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Finding Your Own Style...easy To Say


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Guest JBaymore

One of the things all of the faculty at our college are telling our students when they get to that place where they are "overanalyzing" and "creative blocking" and "obsessing" on solving world peace" in their work and just can't seem to DO any actual work... is to just go get their darn hands into the clay....... and start WORKING.... and let the clay begin to lead them.

 

Not blindly just thoughtlessly making ... but with consideration as they see what is happening and then respond to it and build from that.

 

"Working in black clay and white glazes" is a great start one year into your studies.  Start making pieces with that approach....... and let the results lead you along as you look at them and make decisions about what comes next.  At the same time ....be looking at black and white works as much as you can... all KINDS of artwork.... not just claywork. 

 

And remember...... 40 years from now you might be making polychrome, low fire primary color sculptures.  Your work and ideas will evolve with the impacts of making work, visual (and other) influences in your life, and a 'changing you'.   But for now.......... you are starting to know a bit where you want to go. 

 

'Personal style' does not typically land on your head like a ton of bricks.  And there are often divergences from 'the road' and reconnections with a former path (Example-see Don Reitz's work right after his bad car wreck.).

 

best,

 

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

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I was really struggling to understand this thread, until I came to the bit about saving various images as favourites.

 

A while back I was asked to make an owl "tea-light-holder" for a friend.  I googled owl images and copied those that I liked into a word document.  When I then studied the word doc to see what I'd chosen there were only about 4 variations out of 20 images.  All were white with no colour, all were tall, slender shapes and none of them were real owls but rather formal "scholarly" owls - if that description makes sense. No cute, cuddly comical, cartoon owls.   I certainly learned something about my "style" that day.

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john is so right.  i am a potter but an architect and home builder, too. if i draw the plans and get the permits and build to them that makes me the architect and if i pound the nails, run the plumbing and electric and install the heat that makes me the builder.

 

but what design?? unknown to me, i like a particular style so after traveling the countryside and taking 100 pictures, i was able to see that what i wanted was a 12/12 pitch roof with gables, lots of windows and something special.  built it, loved it. sold it for a small fortune after 12 years.

 

pottery is the same way.  look at every piece you can and try to see what appeals to you.  if you can identify the particular thing that attracts you to THAT pot and not the one next to it, you are ahead of the game.  then it is a matter of developing the skill to actually produce it with your flair.

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I think you have a really good start but your not seeing it, maybe its like the coach that is so involved in his players that he missed the game on the court..

 

I see a lot of common themes in your work posted in "my ceramics" link... I like what your doing with "cool" glazes over white, a little splash of a warm color would grab the eye a little more. a focal point so to speak.. the little dashes you use breaks the forms nicely... I would take what your are doing and go with it, I like it..

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What is your desired goal? Do you want a cohesive body of work so you can begin doing retail shows, or consigning to shops, or seeking wholesale orders?

 

If having a cohesive body of work that speaks to your aesthetics and defines you as an identifiable artist is not a necessary goal at this point in your ceramic career, then exploration is vital in finding that voice (even though exploration continues to vital forever).

 

There are lots of great suggestions above. Here's another thing you might try: when you see a pot that really speaks to you, make a copy of it. Frequently, in that making process, you will discover the essential parts of the pot that sing for you, and you will have to explore how those features were achieved. Then you can take what you have learned from that exploration and apply the principles to your own work, whether they be about proportion, decoration, color, finishing, edges, attachments, alterations, assemblages, etc. Eventually, the collection of knowledge from all sources will help inform your own voice.

 

That leaves only one problem...what to do with copies? Give them away or keep them for yourself or consign them to the shard pile. Just don't present them as your original ideas.

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Guest JBaymore

That leaves only one problem...what to do with copies? Give them away or keep them for yourself or consign them to the shard pile. Just don't present them as your original ideas.

 

One of the assignments I use in my upper intermediate throwing classes is a "copy the masters" problem.  I give the students a series of images of a selection of specific works (that I choose for reasons that I keep to myself ;) ) and they are to make a "Xerox copy" of that piece... right down to firing finish.  As close to the scale, form, and surface as they can achieve.  They are given quite a bit of time for this ... since it is a BEAR to actually accomplish. 

 

On the pieces bottoms they are required to inscribe the word COPY, their name, and the date.  And are instructed to never sell this piece.

 

You are right... it is an excellent task.  

 

best,

 

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

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I've been kind of on a nostalgia trip lately.  Back in the late 70s and early 80s I attended some of the same shows as Michael Simon and Sandy Simon, and I was looking at some of Michael's work online.  Tremendous stuff, highly recommended.  But Google image search tends to lead one down odd byways, and I came across this blog post by a potter named Carter Gillies, about influences:

 

https://cartergilliespottery.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/an-anatomy-of-artistic-theft/

 

Interesting stuff.

