Looking for pot critique and tips

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Hi all

I have an opportunity to take a private pottery class which I wish to use to make several bonsai pots for my collection. Posted below is a picture of my first pot made from about a year ago before I understood anything about bonsai and pots.

I still don't know anything.

I made this pot with intuition and my lack of technical skill led to creativity with using separate pieces to act as "feet" for circulation20200930_140227.jpg20200930_140204.jpg20200930_140134_001.jpg


I went to "pot school" aka the thread, and read some other pieces where I could about design including the most recent thread discussing cones etc. But I really dont know what to think about when designing future pots for my trees
 
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penumbra

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Believe me, that's not bad for a first pot. The feet however will never last. They are sticking out there asking to be broken.
I am happy that you will be taking classes. I miss my clay times but I have been busy this whole year trying to help get my parents situated and just keep up with things.
 

sorce

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Is that pot fired?

I like the way the feet look like sea turtle flippers, but they do offer too much leverage, which makes it more likely to break.
Without the leverage, and a little thicker, you could get away with a little more, not that you want to, it's just true.

I would make many tie Downs, and of making pots for specific trees, take note of where the good unobtrusive place to tie them is and make holes there!

Remember that while you may be taught ceramics well, nothing exerts the force that tree roots can, and few other ceramics need to be frost proof, so you will likely have to add a bit more than you're taught.

Sorce
 
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Many thanks for the thoughts in both posts.

The pot has been fired, a black clay with no glaze and used to house a too small of a tree.

@penumbra do you happen to have examples of your work? I would like to see them to learn from.

This pot was designed for a serissa, so I did not consider it for frost proofing but i will have to for the future pots.

Any pot ideas for a candleabra? I have a boxwood that has bones to be one
 

penumbra

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@penumbra do you happen to have examples of your work? I would like to see them to learn from
I have not made a slab built pot in years. I have had little time this past year and everything was thrown. Sorce has made a lot of slab built pots and he has a very clear understanding of what a bonsai pot needs. I will look around and see what I might have left, but it will be wheel thrown.
 
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Thankfuly the feet are separate from the main pot. I had a chance to view some nice pots today and studied their thickness, design, amd functionality.

Armed with a better idea and the contents of the empire video, I feel quite inspired to proceed.
 

sorce

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Any pot ideas for a candleabra?

That shape being "a lot" already, a simple pot would probably work best.


Sorce
 
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Wow i cant believe how easy you put a shape to a suitable pot. Ive been struggling trying to envision it with an oval or rectangle pot. But with that reference, i can really see it! Thanks sorce
 
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