Tea Sets

This is an image of the first complete tea set I ever made. I made it during a hand-building class with Ginny Gillen in 2008. On Labor Day weekend I fired the set in Louise Harter's wood kiln in Connecticut.

So far I have exhibited this tea set at The Art of Dining show at the Krikorian Gallery and Change it as you see fit at the Sprinkler Factory Gallery. I have also offered it for sale at my studio sales. Yet, it seems that no one has been interested in creating a permanent relationship with this tea set. Perhaps it is just too small: the cups are like Italian espresso cups, and including the little loop at the top, the teapot is just 5" tall. But this is not a tea set for the thirsty, this tea set presents the opportunity to share, for a short moment, a pause from the bustle of daily life. I like to start small, and this is just the beginning of my journey into tea sets.

Next Wednesday I will start my first class at Harvard, The Contemporary Teapot Knows No Bounds: Through slide presentations, surface treatment, hand-building, wheel-throwing, and altering forms, this class will prepare me to take on the challenges of designing and integrating parts: lid, spout, handle and body in an effort to push limits and transform the teapot from functional vessel to sculptural object.