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When You Throw, What Do You Aim At?


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I got back to the wheel today to fill an order and I started to think about when I make changes to my work, what motivates those changes, and when it is ok to follow along with what you already do well.  I mean really, is change always good?  Always necessary?  

 

I tend to listen to the people that buy my work and produce those things they buy.  I do listen to their input as well as the input of other potters; but, at some point where does one draw the line.  I try to spend time every now and then to just "play" but often I am chasing orders.  I'm not complaining about having orders, I certainly don't need to be up to my armpits in pottery, I guess I am just musing about when it is ok to just do what works for you and not always be pushing to keep up with the competition (yes i am competitive so shoot me) and make this shape or that, try this glaze or that one, fire in reduction, fire in oxidation so it looks like reduction, yada yada yada... I guess it is time to set some new goals for my pottery and as is typical for me, I will aim for what makes me happy. That always seems to work.

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Function/form is my driver 

I never get caught up with any compitetion-in fact I rarely look at others in a show as I'm to busy.

It takes about a lot of feedback  from customers to get me to make a new form-for example

I used to make french butterdishes in the 80's back then out west many did not know the form and they where slow sellers-I dropped them

then in the later 90's while doing Arizona shows I got about 100 requests so after much nudging I brought them back into my line-sold about a zillion since-they slowed down when Martha Stewart was in Jail and the in color was Orange but now they are doing well again

OK that was a joke about Martha and orange.

What keeps me in the game is I like to experiment with glazes and combos and colors-Thats what I like to do and my customers like it as well as long as I keep a basic line as well as the new stuff.

I've had my best year in clay in 40 plus clay years in sales- its what I want to do mixed with what brings in the dough.

I never think too much about goals more about what work I need to do.

The funny thing is I'm scaling back the past few years-soit must mean I'm working to hard

I stopped doing custom orders about 5-6 years ago.

I will post a thread on this very subject later in month.

Making what you do well can work very well.

Mark

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Guest JBaymore

I think there are three broad general categories of approaching making with an eye toward doing it professionally.

 

1.)  Find out what the market wants and make that.

 

2.)  Make what you love and find the market for it.

 

3.)  Split the two approaches above in half, and do that.  (Known as the "some and some" rule....from Tony Clennell, I think)

 

 

You can certainly have sub-groupings a bit within those categories....... but I think those are pretty decent categorizations.

 

best,

 

.......................john

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I got back to the wheel today to fill an order and I started to think about when I make changes to my work, what motivates those changes, and when it is ok to follow along with what you already do well.  I mean really, is change always good?  Always necessary?  

 

I tend to listen to the people that buy my work and produce those things they buy.  I do listen to their input as well as the input of other potters; but, at some point where does one draw the line.  I try to spend time every now and then to just "play" but often I am chasing orders.  I'm not complaining about having orders, I certainly don't need to be up to my armpits in pottery, I guess I am just musing about when it is ok to just do what works for you and not always be pushing to keep up with the competition (yes i am competitive so shoot me) and make this shape or that, try this glaze or that one, fire in reduction, fire in oxidation so it looks like reduction, yada yada yada... I guess it is time to set some new goals for my pottery and as is typical for me, I will aim for what makes me happy. That always seems to work.

 

I think the self-evaluation you're doing here will serve you well.  It's the only compass you need.  

 

Steve Irvine had a show that really stuck with me, I've shared it on the forum before, but it's worth repeating.  It was called "Repeats and the Occasional pot" and demonstrated how he works--how most potters work or should work, he argued.  He makes a lot of simple, easily reproducible pieces--mugs, eating bowls, serving bowls, casseroles, and plates, and then tosses in a ceramic camera, two chawan (exactly two), and some sculptural work in every kiln load.

 

I don't think I know too many ceramic artists living solely off their work who are 1 or 2 on John's list there.  1 leads down a path to a pottery factory, 2 is too risky unless you've got the reputation to quit three.  The real issue is how to make 3 work and feel good about.  I think you're doing a pretty good job of figuring that out.

