The is a vintage large salad bowl, ten inches in diameter The form was designed by Weston Neil Andersen in the 1970’s The bowl is decorated with artistry characteristic of Brenda’s work.

The execution of the form was problematic. The bowl was cast too think and should have been tossed back into the slip tank to be reprocessed, but sometimes, in a moment of weakness, the slip-caster can’t bring themselves to do that and instead tried to fix it by thinning the curved lip of the bowl, causing a visible ridge along the rim as the thinned lip meets the heavy cast of the body. The bowl cracked during firing but the crack does not go all the way through the bowl and it holds liquid.

The decoration of the bowl is perfectly executed in the first instant without any re-dos or touch ups giving the hand execution of the pattern an elegant and natural beauty expressing the inner confidence of the artist. The leaves have a crisp outline which requires a perfectly balanced white glaze and a perfectly adjusted decorating color. The former is done by the glaze maker and the latter is in the hands of the decorator, who must pay attention daily to the balance of the decorating colors. A talented decorator will develop an intuitive awareness through practice, but it is always about the relationship between the glaze and the decorating color.

The bowl is shown in the picture above with another bowl, also decorated by Brenda. The second bowl is a better cast. The decoration is charming with exuberance, despite the leaves not being as crisp as the leaves are in this bowl.

All this goes as an example to slip-casters as to why the cast which is too think should be thrown out, to give a fair chance that a masterful decorative execution will be matched with a perfectly cast form. The whole is in the teamwork.

SEE More about this bowl:on MEDIUM. What Difference A Curve Makes