Benzine

Illinois just cancelled the remainder of the school year.

My grandaughter enters Pitt for her Freshman year. . . on line! Classes will resume in January. I would imagine there are going to be a lot of gimme's here.  The class of 2020 may never graduate, she is first or second in her class, just got a scholarship, Harriet Tubman award. No awards ceremony. There is a rumor graduation and such will be held in August here in PA. This is really a game changer, where will we end up going forward. Will we learn anything from this?
 
 
best,
Pres

I was reading an article this morning on how the curve is being flattened in Canada, but there’s no talk of relaxing anything yet because we aren’t past the peak. The idea wasn’t that the general population needs to be protected from it, but many vulnerable populations do so that deaths are minimized and the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed and they can’t provide proper care.  The whole stay home thing is supposed to be a look after your neighbour situation. 

The farmer’s market that accounts for most of my Q3 income is opening as planned in late May, but only to food/alcohol/live plant vendors, who are considered essential services right now. Booths will have 2 meters (6.5’) in between each other,  foot traffic will be one way only and 6’ social distancing lineup markers will be enforced.  Sampling is prohibited, and the hand washing station plans are kind of impressive. They may add some of us non-food types in at a later time, but that’s very up in the air. Everyone I know who makes fabric anything is making face masks, so there’s the next fashion trend. I bought two from a friend, and they’re pretty, but I feel like I’m knocking over a Sev going into the grocery store wearing one. 
 
Honestly I think with how fast everything changes, making predictions for 6 months from now is difficult. There’s not enough information, and a whole lot of guesswork because it’s all new.  I’m going to proceed as though the sales will happen, because if I don’t, I won’t have enough stock. If sales go ahead, they’ll have more rules on them about spacing, which will affect venue capacities. If sales don’t go ahead, then the online gets pushed, and we band together in our local entrepreneurial groups, and do things together. There’s one market organizers go, after their event got cancelled, decided to put together Mother’s Day gift baskets filled with things from the vendors they chose. They’ll be delivering or shipping them as needed. 
 
I think that whatever happens this Christmas, it’s not going to look like last year. Maybe there will be more advanced order and pickup situations, there will probably be crowd calming measures in place, and maybe longer hours to compensate for reduced occupancies. There are solutions to be had.

My wife reads a lot of articles every day about Corona transmission since she's still working, and they're now finding more and more cases of people who are testing positive with no symptoms at all. For instance, 60% of the 600 sailors on the aircraft carrier that's been in the news that have tested positive have no symptoms. That means we really don't have a clue about infection rates. So until everyone can be tested for infection and antibodies, nothing should be opened up. If they don't do it that way we'll just have another wave of infection and fill up the hospitals again.
Here in Illinois, we're adding over 1,000 cases a day, partly do to the fact that we're now testing over 7,000 people every day and that number is increasing. But as long as those infection rates stay high or keep increasing, we're in lockdown. The numbers need to get low and stay low for at least two weeks before we can open up, and everyone needs to get tested. So I know our lockdown will extend well into May, if not June. I don't expect the kids to go back to school. Once I'm able to open my shop back up, I expect we'll be wearing masks in the studio, especially since I have a fair number of seniors in my classes. I  don't think there should be any art fairs or large public gatherings of any sort until August at the very earliest at this point, but I have a feeling that some of the July shows will still happen because people are hungry for money. I'll be wearing a mask if I do any shows this year, which will be really unpleasant in the warmer months.

I say hold off on large gatherings until there's a vaccine.  I won't be attending any that's for sure!
 

I have to agree with Pres and Terri.  We live in an area with almost no verified positive cases (3) however because of the lack of testing availability the actual number is probably much higher. (one clinic only has 6 tests)   Many of our local events are being canceled for the summer venues and personally I feel that is prudent.  Fall?  I can see they may come back but I don't know if I will participate in any way.  Winter?  we will just have to see!   Once testing is widespread I feel that businesses will be able to open their doors with some precautions.  But if you have options as a business person, to sell online, do deliveries, curbside, whatever that may be, at least you will be able to keep your doors open in the short term.  Very tough times and tough decisions to be made.  I suppose it will have to be a case by case decision made by individuals that are being impacted.  
Roberta

I agree with you that its best to wait for longer. I am wary of a second wave and I see people out on walks not caring how close they get to others. When we walk, we try to cut cross country in parks to keep our distance. The snow is finally starting to let up here and we can get some fresh air now and its been therapeutic to walk as we have been in mourning for my mother's passing.
My husband is recovering from a heart attack from last fall and he still has problems and is high risk. I hope people can care enough to do the right thing and take it slowly and carefully to try to get back to normal - don't think I can handle two funerals this year.  and pray for a successful , rapid development  and deployment of a vaccine.

Hi folks, once again not new question in the pool, so I will try once again to elicit some response. QotW: What are your beliefs about the time to reopen the economy and returning to Summer craft shows or should we wait until the Winter season? I am sure to have a mix of answers, but then it seems to be a political football, lets keep it civil and keep politics out of it>
My own perspective is biased, I will admit. I do pottery, taught pottery, love pottery, like selling and don't turn down most orders. However, I am retired, I'm now at the hill going into my 70's, I don't need the money as much as I need the feeling of being useful, productive and involved in something I love doing. For me, the lockdown has been difficult, not knowing where things are headed, uncertain about the risk of even grocery shopping or going out. I take a short drive with my wife just to get out of the house, no stops, just an old time drive. . . gas is cheap. I am filling orders for Communion sets, mixing glazes, popping popcorn, packing up and mailing. So much of what I am into is normal, but. . . . I haven't been bowling in over 3 weeks obviously. I walk around the house for steps, do my usual exercises, and go to the shop. Lots of reading, some xbox, some tv. Lots of cooking at home as we used to usually go out. I would love to be able to be out and about again, but I look at the death rates from day to day, the number of increasing cases and think it is not possible yet, and I hope that all is over by September when we have a cruise planned. Everything is up in the air, and I think I'm really lucky, retired, not teaching ceramics on line, or trying to keep my chin up if I were working at a large factory closed down for who knows. 
QotW: What are your beliefs about the time to reopen the economy and returning to Summer craft shows or should we wait until the Winter season? So what is your call?
 
