happysaul Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 hi everybody, i just started going to pottery classes in my city at a high school (they have pottery classes for adults in evening) so on first class i realised that this is something i can never be bored of, i was so happy ... so u can say its a new found hobby .. but theres a little problem now i want to continue it at home as there are just 6 classes and i want to continue ...at home.i am new to this and dont know anybody who does this work professionally , can i start selling my stuff online too? can u suggest what should i do ,,how much shd i invest? shd i buy a kiln , and potters wheel ? is there any forum where i can buy all this stuff for second hand, as happy i am as confused i am!! so please give suggestions, any help and suggestion will be appretiated..thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meisie Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 hi everybody, i just started going to pottery classes in my city at a high school (they have pottery classes for adults in evening) so on first class i realised that this is something i can never be bored of, i was so happy ... so u can say its a new found hobby .. but theres a little problem now i want to continue it at home as there are just 6 classes and i want to continue ...at home.i am new to this and dont know anybody who does this work professionally , can i start selling my stuff online too? can u suggest what should i do ,,how much shd i invest? shd i buy a kiln , and potters wheel ? is there any forum where i can buy all this stuff for second hand, as happy i am as confused i am!! so please give suggestions, any help and suggestion will be appretiated..thanks in advance. I did the same as you. Took a class and really got into it. I just kept taking classes at the local museum every semester. It was the only way at the time that I could get into the clay. I think initial cost at set up is difficult because wheels and kilns cost between 12 to 15 hundred dollars each (new). Not to mention the cost of installing electricity, where your kiln will go. I was lucky I found a brand new barely used kiln and wheel on craigslist, $650 for both. I also had a friend that was an electrician who installed the wiring, payment was a mug for him and a yarn bowl for his wife. (also a few beers and dinner after the job was done.) I would never however have felt comfortable doing all this if I hadn't had the amount of experience I had in my two years of classes because there are lots of variables that can affect your outcome. Even with that I am still very much a beginner. I would recommend taking the class more than once if you can or look for a class that's more of a studio experience where you can practice what you want under the guidance of someone who knows the ins and outs. Six weeks isn't going to give you enough time to be experienced on your own. but that's just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 After six weeks of class ... I would say no, your work is not yet ready for sale. Keep it for gifts to family members, etc. for a while. I don't know where you live but you should look into arts centers and universities for more classes. If there is nothing near you watch some videos on the CAD site. Then check out some of the Potters Council Conferences and workshops in Ceramics Monthly listings. Welcome to the addiction of clay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missholly Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 thats basically where im at right now. i got lucky and my house was already wired for a kiln, and i bought a used kiln from a neighbor for $200. i took one class (tile & mosaics) at the local college where my husband works, and i created a very nice relationship with my teacher. she gave me lots of good information on where to get supplies (laguna, 1/2 hour from my house) and any time i have a question, i either ask her, or hit up this forum. everyone here is super helpful! just try working on one thing right now. do something simple. im doing art tiles. this way i can gain my confidence working with different clays and glazes without too much waste. keep an eye on craigslist or any local resource you have to find a used kiln. you could possibly ask local ceramists or potters if they can fire for you if you give them a few bucks. take things slow. there are tons of books and magazines, not to mention online resources that can help you. good luck! oh, and check out www.instructables.com. you can learn how to make a kick wheel for $100 and an extruder for cheap. thats the route im going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 After six weeks of class ... I would say no, your work is not yet ready for sale. Keep it for gifts to family members, etc. for a while. I don't know where you live but you should look into arts centers and universities for more classes. If there is nothing near you watch some videos on the CAD site. Then check out some of the Potters Council Conferences and workshops in Ceramics Monthly listings. Welcome to the addiction of clay! For years after college, I gave pottery as gifts, never selling anything. My pots improved, and people seemed to enjoy them. Then when I started to produce more than I could give away, I started selling at a few small shows. I eventually wound up at the Penn State Festival for several years, while teaching. Quit when other things got in the way, but hope to do it again some day. Take the trip slow, build up a skill level, and an inventory before you try to do shows. Oh yeah, I have started giving pottery again as gifts. Seems people now really want them, and I enjoy giving them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucille Oka Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 hi everybody, i just started going to pottery classes in my city at a high school (they have pottery classes for adults in evening) so on first class i realised that this is something i can never be bored of, i was so happy ... so u can say its a new found hobby .. but theres a little problem now i want to continue it at home as there are just 6 classes and i want to continue ...at home.i am new to this and dont know anybody who does this work professionally , can i start selling my stuff online too? can u suggest what should i do ,,how much shd i invest? shd i buy a kiln , and potters wheel ? is there any forum where i can buy all this stuff for second hand, as happy i am as confused i am!! so please give suggestions, any help and suggestion will be appretiated..thanks in advance. Whoa!! It is fun isn't it? It is a wonderful sensation, but wait. Take the High School course again. Learn the maintenance of a ceramics studio. Ask to help clean up, get in on the firing of the ware, and learn how to load, fire and maintain the kiln; which is the most important piece of equipment in the studio. Pay attention to the set up of the studio; look at the heights of tables and chairs are they comfortable? What are the floors made of; do they hold a lot of dust? Are they easy to clean? What would be better? Are there any windows? You will need ventilation. Is there enough storage and shelving? If there are different kinds of wheels try them all. If there are various clays try a different type next time. Get suppliers catalogs to see the types of clays, glazes, equipment and tools that are available. Familiarize yourself with the occupation through ceramics books. Get the text books college ceramics courses are using. They usually cover a lot of history, clay forming techniques and glazing information. Plan to take more courses in a college, community center or private studio wherever there is a good program; just for a variety of ceramics studio experiences. Get kiln manufacturers’ catalogs and manuals. Some kiln manufacturers have wonderful websites with videos showing installation and care. Read and learn about studio safety, learn about safety of the materials you will want to use. Some are not advisable for use at home. Though all of this is necessary, it is also fun. You will be preparing your studio to make ceramic ware and that is what it's all about. There is a lot to learn before setting up your own studio, especially in your house. Have a dedicated space just for your ceramics work. There is a lot to do after setting up the studio and it’s mostly maintenance. But there is a cycle that you will get into. Don’t forget to rest after a working/cleaning session. Go for walks. Get your mind away from the studio for awhile to refresh yourself. When you return it will be like the first time you ever made anything out of clay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 I am in the same boat, went for a class to try it out and was hooked. That was about a year ago and I am still learning basics although by now I can see improvement in my work. Thanks for all the advice - I am taking it slow (haven't bought any equipment yet) but started a variety of handbuilt projects at home. It is so exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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