What would you be doing if you were not making pots? | Q.O.W. 12/18/12

[Guest JBaymore]

If for some reason clay simply did not exist...........

 

 

What would you be doing if you were not making pots?

 

 

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

[trina]

I guess I would be doing what I am doing at the moment... Painting.... T

[ayjay]

Fishing, birdwatching, photographing Dragonflies, or maybe I'd have made more of an effort to master watercolour.

 

[Lucille Oka]

If clay did not exist, we would not exist. I wouldn't be. Very esoteric, very left bank, very Jean Paul Sartre, I know, but based upon your parameters, true.

 

[Chris Campbell]

Probably writing a book or painting ... Painting is where I started and I do have a book plot ready for writing. Actually I have had this plot rattling around in my head for about 15 years and it won't go away ...

[Nelly]

Probably writing a book or painting ... Painting is where I started and I do have a book plot ready for writing. Actually I have had this plot rattling around in my head for about 15 years and it won't go away ...

 

 

A lounge singer like Michelle Pffiefer stretched across a piano! That is what I would do if I wasn't in my current job and had pottery as my hobby.

 

Nelly

[Mark C.]

Diving taking underwater photos-traveling-gardening-Tuna fishing-wreck diving-hiking-biking-playing with cats-gardening-building-crabbing-hot springs exploring-dessert trips-camping-taking fish pictures-reading-
wait thats what I'm doing as well as making pots-I guess I would be ashes underwater about 30 miles offshore and dead as well.
my god its my 1551 post as well-my time flies
Mark

[Diane Puckett]

This week, making more holiday cookies. Otherwise, more gardening, hiking, photography, playing with Buddy the Wonderdog.

[Diane Puckett]

Probably writing a book or painting ... Painting is where I started and I do have a book plot ready for writing. Actually I have had this plot rattling around in my head for about 15 years and it won't go away ...

 

 

A lounge singer like Michelle Pffiefer stretched across a piano! That is what I would do if I wasn't in my current job and had pottery as my hobby.

 

Nelly

 

 

Sounds like a good retirement plan!

[Pres]

If for some reason clay simply did not exist...........

 

 

What would you be doing if you were not making pots?

 

 

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

 

 

 

 

Big selection here as I am retired. In the summers, kayaking, bicycle, reading, camping, and late night xbox with sister. In winter, total gym, painting, drawing, computer animation, reading, hunting and tv.

[Denice]

Diving taking underwater photos-traveling-gardening-Tuna fishing-wreck diving-hiking-biking-playing with cats-gardening-building-crabbing-hot springs exploring-dessert trips-camping-taking fish pictures-reading-

wait thats what I'm doing as well as making pots-I guess I would be ashes underwater about 30 miles offshore and dead as well.

my god its my thousand post as well-my time flies

Mark

 

 

Congratulations on your 1000th post, I have only a third of that number keep up the good posts. Denice

[Denice]

If for some reason clay simply did not exist........... Because of my MS I have been planning for this, the clay may not disappear but my physical abilities might. So far I have been growing, drying and storing gourds, I like the natural appeal that gourds have like clay and there are many different types of gourd art. If clay disappeared today I would keep doing the things I already do but expand my interest in them. My husband restores show cars and I help him with color and design but I have been thinking about doing a art car on my own. Denice

 

 

What would you be doing if you were not making pots?

 

 

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

 

[SShirley]

I'd be in a catatonic state.

 

Seriously, I would be drafting and/or making wedding cakes like I had done for years. It's depressing to work so hard to make something beautiful only to have it devoured before your eyes. That's why I like pottery. If a customer tried to eat it they would break a tooth.

[TJR]

I would fake my own death and go live on the Coromandel Penninsula in New Zealand, as I would have nothing to live for.My Grade 3 teacher Mrs. Woodrow told me I couldn't sing, so the lounge act idea is OUT!

TJR.B)src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif">

[Marcia Selsor]

I would be cooking from a huge garden of fresh vegetables and herbs.

Probably also I would be painting and drawing as I have done since I was a kid.

 

 

Marcia

[Mark C.]

I would fake my own death and go live on the Coromandel Penninsula in New Zealand, as I would have nothing to live for.My Grade 3 teacher Mrs. Woodrow told me I couldn't sing, so the lounge act idea is OUT!

TJR.B)src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif">

 

 

There are some good potters out there on the coromandel Penn in New Zealand. I visited them in the 90's. Even more potters near Nelson on south Island-one is an old childhhood friend who resides there. I used to subscribe to a magazine called New Zealand pottery. Heres a factiod NZ used to not have any imports so if you wanted say a mug the local potter was the one who made it-it was that way in up until the early 90s-Potters really did well until imports invaded and collapsed the made local market-about 1/3 went out of business I'm told.