best,
Pres
 

I spent yesterday making 64 and 128 ounce growlers.
I am modelling them off of old STP brake fluid cans and will be stenciling them as such.  Fun little coronavirus project.  
My next round will have swingtop lids, but for now they'll be corked.
These are part of a series of videos on markets doing well during coronavirus.  Beer, cannabis and coffee are our local industries which have boomed since quarantine started.

My best thought sooner than later. More testing is great but get tested today and catch it thirty minutes later so not the cure and can create false security. The raw problem, it’s highly contagious. I have high hope in treatments which I believe will be key until a vaccine so I would hope the economy ramps  up albeit, slowly and differently over the next two months. Masks, social distance, self awareness hopefully will take hold for the next 12 months but provide some level of normalcy. Stay safe as you can, most folks seem to be pretty understanding and flexible.

I rarely ever pay someone to fix things, especially in the studio. At home I will hire someone only if it's an extreme situation that's beyond my ability as an accomplished DIY'er, like if I need a new roof. I enjoy fixing things, though, so it's not a problem. You either need to be handy or need to be able to write a check.

Not that they are really difficult but they do take more time than they look.  From last week (finally able to start throwing again after an injury).

 
Absolutely!
 

I require my students to have a sketch, that shows their general idea, for the form, and an approximate width and height.  Just hopping on the wheel, and stating "I'm make a bowl, mug, etc" tells me little.  How big of a bowl or mug?  What do you plan to use if for?  How are you going to finish the bottom?
It annoys them, that I ask these questions, but I tell them, I can't help them, unless I see their vision.

I require my students to have a sketch, that shows their general idea, for the form, and an approximate width and height.  Just hopping on the wheel, and stating "I'm make a bowl, mug, etc" tells me little.  How big of a bowl or mug?  What do you plan to use if for?  How are you going to finish the bottom?
It annoys them, that I ask these questions, but I tell them, I can't help them, unless I see their vision.

I require my students to have a sketch, that shows their general idea, for the form, and an approximate width and height.  Just hopping on the wheel, and stating "I'm make a bowl, mug, etc" tells me little.  How big of a bowl or mug?  What do you plan to use if for?  How are you going to finish the bottom?
It annoys them, that I ask these questions, but I tell them, I can't help them, unless I see their vision.

I constantly stress to my students that they need to know what they're going to make before they get the clay out of the bag. That way they'll know how much clay to prep, and have a clear path to successfully making a certain pot. There are specific steps that must be taken to make any form, and if you're not following those steps and just letting the clay do what it wants, you'll always end up with a crappy bowl.

That's some Gale Boetticher level coffee brewing, right there!

@Marcia Selsor  Nope, that's too early for that weather!...
 
@liambesaw  Love the form and glazing.  My Dad has a "birdbath" shape he made in college, where he sprayed some oxides, similar to that.  He still has it, though it probably has some damage from the dang kids!...
What is the exact function and usage of that form?  Is it like a pour over coffee carafe?

So I spent the weekend making more of these, and I really like to make them.  I keep improving on the design which means I'm learning.  Learning makes me happy!  So anyway, was able to finally glaze fire some and I like the result.  Here's one from the batch

I took private lessons in 1969 to learn to throw. It was in Seal Beach Ca. I was in high school and I did it as a suggestion from a friend`as we had wheel access at scholl but no instructor . So we signed up for a night class and threw on 5 different wheels-3 were power and two kick wheels.I do not recall how many months we did this maybe 3-4 months. That same year I bought a wheel for home and within 6 months moved away to collage where I had more training in throwing. I guess about 4 instructors in total for throwing skills. I think it took me about 6-8 years to master it really. I thought I mastered it in 4 yrs  but looking back that was not the case especially handles.

I.m a motivated  high funtioning individual I have been told.. It helps with a production pottery business as well I have found out.

Holy cow mark, you never stop do you?
 
I spent this weekend building a work table / fume hood for my work with soluble salts and lustres.  Sulphur, and mercaptans (thiols) are part of synthesizing a lustre overglaze and these are some of the smelliest compounds on earth.  I did an open air run of some palladium mercaptan a few weeks ago and you could smell it from blocks away.  I decided instead of subjecting my neighborhood to a somewhat regular barrage of rotting smells that I'd go ahead and do it proper.  A 350 cu ft per minute fan pulled through an activated carbon filter rated to match.  It won't get rid of the smell entirely but will trap a lot of it.
At least that's the hope.  This combined with an acid gas face mask will hopefully keep me better protected from hydrogen sulfide and other byproducts that are unhealthy to breathe as well.
I know it's pretty janky as far as lab equipment is concerned but it actually works so I consider it a win!
 

It takes me more time to trim a bowl than throw a bowl. 100 is a great way to learn a form

Yeah as soon as they are stiff enough to support being flipped over they get flipped over.  I did speed dry them outdoors with a fan so I could wire them off and reuse the bats (I only have 36 bats).  Worked out pretty good and I only killed 3 of them while trimming heh.

Two down, 50 to go.