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This comment is not aimed at anyone in particular, just my thoughts about style development in general:

 

The emergence of style is an organic process. If you are putting in the hours of practice, you can't stop it if you tried. I agree that it is helpful to look at as much pottery as you can. A good "vocabulary" of visual styles is important. However, just like the process of becoming a good writer, your vocabulary will only get you so far. Most of your "style" will come from innate creativity, life experiences, and practice.

 

The best pottery is not different or unique, it is authentic.

 

I also think it's unfortunate when someone is in a hurry to establish their style. To invoke a cliche "journey, not destination." The process is long, but every minute of it is so enjoyable, savor it! Focus on making good pots and lots of pots, and style development will emerge in an authentic way.

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At the end of my 2nd year at uni we were given an assignment which we had to present to the combined ceramics classes in an audio/visual presentation. This exercise was in preparation for our final year projects and body of work.  We had to collect images of artists work, influences and inspirations from the library and internet that we admired, and WITHIN the powerpoint presentation intersperse slides of our own work made within the last 2 years.

 

I found this project quite startling and revealing of my own work. I clearly saw how I was influenced by many ceramic artists working in bonechina and/or porcelain paperclay (eg. Angelor Mellor, Sandra Black) but also those working in experimental clay structures and processes (eg. Ewan Henderson, Claudi Cassanovas), I was also influenced by handmade papermaking, mixed media sculpture and the concept of an object's relationship to it's surrounding space...............I could NOT have put my 'style' into any words or have even recognised it if I had not done the assignment and seen my work in relation to others.   I used to say 'I just like it' about some of my own pieces but I couldn't have told you why...............

 

....................it may sound boring, or like some sort of school homework but there really is nothing as revealing as compiling a collection of others work that you really like and having a look at your own in relation to them, once your influences are revealed to you then just keep making and let it go...............   my by-line to these posts sums it up for me ................

 

'Don't worry about your originality. You couldn't get rid of it even if you wanted to.

It will stick with you and show up for better or for worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do.'

                                                                              - Robert Henri

 

Irene

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It's true that personal style usually arises unavoidably from making a lot of pots... but there are exceptions.

 

Some potters have such strong personalities (and strong work) that their students and apprentices may have great difficulty in breaking away and finding their own direction.  I'm sure most potters who have been in clay for a long time can think of vivid examples of this particular pitfall.

 

You sometimes find this even among potters who are very very good technically.  I recall once going to the Ann Arbor fair and seeing highly skilled potters whose work could have come directly from the studio of John Glick. 

 

Anyway, that's why I think it important that even folks who are in the early stages of their careers think about style.  When you haven't yet achieved the technical ability to make whatever you want to make, this can be frustrating, and it can lead to indecision, which is not good.  But potters should be developing their vision at the same time as they develop their skills.  It doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

 

It is much easier to get to where you want to go if you have even a vague idea of where that place can be found.

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Question .... do you get tired of making the same thing when you find your style?  I really don't have a style, my work is all over the place. But, I did notice a few times I made something, a lot of people wanted me to make them one, I get tired of making it and want to move on to something different.

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Guest JBaymore

 

It is much easier to get to where you want to go if you have even a vague idea of where that place can be found.

 

 

 

I'm reminded of:

 

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."

"I don't much care where –"

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.â€

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland    

 

best,

 

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

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Question .... do you get tired of making the same thing when you find your style?  I really don't have a style, my work is all over the place. But, I did notice a few times I made something, a lot of people wanted me to make them one, I get tired of making it and want to move on to something different.

That is another "it all depends ..... " question. Your style is not a prison cell.

Some people have a short attention span and keep skipping around. There is a buying audience for them ... The people who always ask "what's new?" the minute the see you.

Some people find forms they can never seem to get enough of ... They can spend years exploring a simple basic shape and get endless pleasure in the subtle changes only they might perceive.

Some people find a design idea that appeals and make multiple variations on the theme.

Some people find a shape they love then focus in on glaze or surface variations.

Some people find the genre that suits them ... be it raku, majolica, porcelain, sculpture ... And go from there.

Some hit the sweet spot after years of work ... They build an audience that wants what they love to make.

There is no one size fits all.

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Question .... do you get tired of making the same thing when you find your style?

 

 

 

I don't think it really works that way.  Style doesn't mean you have to do the same thing over and over.  If you're tired of making it, that form is no longer really in your style, because having a style means you're making the things that you like best.  And even the simplest of forms can be an expression of your personal style.  Take the mug-- my favorite thing to make lots of.  I've never gotten tired of making mugs, because each new series of mugs is an opportunity to further develop the form in the direction I want to go.

