I received a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Utah State University under the tutelage of ceramicists John Neely and Susan Harris. John’s recent death had me reminiscing about my time there.
The image above is the postcard from my graduate show. The stein is ~6″ in height. The idea of a stein came to me one stormy night in the kiln shed when a rusty drop of water went straight into my mug before I took a sip. I heard the sound, but it was the taste that confirmed what had occurred.
The idea of the tall shape with single finger handle was inspired by a mug by Thomas Orr.
In my version, the thumb can actuate the raising of the lid. The lid is slightly offset to allow exposure of the rim for one’s lip and cheek.
The copper work is done off the pot after firing, but bending the thick copper piece through the relatively fragile clay handle is nerve racking.
