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A lot of my early pots were lost to hurricane charley in 2004. I still have some left from my first semester but the first pot is gone, so is the second...they both were candle holders, glazed blue and for some reason i was fascinated how cobalt is blue under a glaze yet fired black if left unglazed so the unglazed feet of my first pieces were painted with cobalt so they were black. Wish I had taken some pictures back then.

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Evelyne, this was a great qotw and very enjoyable to see everyone's early work and read their comments about their feelings toward them. I'm not surprised there are so many of us that have kept those first and early pieces as they are special to us no matter what they look like. A few of my pieces from adult education classes I took in 1974 also survived the years. I threw this one and I think that I made that shape quite often but didn't know how to trim a proper foot yet.

 

Paul

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post-61902-0-67108600-1432156867_thumb.jpg

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This is fun. 

 

This is the first pot I ever glazed and fired. It was in my first pottery classes that I took. It is glazed with like 7 glazes going all the way around it so I could see how a bunch of the studio glazes looked. I forgot to write down which glaze was what so it didn't help me at all! 

 

Also it has a huge s-crack in the bottom. I should throw this thing away but I find it funny looking enough to keep. Also one side of the pot has a bare spot from top to bottom, because I wanted to see what the clay looked like when It was fired. My teacher looked at me so funny when I said this, because I didn't glaze the inside. 

 

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post-63346-0-54620000-1432175459_thumb.jpg

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PSC: I'am sorry to hear you lost your early pots in a hurrican. What can one do when nature is going wild. Maybe you can repeat what you did in the beginning?

 

Joel: if you really go back and ask, would you give away the recipe?

 

Paul: yes, I enjoyed to see all the FIRSTs too. I still have the one I made in kindergarden, but I don't count this as my first. It's a small bowl and I use it, when I am throwing, for putting the "too be cleaned" tools in it. I like the shape of your mug! I hope you use it for your daily coffee?

 

grype: I had to smile about you testing glazes on the vase and not writing down what is what. I once did the very same and was sooooo frustrated when I couldn't find out anymore. Some of the ones that blended during the firing were really beautiful. No, please don't throw it away! It has such a nice story behind it!

 

Chilly: thank you for the pictures of your Firsts! Do you use them at home or are they in storage? How big is the leaf?

 

Thank you all for having shown us the beginning of your passion!

 

Evelyne

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Chilly: thank you for the pictures of your Firsts! Do you use them at home or are they in storage? How big is the leaf?

 

Thank you all for having shown us the beginning of your passion!

 

Evelyne

The coil pot is on the windowsill in the conservatory, the leaf dish is in the dining room, full of acorns, chestnuts, hazels, the odd feather and other assorted natural items, picked up when walking in the woods, and finger-rubbed to a shine.  The leaves have spread all over, one at my parents in Cheshire, ma-out-law and sis-out-law locally, friend in London, ex-boss in Toronto.  They are all from the London Plane trees that grow on a roundabout just down the road.

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Unfortunately no. Most of my early pieces were done with a low fire body and stored in an unheated garage. At the time I didn't know about absorption and frost damage destroyed close to everything. I do have a few pinch pots from then and some masks. I'll take some pix and post them asap.

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I don't have my first piece it just kind of disappeared it was on display and I never got it back.  I do have the next two pieces, I made those in high school.  They were built inside of cardboard boxes in the late 60's they look like the ultimate hippie pottery, believe it or not one of them won a state medal.  Kansas must of been a little more hip in those days than I remember.  I really like them, I'm not sure if it's  good work or good memories.  I have had customers try to buy them several times, my son wants them.  I have been thinking about making some more cardboard box pots and have been looking around for the right boxes.   Denice

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

 

Good for you Chilly!

 

Joel: tapping my foot, waiting patiently....

 

Sorry the wait was so long :D you know how things get pushed to the back of the pile.

 

Here is the dry blue glaze recipe from college. Don't know why it doesn't add up to 100 but meh, testing it out in gas firing tonight.

 

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Post results. interesting to see how you think the glaze should be applied now that you have a lot more experience.

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The very first thing, I made out of clay, was a small coil pot.  It was never fired, as my high school didn't have a kiln.  My instructor was going to take it to the elementary to fire it, because they had a kiln.  Weird right?  It never made it, and disappeared.  

 

The next thing I made, was a practice sculpture for a 3-D Art class in college.  We made a bust of a classmate.  We then took a wire and cut it apart, and reassembled it.  Afterwards, most students just tossed them.  I liked mine, so asked to keep it, which I was allowed to do.  I kept the pieces I liked, eye area, mouth area, etc.  I put them in an art storage box, and kind of forgot about them for years.  I found the piece a few years ago.  I've been meaning to fire them, just haven't.  I'm sure there were air pockets, in the pieces, but I doubt they'll cause issues, after drying for the last fifteen years...

 

My first project I made, in my specific Ceramics class, consisted of geometric forms.  I never really like it.  It was clunky and heavy.  So it became part of the small waterfall, in a creek behind my parent's house.  

 

So all I really have, that's finished, is my first wheel thrown pieces.  They are thick and heavy, but I still like them.

 

First Wheel Set

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Pres: so you did mugs as first pieces. When I give a piece to my Mum, she's doing it in a shrine instead of using it. Are your parents the same?

 

Guinea: thank you for the pics (and your comment ;) ). Are you always "throwing in the towel" so quickly? 3 pieces out of 12 clay balls in the first session isn't bad!

 

rakuku: so sad you broke the first piece. I like pinching! Are you still doing it too, or are you mainly throwing?

 

Evelyne

My parents had many of my pieces throughout the house including those early mugs. Over the years mostly decoration even though they used some later mugs. When my Mom was diagnosed with PSP in late 90's, I made several specialty mugs for her that they used in the motorhome and at home for her. Nowadays, my Dad's new wife and Dad have several pieces that they use including mugs, teapots, and bowls. Christmas gifts that they use in their home where my Dad moved.

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Joel: thank you very much for the recipe! I'll try it out some day.

 

Paul: ....and thank you for the mustache mug. I was wondering....

 

Benzine: those are nice mugs! Haha, your instructor at school wanted your first coil mug as a souvenir I guess. That's a compliment, isn't it!

 

Pres: I find it encouraging when our parents use the pieces we made and gave them as a gift. We all look for the "verdict" of our parents, even if we are seniors ourselves.

 

Evelyne

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Post results. interesting to see how you think the glaze should be applied now that you have a lot more experience.

 

Havent had a chance to go back and collect work but here is a pic from my friend. Should have sieved the glaze but I quite like the spotty blue. Not the best firing as really no reduction on the pots. missing all the nice iron spots. Next time I will make sure I can stay and keep an eye on the reduction. Still I really like them.

 

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