 

I've made a lot of mugs, but even the simplest mug contains multitudes of decisions.  In general, I like a simple form that has sort of a high waist with a slightly out-turned rim above the waist.  I like this for functional reasons-- it's harder to drop a mug that has a slight flare at the top-- but the form is very appealing to me as well, and as a functional potter, suitability for use is a large part of my "style."    But consider all the other stylistic decisions to be made, the handle, the surface decoration, the type of glazes to use, the liner, the foot.  That last is something I've changed a lot.  Most of the mugs I've made were finished on the wheel, with an undercut to lift the piece visually.  But I've also experimented with a faceted bottom edge, which I liked quite a lot.  Lately I've been trimming a narrow footring on my mugs, which might not be as practical as the wide bottoms, but makes the piece more appealing to hold in two hands.

 

Okay, I'm babbling a little here, but my point is that style is not a limitation but a tool.  If you get tired of making something, then that's probably a sign that it's time to upgrade your expectations of yourself.

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are you looking to change the form, surface design, or both? The said "collection of favorite work" is Pinterest. ;)  

I have a pinterest board with pottery that i love.  I am starting to find themes but I think an outsider might be able to pick out more specifically what my theme seems to be. (if anyone wants a link to my pinterest board I would love an outside opinion)  I like to think my inspiration is from ancient pre columbian type pots, but as a modern day person, I struggle trying to make these things look right.  I decided to simplify it and force myself to try to imagine using cobalt oxide wash and clear glaze on most of My pieces... this way I allow room to evolve in form and surface design more clearly. 

 

Find 1 or two glazes that you want to start off with (your favorites) and just plan to use those for a while. That way your forms can change and evolve, then you will find what you truly want to do with surface much faster.  

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Question .... do you get tired of making the same thing when you find your style?  I really don't have a style, my work is all over the place. But, I did notice a few times I made something, a lot of people wanted me to make them one, I get tired of making it and want to move on to something different.

Style does not mean making the same thing over and over. Think of fashion designers, each designer has a style yet every year new dresses are walked down the runway. That is when you know you have found a style when people still recognize your work as yours even tho the work varies from the work you did before.

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  • 1 month later...

I've been thinking through this question as well. I learned pottery in an apprenticeship program in college, and we were encouraged to come up with our own forms, but them repeat them en masse for catalog sales.  Some supervisor editing was neccessary from time to time to weed out less functional aspects (like the time I found out after making 20 honey pots that they needed to have a spoon strap because they came with a spoon) 

 

After this, I worked for 3 different potters doing piece work, and a state park making "historically influenced" pieces.  I finally have my own small studio now, and after all this, I'm a bit confused.  I know many things I don't like, but what I  do like is making something that someone wants to pick up and buy and take home and use.   The feeling and end result is more what I'm after than a particular shape or look or color,  and it seems that it takes time and sales to discover what comes naturally out of my hands without too much thinking that also produces this result.  If it doesn't sell, I try something different, and I pay attention to what people like and use more.  I think about what I would use or wouldn't use in my own home and start there.  Surely I'm not so weird that I'm the only one who'd think like me.... right? ;)  

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So artsyfartsyweirdo, you want people to appreciate your pots for their function, their affordability, and that they will use them and love them. I think a lot of us here like that sort of standard, and it does speak to efficiency of form, reproducible work, and selling lots of pots at reasonable prices. None of this speaks of style. 10 potters in a room, each of the, with 10 mugs, you could mix them up, and still separate 99% correctly to each potter because of style-placement of handle, type and shape, treatment of lip and base, treatment of belly and neck, and treatment of the inside of the form. All of this before ever getting to surface treatment and glaze.  People that pick up my mugs notice a lot from the handle, most notice the treatment of surface, and glaze. However, my style is evolving as it is not as tight as it had been even a year ago, and hopefully will be different in 5 years. Not necessarily a bad thing, as when someone buys that first mug that they really like, they can come back in a few years and buy another that is similar, but totally different, because my style has evolved even though my beliefs in form and function may have remained the same.

 

After all of this diatribe, I hope you understand my following suggestion: make lots of pots, don't worry about style, just let it happen, and every day you unload the kiln crit your work to see where your style is taking you.

 

Have a great journey

Pres

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If I were making functional wares today, my 'style' would address how people live and work today and try to make pottery for them ... not for the last century.

People eat trying to balance a laptop and food ... they eat at desks with food placed whever they can find a spot ... people walk around as they eat ... they carry food out to cars to eat as they drive. They need smaller square plates, bottom heavy mugs that don't tip over, dishes with handles or rounded lips that don't spill easily. It is good to use your own pottery every day to see how it works.

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