Bonsai Pottery

A place to talk about Australian bonsai potters and pottery.
bonsaipotter
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New literati pot

Post by bonsaipotter »

Some time ago someone suggested that my pots would have more appeal if I glazed the feet as well. I notice that some potters do so, sometimes, others stain the feet and some do not, or perhaps it just depends on the pot if not the colour of the mature clay body. With the buff colour of my clay I continue mostly to not glaze the feet but there are exceptions. In my last post I showed a couple of pots where I did glaze the feet and on the darker colours it looked pretty good.

To make a glazed pot for a conifer is a bit counter conventional and I've been working up some glazes to simulate the colour of a high quality unglazed pot but offer the surface finish and durability of the satin glazed surface. To complete the simulation the feet need to be glazed too and for this pot that is what I've done. It's a literati pot of 304mm diameter (about 12 inches) commissioned for a literati pine. First round pot and no wheel !!
P1180716 Pot 60.jpg
Any comments on the glazing of feet?
Do you think this works for a pine literati?

Cheers,
Happy Potter

more new pots here: HTTP://bonsaipotterycoy.blogspot.com.au
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Boics »

I like it HP.

I could definitely envisage a Literati pine in this pot.
Hope to see the final result (pot and tree) in the near future.

P.S. I've never given much consideration to whether feet are glazed or not - It's the overall result that counts for me.
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Ray M »

Hi HP,
I think there is a place for both designs. There will be tree species that will work well with the feet unglazed and the same for the glazed feet. I think the pot shown looks great. :aussie:

Regards Ray
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Davehsydney »

Nice pot ! I have the perfect tree for it :)
bonsaipotter
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New pot design

Post by bonsaipotter »

'Rock' pots and 'moon' pots are probably the most common departures from traditional bonsai pot design. I've been toying with a few ideas for a more contemporary departure and have finally got around to making one, just a small one as a prototype.

The pot is a Shohin at 160mm x 125 mm x 60 mm (highest point).
Its made to look like a slab which is curved side to side and front to back. It is actually hollow - just two curved surface joined around the edge. I imagine the tree being planted on a mound ON the slab, rather than IN a pot. You can't see the drainage hole in the picture but it's there at the low point where the two curved surfaces meet.
P1180901 S22 front.jpg
This is the front so it is designed for a tree which moves to the left.
P1180902 S22 side.jpg
This is from the left.
P1180920 with tree.jpg
And this is how I imagine it might look with tree.

Next step will be one about 300 long.
What do you think?

Happy Potter
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by bodhidharma »

I like it a lot and would purchase a larger one if they became available. Only downside i can see is, if they become popular they would lose their uniqueness.
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bonsaipotter
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by bonsaipotter »

Just opened the kiln today after another firing yesterday. I'd made a big 'moon/rock' pot and had a few challenges with it through making and bisque firing that I had to correct along the way but it came out really well.

All up it's 420mm long, 290 wide and 300 at the heighest point, designed specifically for a slanting juniper, planted into the slope. The pot is glazed so should be easy to keep clean despite the texture.

Here it is from the front:
P1180950 Pot 68 front.jpg
and from the downhill side:
P1180950 Pot 68 sidea.jpg
and just a detail shot of the texture on the pot:
P1180950 Pot 68 Detail.jpg
To all the aspiring potters out there just keep at it, have a go and make lots of experiments. There are lots of creative opportunities and rewards.

Cheers,
Happy Potter

www://bonsaipotterycoy.blogspot.com"
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by vgarth »

Super! :yes:
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Boics »

One of the best "moon" pots I've seen..
I will say it again that this style is not my cup of tea..

Now I didn't see the earlier creation (warped slab).
Awesome effort and good on you for thinking outside the box.
I'd be very interested to see how a real tree looks in this one.

Definitely achieves the "contemporary" approach your after.
Well done.
One of the fabulous things about growing bonsai is as you get old and decrepit your trees get old and beautiful
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by mudlarkpottery »

Hi Happy Potter.
It's great to see you branching out.
Penny.
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Damian79 »

Love it mate. Good work
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bonsaipotter
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by bonsaipotter »

Thanks for the positive responses. This style of pot is not my first preference either but when you make pots for people you really get to respond to a wide diversity of interests, which pushes you to learn new things.
Cheers
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Bonsai Pottery

Post by Davehsydney »

I will post some pics when my Juni gets potted up :)
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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by Rory »

Wow! I love it. Very very nice.
Rory
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Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

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Re: Bonsai Pottery

Post by bonsaiLov »

very nice pots
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