Pottery: Funky Three-Footed Animal Mugs

I’m back to slab building in my pottery practice and in the process developed these funky three-footed mugs! They are the first mugs I’ve made that I feel OK if they outlive me 😜

This past spring, I took a pottery class with Connie Pike, a professional potter from Alberta, who taught us how to use linocut carvings to make interesting patterns in our pottery creations. I ended up creating a simple wave pattern that was loosely based off of Japanese technique and aesthetic.

At the end of class, she challenged us to make a quick test mug with our new patterns in different style. In that process, I created a prototype of a three-footed slab built mug. Over the summer months, I refined the design and created a paper template in order to make a set.

Animal Mug Design

My gut instinct name for this design is the “Animal Mug”. I don’t think there are any animals out there that start with three feet but after some research there are many animals that use a “tripod stance” to rest, as it requires no energy be to stable.

• Meercats
• Woodpeckers
• 6-legged insects who use an “alternating tripod gait”
• Parrots
• Kangaroos

A time-out with a hot beverage is also a moment of rest – and rest feels best when its stable! So, I’ve dubbed it “animal mug”, and thus the name will stay!

The mugs really benefit from the stable triangle base and the pushed out “mug belly” feels satisfying in the palm of my hand. Each mug holds 230mL of tea or coffee with room for milk or cream.

Nature Textures

This first set of mugs really is dominated by my love of texture and patterns found in nature.

I started experimenting with a rolling pin with vines and leaves as well as a texture roller of a topographic map. I also found my homemade flower stamp and gave that a try. I had so much fun following my instincts. I feel I have more confidence in slab-building to pursue new shapes that pop into my mind and challenge my design skills.

As I reflect and use the mugs, I am reminded of the complexities of nature; beauty, power, fragility, change, adaptation. For “Flower Mug” the melting glaze on the flowers represents our collective responsibility to address climate change. As I run my fingers over the texture, I’m reminded that nature touches all aspects of my life.

The Seashell mug was imprinted with shells I’ve collected over time and various trips. I love how the glaze pools in the indents.

The mugs nourish and care for me and also act as a micro example of the influence of nature in my life overall. They are a gentle reminder as I am resting to contemplate how will I give back to nature and all its creatures for the sustenance and inspiration it provides me.