ZENTANGLE MUGS

So many new items, so difficult to choose! Things have been very busy here at Big Sky Clay, and I have a BUNCH of new items to play with. But for now, I'll focus on one. I just wanted to introduce my new Zentangle Mugs, made after the popular doodling pastime Zentangle. I developed these mugs in response to a request from my mother to make some pottery that was "more colorful." I have always been intrigued by the meditative, one moment following the next quality of zentangles - and I thought it would be great to apply that technique to my pots.
I first throw the mugs on my kick wheel, and then allow them to reach leather-hard state so that they can be handled. Next, I use a squeeze bottle filled with black underglaze to draw the patterns on the mugs. No two of them is alike, and never will be, unless I somehow make a decal from the pattern! The next step is to get out the colors, and color, for once, "between the lines." My kindergarten teachers would have been so proud! A preliminary firing sets the underglaze in place. After the first firing, I brush on a clear glaze, making the bright colors pop. They are, I think, just perfect for a morning cup of coffee - the bright colors certainly would help a person wake up!