along faster! And the tenth curlique-glazed bowl goes much faster than the first one.

The marks are unique to each bowl even if I were trying to make them identical (I'm not), and the soda adds a spontaneity that guarantees each piece will be one of a kind. It was a relief to put that worry down.

Hoping to fire these this week.