Mark

[justanassembler]

I'd be making with something else--I'm an object maker primarily, clay happens to have my attention in this moment.

[TJR]

 

 

I would fake my own death and go live on the Coromandel Penninsula in New Zealand, as I would have nothing to live for.My Grade 3 teacher Mrs. Woodrow told me I couldn't sing, so the lounge act idea is OUT!

TJR.B)src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif">

 

 

There are some good potters out there on the coromandel Penn in New Zealand. I visited them in the 90's. Even more potters near Nelson on south Island-one is an old childhhood friend who resides there. I used to subscribe to a magazine called New Zealand pottery. Heres a factiod NZ used to not have any imports so if you wanted say a mug the local potter was the one who made it-it was that way in up until the early 90s-Potters really did well until imports invaded and collapsed the made local market-about 1/3 went out of business I'm told.

Mark

 

 

Mark;

Sad to say, but the pottery /craft industry is pretty much dead. I was there 3 years ago on a teacher exchange to Aus. Holidayed in NZ. first. China has really done a number on a lot of industries in both countries. Realestate prices are very high, as foreigners are buying up all the good land. Bendigo pottery in Aus., which was a huge industry is basically a museum.Sad.

TJR.

[Mudslinger Ceramics]

 

 

I would fake my own death and go live on the Coromandel Penninsula in New Zealand, as I would have nothing to live for.My Grade 3 teacher Mrs. Woodrow told me I couldn't sing, so the lounge act idea is OUT!

TJR.B)src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif">

There are some good potters out there on the coromandel Penn in New Zealand. I visited them in the 90's. Even more potters near Nelson on south Island-one is an old childhhood friend who resides there. I used to subscribe to a magazine called New Zealand pottery. Heres a factiod NZ used to not have any imports so if you wanted say a mug the local potter was the one who made it-it was that way in up until the early 90s-Potters really did well until imports invaded and collapsed the made local market-about 1/3 went out of business I'm told.

Mark

 

Mark;

Sad to say, but the pottery /craft industry is pretty much dead. I was there 3 years ago on a teacher exchange to Aus. Holidayed in NZ. first. China has really done a number on a lot of industries in both countries. Relestate prices are very high, as foreigners are buying up all the good land. Bendigo pottery in Aus., which was a huge industry is basically a museum.Sad.

TJR.

 

 

 

All too true I'm afraid. TJR.

 

Spent 10 years getting 3 university degrees in ceramics + an adult training qualification and all to no avail......no jobs.....ceramics departments in universities and technical colleges around the country have cut funding to 'technical' based arts and channelled it into digital media or the somewhat broad category of installation/performance art.  

 

Our universities have diluted the technical knowlege and depth of experimental enquiry needed to furnish a 'true' ceramics education (as we might think of it) and replaced it an 'Art' focus on conceptual ideas with clay as a 'medium' (in various manifestations) .......or......as a means of commercial design for product manufacture (usually in China or India).

 

Neither of these approaches is a bad thing in itself but they have pushed the traditional idea of atelier training or apprenticeship into decline as ceramics departments are closed due to cost, student/teacher ratios increase, 'independant' study is further encouraged and face-to-face learning is reduced to one-and-a-half hours of supervision contact per fortnight. 

 

Our students then race out the university doors waving their parchment thinking all they need to have is the 'IDEA' and then find 'technical assistants' to realise the IDEA for them and so become a rich and famous 'identity'  (think Jeff Koons or Philippe Stark maybe)....

 

Before the nay-sayers jump in.....No, not every single student!.....but yes, many and increasing.... very sad.

 

.......and.......yes, our realestate prices are extortionist and obscene!!!.......definitely sad!

 

 

 

Irene

[Chris Campbell]

I have had the pleasure of presenting on the basics of starting/running a pottery business to students at NCECA for a few years and always get comments from them about how "new" these ideas are to them. Either no one told them they would need to be running a business in order to live off their pottery, or they were not listening.

I've been told so many times that potters don't want this info, won't pay to hear it or won't want to read about it. Then I hear how few are succeeding in their dream and how basic their errors are. I am not saying that knowing good business practices would solve all the issues that come from the tsunami of imports, but knowing the basics of sales, marketing and accounting help.

But how boring, eh?

[jrgpots]

I'd be watering my plants more often since the ground would dry more quickly, I,d be sweeping the dust off my porch more often because of all the loose dust. I'd be watching actresses in the movies with less makeup. And finally, i'd be making a lot of salt and flour clay so I could still enjoy my hobby.

[Joy pots]

I would wither away without clay to manipulate. I guess I would go back to drawing, painting & chasing the dog.

Joy