Finally finished my first teapot. Certainly a bit of a learning experience. I think it came out looking kind of nice, and I’m definitely going to continue with this sort of glaze motif.

Now, to examine what went right or wrong.

spout: actually pours pretty well. the edge is sharp and it cuts the stream well. could be a bit longer to bring it up above the top edge of the pot. given the flat top to the pot, you can fill it quite high.

vessel: shape is quite nice, holds 2 cups nicely. the top needs to be rethought. given the flat top, I went with a sunken lid to make for as level a look as I could. aesthetically it works for me, but practically not so much. very difficult to get the last of the leaves out of the pot. in future, make the edge of the rim turn up slightly to present a surface for the lid to sit on while allowing the contents to be dumped out without difficulty. might consider making the whole pot a little narrower and taller.

lid: too small for its recess in this case. as mentioned above it should be reworked to accommodate the modified top surface of the pot. perhaps a flat lid with a cup like vertical flange to help keep the lid seated when pouring.

handle: pretty good.

glaze: very fond of this pattern. for the curious the two vessels are made up of the following:

teapot:

• Tacoma clay art center WMP clay bisque to 04
• amaco chai gloss shino (2-3 brush strokes with a small fan brush per swoop)
• amaco acai gloss shino (3 coats brushed)
• the whitish areas are unglazed surface.

mug:

• Seattle pottery supply Vashon White clay bisque to 04
• amaco chai gloss shino (2-3 brush strokes with a small fan brush per swoop)
• amaco matcha gloss shino (3 coats brushed)
• the whitish areas are unglazed surface.

photo:

• terrible lighting. I had just made tea, and the kitchen isn’t really set up for photography…