Roberta12

I have a thought...
If your design structure holds its shape through a bisque firing, what about trying a low fire glaze  instead of cone 6? I have fired many sculptural pieces (which don't need to be fully vitrified) made of cone 6 clay to bisque temperature and finished with various paints and waxes rather than glaze.  I'm wondering if low firing might work for you.

There's way too much weight in the middle of that piece to be supported by those ends. If you can leave a part unglazed in the very middle, you can support it from underneath. For example, take a small shelf post and top it with a rolled or rounded piece of clay in the same shape as your curve. Since the sculpture will shrink you could make the support a half centimeter or so lower than your sculpture, which would still support it when it wants to warp downward.

If its NOT glazed fire another piece of  slab over the top keeping a slight pressure on it..But not enough to flatten the humps
Also clay has memory so how you form this is very important .Over bending or overworking can make it act like this as well.
If its glazed on one side only this will pull it up as well
 
One thing I do know is the more you NEED it and the less time you have the more it will act up so make 3 or 4  of them and mix it up fire one say on its side the other with a slab on top as noted
squeeze one with bricks on its side

Well after opening my 43 annual xmas booth this year during a huge storm I as of now am thinking this is my last xmas doing it. The money is great but I'm at a point where I want to feel what  a normal xmas is with only supplying my 7-8 outlets at Xmas and not selling my own work at my booth. I have done this booth every year straight since 1979. I think I'm getting to the point where the time is what I want back.
I have had great sales help but that is getting tougher and this year is the last for my crew (they are my age as well). I was wresting the doors closed thought hey this would be great not to doing this anymore. My plan was to slow it down at 70 and thats in March, really for me its xmas day as thats when all the demand slows again. I told my partner and she was happy to hear that maybe next year no more xmas booth .Only a  fire left to do as I;m done throwing for the year and just need a huge claen up fire. I close the booth for 3 days starting Monday to do just that.
 

There are thin rubber pads with a felt like carpet on top that are used as inserts to entry way mats. These work very well attached to a bat cut to shape and dampened on a wheel head to spin and thus remove glaze on the bottom of functional ware.
 
best,
Pres

It amazing how cutting down can make more money. Weather its an employee or shows. Less is more at times
I used to do 12 shows a year and when I cut that back and did less and had more inventory at the shows I did I made more money that year. Having more inventory at a show you make more $. I kept cutting shows back as I aged and still made more money. The show expense food and lodging all added up or didn't  making me more $. Finding the sweet spot -well thats a bit harder.
I have had a part time as needed studio assistant  for over  30 years and am not letting her go yet. Next year we are going to try a new schedule -month ot two on month or two off.
I'm setting my xmas booth up today with wares-its my 42rd year in this shopping center. Booth runs 5-66 hours a day and I have sales help. I'll run it for 13 days this year. Fri-sat-sun. close for 3 days (will bisque and glaze and fire) then reopen thru and run everyday till midafternoon xmas eve.
Next year one local show and if I choose maybe this xmas booth-we shall see. I still have  7 -8 wholesale outlets as well selling my work daily.All local but one (my best one)
I'm done throwing this year a bit early for me.I think I have the most wares ever this time of year in stock.The economy has softened compared to last year which was over the top.
Sales have returned to normal this year .

Best advice ever, @GEP  Especially the part about saying no to things that aren't really productive.   I have had people ask about part time work with me, but I think it would make me nuts.  I am pretty much in my own head when I am making.  I have even thought about what part of my work could I even have someone else do?  Not much.  A friend stayed with us for a few days.  She volunteered to do some sanding.  That was terrific, but I found myself going back over everything  and checking for rough spots.  What the Heck?  I don't consider myself a perfectionist by any means, but I guess I have a standard for my work going out into the world (QOTW) that I have to double check everything.  So yeah, I am happier working by myself.  
Roberta

@DirtRoads About 10 years ago I was doing a lot of wholesale work and feeling overwhelmed by the workload. So I sat down with my accountant and said “I think I need an employee” with the intention of creating an EIN and a payroll system. But my trusty accountant said, without pausing at all “DON’T DO IT.” He said I would spend all of my time being a manager instead of a potter, I would make the same amount of money, and I would be a lot less happy. He told me to restructure my business so I could handle it by myself instead. I took his advice and started phasing out my wholesale accounts, and got rid of them completely in a year or two. And started doing more and better shows. Now I make fewer pots and a lot more money. And I’m much happier than I was. 
I figure he has 100+ clients, all self-employed and small businesses, and he has seen all of the mistakes that business owners make. It’s a common fallacy, that a bigger operation can make more money. And being a manager really sucks! It’s far more valuable to be selective and to say “no” to things that aren’t really productive. It’s great to have someone in my corner who has that kind of perspective. 

