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- Tea-Mobile is a hand-built stoneware teapot in the form of a vintage Kettle Phone placed on sculpted ceramic wheels.
- The receiver section is the handle.
- The spout is integrated into the dial.
- Red underglaze coloration, designed in consultation with the buyer who commissioned the work, is supplemented with black and faux chrome finish.
- Construction sequence:
- Date: 2008.
- Size: 7.0" c 8.5" x 8.0".
- A commissioned work.
- Sold.
Enlarged Views
Creative Process
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The hollowed base of Tea-Mobile is formed from precut patterned clay slabs.
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The base is constructed in the shape of a vintage Kettle Phone.
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The upper opening is modeled to accommodate the telephone receiver designed to be the teapot's handle.
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Construction of the telephone receiver requires throwing the speaker and receiver components separately.
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The tooled portion of the receiver is worked on using a chuck, a thrown base to hold the item in place while it is being tooled.
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The receiver is progressively assembled as its various parts are fused together.
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The receiver will serve as the teapot's handle.
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The piece is serially developed as the parts of the receiver are fixed to each other.
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The receiver is then permanently attached to the telephone base.
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Tea-Mobile is shown with the completed receiver in place as a handle for the teapot.
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A template is designed for the four wheels that are to be made and attached to the base of Tea-Mobile, to serve as "feet" for the finished ceramic work. .
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The wheel's spokes are formed by sculpting.
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The pre-modeled wheels are attached to the base of the Kettle Phone to form its feet.
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Beginnings of the "dial" on the front surface of the base are undertaken. This is where the teapot's spout will be located.
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Before the spout is thrown, its size is determined by caliper measurements.
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The hollowed spout is thrown "off the hump" a term describing the use of a partial segment of clay taken from a larger mound of clay on the wheel.
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The spout is allowed to dry or "set up."
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A small hole is cut in the base in the center of the dial to accommodate the spout.
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The spout is altered by bending and then fixed in place.
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A slice is cut from the top of the spout using a tissue knife.
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Dial buttons are extruded, carved and added to the base.
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A ceramic curlicue cording is also added to enhance the work.
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The teapot's lid at the rear of the receiver segment is formed with a faux "disconnect button," which serves as its handle (seen in the close-up image, above).
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The piece, whose sculpting phase is now complete, is dried thoroughly prior to its first kiln firing at cone 06.
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After a first successful firing of Tea-Mobile at cone 06, coloration is begun with red and black underglazing applied.
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Some surface areas are left unglazed where clear glaze will be used in anticipation of adding a luster prior to refiring the piece at a lower temperature.
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Clear glaze is applied to the wheel spokes and the spout. These are the areas to which chrome lusters will be applied later.
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Red and black underglazes are hand-painted onto the remainder of the piece.
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The bottom of the work is signed and dated in clay by the artist.
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Tea-Mobile is now ready for its second firing to cone 6.
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After application of the chrome luster, Tea-Mobile is subjected to its final firing at cone 017.
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Additional detailed cold finish touches complete the work.
Detailed Views
