I Made a Ceramic Piece and Then This Happened.

Back in my ceramics class in college I had this idea to make a head drinking water being poured out from a cup. I wanted the face to look like the water was going in the mouth and also on the face.  I wasn’t completely successful on the wet face part but you’ll get the idea.  This is what I made:

I formed the head and the stream of water by hand. The cup I created by using a mold. To make the mold I found real mug that I liked and then encased it in plaster, (plus a few more steps).  So, I poured liquid ceramics, called Slip, into the mold and created a replica of the mug. Next I put the pieces together then did the first fire, glazed it and then did the second fire.  I liked the finished piece but saw lots of ways I could have made it better. I quickly moved onto my next piece. I liked the head drinking water but didn’t love it….until over a decade later when at my job granting patents I came across the patent for the mug.  I’m not even kidding!  I was so excited about my head drinking water when I found the patent on the mug.  So cool and exciting! Here’s the design patent:

Awesome, right??!!

If you liked what I wrote and would like to be a part of my arts-loving community then please sign up for my email list at the bottom of the Home/Online Classes page: www.cynthiaunderwood.net

Paint on!