This is going to sound terrible.   My best employee quit a few days ago because I thought i had made instructions clear about colors but guess I didn't.   I think I've just reached my limit in being a tactful manager.  Well, she could only glaze for the last year or two anyways.  I'm down to just Me in the studio ... and it's the happiest I've been in years.   I'm going to do all the making and glazing.   I'll have one person 3 days a week out front ... wed, thurs, friday waiting on customers and making jewelry.  That's all I really need out there.      Down 2 full time employees in the back now and I'm actually looking at more profit.   Almost zero production loss and the profit per sale is literally around 75 - 80% vs 20%.     The jewelry and fragrance sales way more than pay for the front studio labor.   I'm looking forward to the next year.   Just ordered 4000 pounds of clay and 8 gallons of glaze.    Plus I just got another 50 pounds of dry glaze.  Going to order my other dry glaze tomorrow.   So there will be no backing down
I'm sticking to this.    The numbers look really good.  Just the thought of only needed to load 2, maybe 3 kilns a week is delightful and I can make a really good profit on that.  Better than before.   I figured out each back studio employee was costing me the profit on at least 1 kiln.   So I was doing 2 .. even  3 kilns just to pay people.     I am so looking forward to this.   I'm actually enjoying the work back there now.   
 

The places that make it best do instruction/classes and sell clay and materials/equipment. Workshops can also be a draw. They can be private or co-op  with a board of directors but all  require many people and lots of organization 
In terms of being a potter only well that takes time and the right personality and drive

Sculpture, as for art, was mentioned. Sculptors-in general-are not a group that earns lots of money.  I have a sculptural approach to my work that is basically a vibe, an essence, a thought process, and which is counter to commercial refinement.  I found out within two years that standard commercial retail sales, would only lose me money. Additionally, the daily grind of sustaining and advancing the marketing/production/constantly changing the items to feed the hungry consumer is a full time job (unless you hire a company to do all of that, which reduces control). Those who do enjoy the making & selling process, and thrive on that energy flow, I believe make out very well. But, as Mark said, it probably needs to be a passion and one coupled with rigorously sound business practices, as Callie & others note.  Seven years since start-up, I have stopped selling completely.  I'm back to using other gigs to pay for the studio overhead/materials and nothing for my time. What I make now I mostly donate to selected non-profit organizations (those providing mitigation of domestic violence/addiction/homelessness). I give them certain ceramic "scupturally functional" items for home and office, which they use for their auctions/fundraisers. It's quite satisfying, recipients seem to like my work, and I'm gaining a bit of local name recognition as a ceramic artist, but even if these were sales, it will never pay the light bill!!

I've found that certain glazes just don't brush on well. I mostly dip and pour from a glaze bucket, but I brush glaze on some of my more awkward shapes. Adding a gum to the glaze helps with brushing, although the commercial ones are full of gum. I've noticed that you have to brush those on more thickly than you'd think, so they look like they're going to fall off the pot. 
You can also try to wet the surface of your bisque a little bit before applying glaze. It can help prevent the first coat from going on unevenly because it keeps the glaze damp for a little longer. 
I do something similar for wiping the foot ring, except I use one of those flat sponges. It looks like a dish cloth, but it is made of sponge. I found anything thicker than that would hit the area I wanted glazed and make a smudge. It stays flat as I wipe across it and then I rinse it when it gets dirt and lay it out again. 

I do like dipping--do have to have a good sized bucket of glaze for anything big. .  Have experimented of late with pouring on a glaze partially on something and then dipping for the rest of the piece.  Made some leaf shaped  incense holders for a friend, and that worked well.
Some glazes definitely combine well on the piece and some do not.  Keep really good notes about what works and what does not.  Learning learning learning as I refresh my ceramic memory after 15 years away.  A good glaze kiln opening will make you happy.

