There's lots of Spanish moss growing on the trees outside our RV. When it's raining we sit across from one another at the dinette. One day Gary remarked I always seem to have two fingers across my mouth and my thumb under my chin. I said he was wrong, that I didn't always do that. Later if he caught me in that pose, he mimicked me. Since he was mimicking that pose quite often I realized I must be doing it. Whenever he catches me in that pose, I tell him I must be thinking.
This got me to thinking that we often don't see ourselves as others may see us and others may not see as we really are. What do you think? Later that evening I made a sketch of three faces with various hand poses. I made the sketch months ago. A few months later I thought I might make an oblong platter to illustrate the three faces, so I put that thought across the top of the page to remind myself.
Today I decided to make an oblong platter for the three faces. I rolled out a slab and cut it to the shape I wanted. Then I brushed some green slip across the surface and pushed up the sides. Then I made two handles for the platter and attached them. I waited for the slip to dry and used a sgraffito technique to draw the three faces.
My drawing is more expressive than my sgraffito. For this platter I used a different tool while the clay was still damp. I also wish I had put the faces beside one another like my original sketch. Perhaps if I had some white clay with black slip the contrast would be sharper. When Gary looked at the platter he said, She Must Be Thinking.
Joy Tanner talked about prototypes in a recent post about boxes she made. If I had more room in the RV I'd make more till I achieved the look I wanted. So this platter is a prototype for future platters. Once we have a permanent location (more about that later), I hope to use decals to apply some of my drawings on clay. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
so where are you going o settle? we are all waiting to hear? Joan T
ReplyDeleteLinda I really like your platter. I especially love pottery that has a story behind it.
ReplyDeleteThe faces remind me of the 3 monkey's (see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil) only without the blocking. These images show the posturing of deep contemplation and cause the same, "what is she thinking?" Then the imagination soars and probably would change every time you looked at the platter. I think it's a great piece.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that if we saw ourselves in 3 dimension, we would not recognize ourselves. We are fooled by our mirror image. Scary thought.
ReplyDeleteReally like the platter.
Hi Joan, thanks, I think you may have guessed already.
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, thank you, I was thinking about art telling a story and being autobiographical and would like to explore that topic more.
Hi Lori, thanks ever so much, your mentioning the three monkeys got thinking of the Three Faces of Eve too, how there are different thoughts or personalities all in the same person.
Hi Patti, thanks, I once saw a photo in a Psychology book where one part of a person's face was reversed and applied to the other side, and it was, as you say, a strange and not too pleasant looking face after all.