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Material: Stoneware Crank.
At first I wanted to make simple, slender bottle shapes because like many artists I see human characteristics in their form, particularly when grouped with other bottles. So using slabs I created four bottles giving each a character. Seeing them standing together I wanted to give more information and realized I would need to make moulds of each to give myself the freedom to work on the clay and push each bottle's 'character' further.
I am unhappy with slip casting as it restricts the movement of the clay, allowing it to flow into the mould and no more. I've always used slabs, even on figurative pieces and so again filled the two pieces of the mould with slabs of coarse clay.
Before joining the two pieces I could work the clay and change the form giving it colour and life.
The resulting images in the clay are like messages in the bottles and almost the landscapes the bottles exist in. I use oxides and glazes to 'paint pictures' and feel clay is almost my canvas primed by cutting and re-forming.
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