Re wax, I still use melted wax for most pieces. A bit of damp carpet, in shallow plastic container, placed next to the warm wax pan , tip from @oldlady,  is used to wipe any glaze goobs from bottom of pot

There’s a brief learning curve to dipping or pouring glazes, the glaze itself has to be the right viscosity, you need a little preparation, and of course you have to have enough glaze. Totally worth it. 30 seconds vs. five minutes.
 I have had a few hilarious moments pouring glaze, watching it go everywhere but back into the bucket.
As far as tips, the biggest help to me was learning to adjust viscosity of the glaze with Epsom salts. Another thing is using wax resist. I was reluctant for years, went out of my way to avoid it. I found I spent an equal amount of time cleaning off glaze (and wasting it) as I did applying wax in the first place. I only use it sparingly though. 

I use Speedball pink at cone 6 all the time. I don't love the color, though- too salmon for me- so I cut it 50/50 with white to get a nice soft pink. Could be your clear glaze causing the burnout, or maybe not putting the pink on thick enough.

Doing workshops and teaching classes are two different animals. Workshops are a good way to make some extra money, but you don't get the chance to do them until you're fairly famous because it's your name that's the draw. There may be others out there who make work that is just as nice but no one is going to pay money to go to a workshop if they haven't heard of them. It's also not something that you can do every week all year long. There's just not that kind of opportunity, and it'll eat into your studio time. One of the nice things about the internet age is that you can do online workshops, however you still need the name recognition to get people to sign up. The vast majority of potters do not do workshops on a regular basis, but they're great when you do get to do them. You can make a few hundred bucks for a day's work, plus sell some pots and meet a bunch of other potters. They're a great ego boost, too!
Teaching pottery classes does not pay much. Many people who teach are paid in studio use, kiln use, clay, etc. If they are paid actual money it's not usually very much because they're paid for contact hours, and classes are usually only 2-3 hours once a week. Even as a studio owner you have to offer a lot of classes for it to be profitable. My classes cover my monthly expenses plus a little more. It would not be profitable on its own to a degree that was worthwhile unless I offered 3 times as many classes as I do (I currently have 4). That many classes would require hiring a couple of helpers, and working all day on Saturday, which is why it's never been the sole focus of my business.
College level teaching is a sweet gig if it's an environment you enjoy. Time off, benefits, etc. Personally, I would love a college job, but when I got out of grad school I was burned out on the academic world and didn't pursue it. After a time is was simply too late to start that career. Most college jobs will require you to move, because there are only a handful available each year and chances are they're not in your town.
My business survives because I have 3 income streams- teaching, selling my work, and kiln sales/repair. It was the best way for me to get the business going and now I'm settled into it. With some changes I could make a go at any one of them on its own, but I really don't want to. It fits the way I like to work, and works really well with my home life. The downside is that kiln repair and studio time can fluctuate a lot. Repair work has been crazy lately, so studio time has been virtually non-existent for the past few months. Financially it all works out just fine- money is money- but I do wish I had more time to make pots.

I was a HS teacher, and later in that career I taught college courses to supplement a HS teachers salary. I made more in two weeks of Summer college classes than I did for an entire Summer of shows. I still made pots, but stopped doing shows as my helper (wife) got tired of doing them with all of the hassle from March when the weather broke to end of October. In the long run it was tough on the family. One would think a teacher would have so much time off in the Summer that it would be easy to make pots and sell them. . . not so!
 
best,
Pres

In my experience, teaching is not a good way to supplement your income as a potter. Teachers get paid very little! Even if you are a star who can teach weekend workshops that command a high fee, the ceiling on income is very low compared to how much you can earn for making/selling pots at a good quality art fair or craft show. Teaching is also very time-consuming, if you care about a doing a good job that is. I did one workshop near the end of the pandemic, only because there were no shows to do at the time. I enjoyed it, just to be around people again. But the amount of work and the pay involved is not something I would choose over doing shows. 
The pay for teaching weekly classes to recreational potters is even worse! When I reached a point in my pottery business where I could no longer teach weekly classes AND keep up with demand for my pots, it was a no brainer to drop the classes. I can see how it might be worth it if you OWN the classroom studio and also teach the classes, but not if you are just an employee.
These days I produce video lessons and sell them online. Once a video is finished, the income is almost totally passive. It’s the only way it makes sense for me to do it within my schedule. 
I don’t have experience teaching college level ceramics. I can see that the income/benefits/stability would actually provide a meaningful living. But I suspect that this is more about being an academic than a potter. Not better or worse per se, just not the same. I taught college level graphics courses a long time ago, and I found the academic environment to be very unpleasant. And the amount I was being paid to teach those classes was much less than I was making for my design work. 

