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What Do You Call Yourself? Artist,potter,ceramist,sculptor,hobbyist,wanna Be?


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I fire with another potter in his gas kiln. He is a great guy, but his work never changes. It has stayed the same for the last 20 years. His casseroles just walk out of stores.We both decorate. He uses slips under a glaze. I do on glaze decoration. Our work will never overlap. I am always testing glazes, looking for that elusive colour. I am working on a turquoise and also a great yellow. I am always searching for something new. I call myself an artist although I trained as a production potter.There are some things that I won't make, like soap dishes.

Who are you and what are you called? Why?

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I guess I would call myself a potter when I'm making European colonial

or Medieval vessels and a replicator when I'm making copies of South

Eastern Indian traditional pottery. To some people, I'm known as

a forger for making the S.E. traditional utilitarian pottery.

To me, an artist has abstaçt thinking while I only think on the

literal side. If I see something, then it can be made or drawn.

Alabama

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I think I have finally settled on Clay Artist.  It isn't perfect, but it does start some great conversations.

 

Waxing philosophical: using clay as an adjective implies flexibility that seems to fit the things that I do...certainly, a lot of work gets fired and becomes ceramic, but I envision the art happening as a product of what the clay allows me to do.  I considered Ceramic Artist for a long time...for me, ceramic seems to say finished.  I have too many rough edges, air bubbles, imperfections, and things yet to be explored to consider myself finished :wacko: .  My Southern Baptist roots frequently remind me of the Adelaide A. Pollard lyrics, "Thou art the potter, I am the clay."   The old hippie in me wants that "I am the Clay", tie-dyed t-shirt.

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I'm an artist, but as I'm also a teacher, some don't really see me as that.  Because I apparently I only know enough art to teach it, not to actually make any of my own...

 

And to answer the question, that I've gotten from numerous students over the years, yes I had to go to school to be an Art Teacher....

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I think I like the title of Maker. Clay is my primary and favourite medium, but I have skill in my hands for a number of different things, as I have not always had access to said favourite medium. I have worked in glass, various fibres, and have a strong interest in permaculture landscapes, particularly urban farmng. Food is pretty important to me, as well, for a huge number of reasons beyond having a full belly.

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I had a friend from the UK call me "practical" once. I just about shot my drink out of my nose, and told her that was the first time anyone had ever paired me and practical in the same line!

 

She told me it meant I had a lot of domestic skills that are considered highly useful, and that if you are practical, you do a lot of things with your hands.

 

It still makes me giggle.

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What I call myself depends on the context.  If I am alone, I'm a craftsman.  If I am with a customer, I'm a potter.  If I am at the cultural center or an art show, I'm an artist.  If I am cleaning my studio, I'm the janitor.   :D  Dave.  The New Pittsville Pottery

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I like ceramist. I am a ceramist. Simple and to the point. Sometimes I refer to myself as a ceramitech, which I made up.  I am also a "grateful recovering whack-a-doodle", but I only use that when talking to myself. 

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My business card says Artist/Potter and i usually just potter or art potter.

 

So i was talking to a fellow potter at a show. They sell well, i sell marginally at this repeating venue. I was bemoaning the fact i couldn't get a feel for what this crowd wanted. The other potter said i should make more functional stuff...i looked over my table of bowls, vases, tea bag plates, platters with a few clay necklaces thrown in trying to figure what wasn't functional. My function leans too much in the art direction i guess...i've never saw it that way cause i like clean lines.

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My business card says Artist/Potter and i usually just potter or art potter.

 

So i was talking to a fellow potter at a show. They sell well, i sell marginally at this repeating venue. I was bemoaning the fact i couldn't get a feel for what this crowd wanted. The other potter said i should make more functional stuff...i looked over my table of bowls, vases, tea bag plates, platters with a few clay necklaces thrown in trying to figure what wasn't functional. My function leans too much in the art direction i guess...i've never saw it that way cause i like clean lines.

If you are in it to sell, you've got to cover your bases with a large variety of pots in different colours ,sizes and price range. People have to also see the direct function, or they won't buy.

TJR.

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I had a friend from the UK call me "practical" once. I just about shot my drink out of my nose, and told her that was the first time anyone had ever paired me and practical in the same line!

 

She told me it meant I had a lot of domestic skills that are considered highly useful, and that if you are practical, you do a lot of things with your hands.

 

 

 A lot of domestic skills huh!!!  What about your domestic pottery you throw so beautifully!!!!!!!! You artist you! Lucky you were on teh mood to giggle, or did she just want to opt out of her share of domestics as she was too artistic?? :D  :D  :D   CYnic here , think the hot weather cooked my brain.

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