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Benzine

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  1. Like
    Benzine reacted to Callie Beller Diesel in What’s on your workbench?   
    I made a thing. 

  2. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    Mugs mugs mugs.  Gonna do another 45 this week and then work on some other things.  Been chasing around a teapot idea for a while so we will give that a shot.  In the meantime, mugs mugs mugs

  3. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    I was just trying to say that mark loves what he does every day, and has made a life of it.  As a Potter he has a pretty special opportunity to "retire" from maybe the grind of soap dishes and coffee mugs, and just make what he likes instead.  
    I mean... Pottery is what a lot of the retired folks here have decided to focus on in retirement, so I stand by it, there's plenty of time to retire when you expire.
  4. Like
    Benzine reacted to glazenerd in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    I spent the last 45 years telling myself that, not sure I agree these days.
    like most here, my life was the typical series of following schedules to earn a living. Planning, plotting, and projecting the path ahead. I find myself curious about not going to bed in order to get up at regulated time. I am curious to know what it is like not to meet deadlines, keep appointments, and plan for months ahead. Not sure I even know what "living for the day" means. I have held many titles over the last 45 years, most of which have little meaning: I find "couch tater" appealing lately.
    T
  5. Like
    Benzine reacted to GEP in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    I posed this question because I am a big believer in long-range goals. My whole career trajectory has been based on one long range goal after another:
    Get a full-time job as a graphic designer ... become a freelance graphic designer ... buy a house ... build a pottery studio in my house and launch a part-time pottery business ... quit the design business and do pottery full-time .... renovate my studio and buy a second kiln, which caused a big increase in output ... buy a minivan, which caused a big increase in shows and sales .... 
    In recent years, my goals were all about improving efficiencies and productivity, ie making more more money with fewer pots and less labor. 
    I”m now in my 9th year of full-time pottery. I would’t trade this experience for anything. It has been as satisfying as I hoped for. But as Mark noted, it is a grind and takes a toll on your body. So I am also thinking about winding down. 
    In five years, I’d like to be living a much less labor intensive lifestyle. I don’t really want to live in a house with a yard anymore (especially on a spring day like today when I had to mow a tall and wet lawn). I’d like to live in a small, low-maintenance dwelling, which means no more pottery studio. I won’t need to earn a full-time income at that point, but I’ll probably work part-time to earn some extra income, and to stay busy. I also plan to travel, and pursue some recreational interests that I haven’t had time for while running a pottery business. 
     
  6. Like
    Benzine reacted to Mark C. in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    I have a slow down plan
    My slow down plan has been in effect for about 5 years now-I cut out  5 shows in that time. One gallery went out of business  and I did not replace-one wholesale place cut their orders in 1/2.
    Thats the good news on slowing my pace but I have picked up 3 grocery store wholesale orders  two years ago. Thats been a lot of success  money wise but that means more work has happened. I no longer will take new wholesale orders.
    In 5 years I plan on doing way less production-and it may be next to none by then. Its hard for me to let go as I like certain parts still like talking to customers . Shows are hardest and the most profitable-I have 3 traveling still and 2 local ones left. These will be pared down in upcoming years.
    I may still have a few wholesale acounts and one local show in 5 years we shall see.Pottery keeps me moving (I have 4 tons to move today with a helper) it also takes it toll so its a love hate thing on the body.
    I'm throwing less this past year but I also broke nmy arm and had two months off from throwing. In 5 years my plan is alot less for sure.
    Right now I could quit (retire completly)but I like this business and am not good at relaxing.The hard part is the happy meduim.
  7. Like
    Benzine reacted to Denice in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    Like you I just hope to be working in my studio at the same pace I am working now.     I didn't have much hope of that until I got a report back from the doctor that my MS has had minimal progression is the last ten years.    I still have the wrists and knee problems  that potters get but I can muddle through them.   I have to see the hand doctor next week,  keeping my fingers crossed I don't need surgery.    Denice
  8. Like
    Benzine reacted to Pres in QotW: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now?   
    GEP,  just yesterday queried in the QotW pool: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now? 
    I think this is an appropriate question for many of us, and especially for those at the beginning or at the end of their careers. I have had a long enjoyable time with clay, from college til now totals over 50 years. I taught ceramics in HS for over 34 years, and have been working in my own shop as a dedicated hobbyist for the last 30 years. I say hobbyist, as I really don't make enough on pots to even begin to consider it as a profession, just enough to keep the hobby from disrupting the household budget, and buy me a few ceramic related toys over the years.
    Five years away, I hope to be doing what I am doing now, maybe more or less. I have orders from places that carry into next year, and commitments that will probably last for the next five. So what could change? Visits by old arthur have been more frequent and severe, latest wrist assessment was severe of the left wrist. Thing is, it hurts less if I'm using it, especially after throwing. Use it or Lose it becomes more true the older we get. I hope not to have it or anything else get the best of me, my Dad is 92, so there is hope!
     
    best,
    Pres
  9. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    This week I haven't done anything out in the shed but trim some fermentation jars (and feel guilty about it).  Instead I've been hunched over a computer and camera trying to get everything squared away for my business and website.  I have my photo booth almost all squared away, need to pick up some posterboard tonight and really start photographing everything.  Wish I could just make things and let them disappear on their own, hah.
    Anyway, here's a picture.  I was using this mug to dial in my camera and lights.
     