I think the key word there is appears. And on what your personal definition of success is. There’s lots of ways to succeed, but you have to decide for yourself what you think is a win. You’re not succeeding at life if you’re applying someone else’s metrics to yourself. Especially if your temperament doesn’t suit that image of success.
 The life of a pottery celebrity may or may not appeal to everyone. For those who love it, they get gratification out of being well known as a knowledgeable person in the field. I imagine there’s a lot of satisfaction to be found in supporting other artists in their journeys. Some people have no interest in teaching, and know that classes and workshops aren’t their thing. 
Some folks thrive on social media. They can curate what people see, so they seem confident and upbeat and like things are going well. If you hate doing in person markets because you’re overwhelmed by crowds, having that buffer between you and the general public can be just the ticket.  But social media can be very bad for your mental health, so some who are in vulnerable places may find regular content creation to be unrealistic for them. 

Be sure to check with Speedball about compatible clear glazes. I have had good results from mixing commercial stains and underglazes with the clear overglaze, but pinks are the most fugitive and temperamental, especially at cone 10 (oxidation, I presume).
Test, test, test!

@neilestrick have you taken the speedball pink above cone 6?  I have had maroon and pink burn out at cone 6.  Amaco Red seems to tolerate higher temps, but I haven't tried it at 10.

Ok I showed up at noon and others where walking thru house buying up stuff. Looks like a small amount of my work had sold . . But the tables where still stuffed.I told the fellow for me its all or nothing deal. I made a quik  rough list and  and down sized my offer to 450 $ cash. I said I have the boxes and paper and will take only my work as there was other ceramics mixed in especailly on the floor under tables (not in the photos)He took the offer which is about 16 mugs for me sales wise these days. I boxed it into 6 Banana boxes  full and dollyed it out feeling great. The womans sister spoke to me and said the lady (her sister) had a stroke and was in full time care now in North Caralina.I said she had the most work of any customer I ever knew  of and gave her my card to thank the sister . I have never met here as 99% of all the work was from a few outlets and they all had the price labels and cards inside of them. Not my own show price labels but those of my Eureka outlets. The largest amout of stuff was from a co-op organic market I pulled out of a year ago as I am slowing it down with a plan. I put a care and feeding tag in every pot  then and all those where still in every pot. Now I have a nearly a 35 cubic feet whole  kiln worth of new old stock. Its insane really. In my 50 years I never in my dreams would expect this to happen. I'm selling the stock twice this time without having to make or glaze or fire it.  Of couse prices have risen since I sold this  originally so I'm really ahead . I'm making 4 dinner plates for the friend who sent me the info last night. She really came thru for me.
There where two tables of pots  like the one photo  as well as a bunch on the floor
Just when you think you have seen or heard it all   -boom something new surfaces .

So last night I got a message on facebook from a fellow Board member (art show board)
Seems a hoarder with money passed away and their is an estate sale this weekend. The photos show a few huge tables of packed to the gills with my work as well as a large floor area . The Estate guy was posting lots of photos of tons of collected stuff  as this women had  passed away and collected huge volumes of work . I called him an hour after the post went up to ask whats the deal. He said he was in a huge time crunch to emepty the house . He was not autioning it but hoping to sell it piece by piece ,nothing is priced. I let him know i made all that pottery . Looks to be about 8-12 boxes full. I said if the price was right I'll take it all. He siad any reasonable offer he would take. Now In all my ceramics life I =have never bought my work back from anyone. The pots look all new and not used as there was too much volume to use -she was collecting not using. He said since you are the maker how about coming a day early and see what you want so today at noon I'm going. My plan is buy it for about 25%of retail tops. . Then just put it into my inventory . I have a pile of cash to sweeten the deal. Tbis may all go south today just as easy so its far from a done deal but its one heck of a strange deal. The forms are glasses ,mugs and bowls of all sizes from stacks of large serving to cereal bowls. I can see few pots that are not mine (not interested in) in the mix as well. I'll post the outcome.
This is the most work of any one single customer by far and it looks like it was mostly bought at my gallery outlets.I can tell by the colors (some now discontinued) and color combos of when the work was made. I had no idea anyone custiomer pould ever own this much stuff from me. I'm hoping I may have known her as well. we shall see today-its a strange world out there.

Buy your own mask.treat lead exposure seriously -Read up on precautions -Google is your friend