Meaningful Mugs

Making mugs is something that I sometimes enjoy doing.
Personally, I prefer to use mugs without handles, but I make mugs with handles, too.

There are so many steps in making a handmade mug.
To begin, a lump of clay is centered on the potter’s wheel.
This is my favorite part above all the other steps.
When the clay is spinning smoothly, without any wiggling or jarring against the inside of my hands, it feels like the world is balanced, if only for that split-second of time.

Next the centered clay is opened and now vulnerable to all the next steps.
In a few pulls, the bottom of the clay is pulled up to form the walls of what becomes a useful vessel.
I have never timed how long this process takes, but I do know that I get ‘lost in time’ during this part.

All of my focus is on one thing, the one vessel in front of me. The wheel is spinning under my control. My hands collaborate with the speed of the wheel and the clay. It feels much like a dance, where you and your partner have to agree who is leading.

This is where the initial shape and size of the mug is determined.
My mind feels most present at this stage of the mug.
It is the point where I believe energy is transferred from me to the material and vice versa. It is an exchange of love and respect for one another.

To finish making the mug, I smooth the rim and let it breathe. I wire it off the bat and let it dry a bit. At just the right time, I trim the bottom attach the handle and stamp it with my potter’s mark. Then, I dry it very slowly over the course of a few days.

Carefully slow drying the mug is essential to the outcome.
If the handle or the rim dries faster than the mug, it will crack.
There is a little bit of experience required to get this right.
The weather, temperature, and plastic covering plays a role in this part.
I call this stage, the babysitting stage or rather, “babysitting the mug”.
Eventually, the mug is bisque fired at about 1800-1900 degrees.

After the first fire, the mug becomes a solid piece and is wiped, dusted, waxed, glazed, and fired a second time at above 2100 degrees. After the second fire, the bottom of the mug is lightly sanded to help avoid scratching furniture when used in daily life.

If all goes well with each and every stage of the mug, it is sold or gifted to its rightful owner at a fair price.

The process of making a handmade mug is quite the journey.
It may help explain why you see ceramic artists working in batches or prices a bit higher than in commercial stores.
It takes a while to make one mug. Time and skill are required. There are mishaps that can happen at the very end of the cycle, which cancels all of the upfront work invested in the mug. This is inherent to the work, but careful planning and experience can reduce the risk of casualties.

Misfit mugs are just part of the process. This has taught me a few lessons in “detachment” that I have applied in other areas of my life. The misfit mugs are usually still functional and hold a value of their own.

It is a glorious moment of satisfaction when all goes well along the way and one more mug arrives in the hands of another human-being!

I am not fond of “hustling” mugs, I much prefer to make them! But, I do take advantage when I see a good aesthetic fit for my mugs and other handmade pieces in shops, galleries, and boutiques.

Harless & Hugh Coffee Shop is one of my favorite places to sell my mugs.
Mugs belong in coffee shops, tea houses, and kitchens where they can be used.
I will blog about some other places that carry my pottery.
For now, I have an order waiting to be delivered to Harless & Hugh downtown Bay City, Michigan.
There you will find great people, coffee, tea, food, and they carry a small inventory of mugs and other items for sale. When you get a chance, be sure to pop in and check things out at H&h. You will not be disappointed and maybe even pleasantly surprised.

Featured here: Harless + Hugh Coffee