  10. Like
    Benzine reacted to Pres in QothW: Does size matter?   
    I do some large pieces, some fully thrown, some with wheel thrown and slab elements combined. Check my albums. Combining forms takes considerably less energy, but design becomes even more important as proportion, texture, and details become more important when combining in that manner.
     
    best,
    Pres
  11. Like
    Benzine reacted to Mark C. in QothW: Does size matter?   
    In my 35 forms they vary from larger cannistyers to 20# large bowls to 1/2# spoonrests.
    Size maters depending on the form.
    For me right now the real income is in small stuff-like the 120 spongeholders I sold to one outlet-they pay the bills.
    Yes I can make the big sectional pots but I'd rather make lots of meduim bowls.I sell about 2-3 a week in my outlets where a large pots sit for 1/2 a season .
  12. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in QothW: Does size matter?   
    The thing about size for me, is that I find it annoying to center anything from about a pound and under.  15lbs? No problem, 12 ounces? Why bother.    So if I am going to do some smaller items I will throw off the hump just because it's so hard for my big hands to center anything that small.  For mugs and bowls I'll do chunks of 1lb, still takes a minute to center sometimes.  I do love making a nice big pot though, something alluring in making something that big even though it's useful for nothing.
  13. Like
    Benzine reacted to oldlady in QothW: Does size matter?   
    i think that once i can make something in any size i want, i am satisfied that i have learned that skill and can go back to the normal size for me.  yes, i can make a huge salad bowl for 20 people but would rather make 20 personal size salad bowls.
  14. Like
    Benzine reacted to GEP in What’s on your workbench?   
    Yup, they are stainless steel. So just as food safe as the pots. 
  15. Like
    Benzine reacted to GEP in What’s on your workbench?   
    As I mentioned in the Events section, I have a big show coming up soon. Lots of good stuff coming out of the kilns now.




  16. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    Been making bells for the past few days.  I love the sound of giant bowls when I ting them, so might as well make a big bell and hear it whenever the wind blows!  I have a small wind chime I got at a second hand store, and it sounds really nice, but it's all tinkle tinkle, and I like the bonging and donging of a deeper bell.  Hope it all works out, this is a video of me making my third one.  I am gonna make some more tonight, it's fun.  Probably gonna make a bunch of mugs first though, i need about 20 more mugs for a full mug bisque load.
     
  17. Like
    Benzine reacted to Min in What’s on your workbench?   
    This is a finished one of the oil bottles I posted a greenware photo of a few pages back, flashing slips, cone 10 soda. 

  18. Like
    Benzine reacted to Bill Kielb in What’s on your workbench?   
    Nice work!
    I never post anything here so here is a sampling of the weekend reduction firing. There are many talented artists at the studio (Clayspace ceramic arts center) that now excel at getting their favorite reduction, Carbon trapping, even ice crackle!
    cool stuff and a fun mask almost sans eyeballs. Great group firings, time after time in an old Alpine updraft with some fancy digital stuff hooked to it.
     
     
     
     
  19. Like
    Benzine got a reaction from Rae Reich in What’s on your workbench?   
    I'm generally just being funny...
     
    I actually wasn't sure what it was.  I had never heard of a strawberry planter.
     
    @Hulk Those are very nice works.  Far better, than my second batch of glazed wares...
    I like the bottom of the bowls.  They resemble those plastic speckled bowls, faded in popularity, but have now come back, partially due to Rachael Ray using them, on her show as "Garbage Bowls".  My family had a large one growing up, but we called it a "Puke Bowl", partially due to it's coloring, partially due, to what it was used for, when someone was sick...
  20. Like
    Benzine got a reaction from Hulk in What’s on your workbench?   
    I'm generally just being funny...
     
    I actually wasn't sure what it was.  I had never heard of a strawberry planter.
     
    @Hulk Those are very nice works.  Far better, than my second batch of glazed wares...
    I like the bottom of the bowls.  They resemble those plastic speckled bowls, faded in popularity, but have now come back, partially due to Rachael Ray using them, on her show as "Garbage Bowls".  My family had a large one growing up, but we called it a "Puke Bowl", partially due to it's coloring, partially due, to what it was used for, when someone was sick...
  21. Like
    Benzine got a reaction from liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    A chip jar, with a place, for THREE different types of dip!  Brilliant!  
  22. Like
    Benzine reacted to LeeU in What’s on your workbench?   
    Moving along with glaze prep for wood fire. Need a smaller hand mixer though! 


  23. Like
    Benzine reacted to oldlady in What’s on your workbench?   
    i gave up using red clay because of the mess.   i could not get it out of my many wrinkles without bleach.   white clay is so much neater,   (unless you put the throwing water on top of the wheelhead and accidentally hit the pedal.)   do not ask how i know this.
  24. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    Haha, yeah I've had my own runaway wheel issues!  My hands are stained red, going to be awkward if I ever get caught committing a crime.
  25. Like
    Benzine reacted to liambesaw in What’s on your workbench?   
    Finally got the side bowls on, I'm pleased with myself.
    Now to see if it survives drying and firing ha
     
    I also made myself a new wedging table today, my old setup was a little too high for me and was making my back hurt.
     


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