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"When You Throw, What Do You Aim At?"

 

The wall?

 

Forgive me, I just couldn't resist.

 

I'm still very new to all of this playing in the mud, so my goals are pretty much just being able to make a recognizable cup/bowl/plate or whatever. So far, so good. I do hope to get to the point where I can reproduce something that pleases me or others. i.e. a set of cups. It may not sound like much, but at this point, it's a fairly lofty goal for me.

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"When You Throw, What Do You Aim At?"

 

The wall?

 

Forgive me, I just couldn't resist.

 

I'm still very new to all of this playing in the mud, so my goals are pretty much just being able to make a recognizable cup/bowl/plate or whatever. So far, so good. I do hope to get to the point where I can reproduce something that pleases me or others. i.e. a set of cups. It may not sound like much, but at this point, it's a fairly lofty goal for me.

Looking at this from another angle. When I throw, I have a set idea in my head of what I am throwing visually. Whether a mug, vase, bowl or other type of piece. If it is something to be assembled from pieces like a teapot of other form I also have a set idea of the style I want. Point being I get on the wheel to throw that piece or pieces. I don't just start with a cylinder and then decide it should be a vase or a jar, but start the form with specifics in mind so that I open up with the right proportion, make the pulls with the shape in mind, and keep the rim ready for what is to come in shaping.    When you have come to deliberately throw a shape from sit down to take off, then you are truly in control.

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I aim for center...literally, emotionally, metaphysically, and what work is produced. I swear i get jittery and very grumpy if i don't have some time with clay, it is grounding for me. And i can wax poetically about finding center within yourself before you find the center of the wheel. As to the work there are some thing i'd likely not make if there wasn't a demand and my bliss is to make delicate bowl forms all day. So i make a lot of bowls and a lot of other stuff that is an easier sell so smack dad in the center of bliss and marketable. Straddling the fence is only a bad idea if its a picket fence ;)

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I also have a pre-conceived idea in mind when I start. It could be something that I've been thinking about making for awhile or that spark that entered my mind just before falling asleep and kept me up for awhile the night before. When I begin to throw I know what I'm aiming for and how the finished pieces will look. I'll make 3 or 4 similarly shaped items and depending on the good graces of the ceramics gods it'll all be what I planned for.

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i  aim  for the center of the center and leave no room for another ball of clay...

 

here lately its been mugs mixed in with a few bowls then mugs with a few pitchers then mugs with a few soup  mugs then  alot of handles... I too try to picture the finished form  before i begin, i also have some measurements to go by.. i also have been making s ome  flower pots with handles

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When I throw pieces it is usually 20 at a time at least. I start with the first one , slowly carefully working the form to what I have in mind. Then the next one a little quicker, still looking at the form. The last of the 20 is done in half the steps, form fully to my vision, and done so much quicker than anything before. Many times if the pieces do not get handles, I will do a second set of twenty as these will happen so much faster.

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i have been practicing coil and throw methods for flower pots.. they have a 11 in base and i can usually get 3in wall + base out of 6.5 lbs of clay, then the next day or after work i can get 7 coils high, 4 then blend then 3 blend and finish on the wheel... when i first started it took me 9 times just to ge get the base rite.. now i do it in 13 to 15 minutes,, the coils took me 2 hrs now they take me 15 minutes to do 21 - adding the coils which are all scored and slipped takes a total of 20 minutes ,i pull handles for them in 30 seconds.. attatch handles , well it takes some time and measuring but that is all coming together on this batch of 3 pots.. i am finally taking measurements of them from bottom to top and height of handles etc. i have people wanting 2 and 4 at a time.. i am going to keep a few in stock..  repetition and planning is where its at for me..

 

I appreciate what you said Pres.

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My throwing is completely random. I get a piece of clay, fwop it on the wheel, and just go for it. :) I like to just follow what my hands say, not my head. I get super bored if I throw with a "plan," hehe. ♥ Sometimes people like my stuff, sometimes not.

 

I try to sell my work without selling my soul. :D

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