Trimming out

Batch 2 of the wedding cups, the ones for people who weren't able to attend, and some spares to take to the photographer for jurying into shows, etc. is underway. This is trimming out the cup after it has been thrown and dried out partially (leather hard or semi-moist). It is a process of finding my original intent and getting rid of excess clay. Hopefully, there is not to much of it. I only wrecked one of 26 today by overtrimming.

This is me trimming, taken by a very good friend, Barbara.

The clay involved is neriage or agateware - clay of different colors wedged together and then thrown. The throwing process makes a bit of a muddy mess on the outside and trimming reveals the pattern within. Today's bunch were pretty cool. I can hardly wait after I throw a bunch for the cups to dry a bit and setup so I can look under the mud by trimming and see the pattern underneath.

This bunch don't match the originals for the wedding quite because as I have thrown the 100+ cups, my thoughts have evolved. The happy couple agreed to cups that looked like siblings and maybe first cousins, but as the project has evolved they are like third cousins with the first batch, although adjoining small groups are pretty close.

One of the cool things as that the project has gone on, I saved the trimmings from each bunch and recycled it. The recycle was then wedged in with new clay, so each bunch has a little bit of all that have gone before mixed in. I feel very strongly about this thread of continuity.

Today, I give thanks for the day I was given, a restful night, waking up on time for an important meeting, and opening up those cups to see the patterns within.