GEP

I had one show that was tentatively scheduled for July, but they recently decided to cancel it. I am still optimistic for fall shows. I got my first vaccine shot this morning! The term I’m hearing is “revenge spending” meaning the third and fourth quarters of this this year are expected to be insane for retailers. Because consumers need to let it all out!

If you have metal marks on a white pot, there’s a good chance you can remove them with Bar Keepers Friend (aka oxalic acid). These marks are not damage to the glaze itself, just a stubborn stain. Having said that, if you are making pots that you intend to sell, it’s best to formulate glazes that don’t metal mark in the first place.

I try to trim a small mouth bottle as much as possible right after throwing it, when the bottle is still right side up and attached to its batt, using a Dolan 120 tool. https://www.baileypottery.com/c-096-120.html Then I finish trimming when leather hard on a bisqued chuck. I don’t use clay wads, I just work gently and slowly, and re-center the pot every time I knock it off center. But there’s usually very little trimming to do.

Several people have offered the answer “no the painted surfaces are not ceramics” but you won’t take that for answer. And you defend your position by arguing an “art” defense but not providing a “ceramics” defense. That’s why it doesn’t seem like you understand that these are two different questions.

@itsALLart, you came here and asked the question “is this ceramics?” but what you you really meant is “is this art?” You don’t seem to understand the difference. When you are making art for your own personal exploration/growth/satisfaction then it doesn’t matter if you call it ceramics or not. However, if you are trying to enter professional venues with your work, the standards and definitions DO matter. Just like with any other professional field.

Break those pots fully in half, and I bet you’ll find a big difference in thickness between the walls and the floor. This is an addendum to the above “uneven drying” answer. Evenly thick pots will dry evenly.

Notice that her terminology does not include the word “ceramics.” You could follow her example and call your work “stoneware, paint”.

Could it have been a matter of terminology? Did you describe your works as “ceramics”? Because in that case, the painted surfaces would make me react “err hmmm, it’s not ceramics.” If you describe your work as “mixed media” it wouldn’t register to me as being wrong in any way.

My pots are still on their throwing bats through this stage, right side up. Any pot that is 6 lbs or more will probably be on a Hydrobat, which helps with even drying. And this problem is definitely worse in the dry winter climate too, compared to my humid summer climate.

I have this problem on a regular basis in my drafty studio. It’s because one side of your pot is drying faster than the other side. The softer side is easier to trim than the harder side, so the trimming tool makes faster progress on that side. I can even things out a lot by draping fabric over my thrown pieces until they are leather hard. It creates a mini-environment that is evenly humid under the fabric, and guards against drafts. I still sometimes get unevenly dry pots to trim, so when I see it happening, I brace myself into a firm hunch and hold my trimming tool with two fists. Th

That’s good news then. The glaze looks like a satin matte, which is always more likely to stain compared to a glossy. I would recommend exploring glossy liner glazes. My main glaze is a satin matte, but I line the insides of vessels with a glossy glaze. (It will still develop coffee stains after years of use, but not after one use. ) On my dinner plates, the satin matte glaze will touch food, and one customer reported that she stained it with blueberries. I’m not that worried about it, because blueberries are not something you eat everyday. But I am thinking about changing the way I glaz

Have you done a vitrification test? (fill with water, leave sitting on a sheet of paper for a day or two, see if paper becomes damp) The question is whether the stain is above the surface of the glaze, or getting past the glaze and into the clay.

My motivation source is similar to @Pres's answer: Give yourself a deadline. Shows are terrific for this. Once it's confirmed on your schedule, you have no choice but to get ready for it. With all of last year's shows cancelled, I had to create my own substitute events, but they worked the same way in terms of giving myself a deadline.

My first name is Mea (pronounced mee-uh), and I cannot count the ways that people have managed to mispronounce it. I would avoid any business name that can potentially be mispronounced. Not because it will hurt your business, but because it will drive you nuts. It's hard to be an effective salesperson if you are feeling aggravated.

I would advise not buying any material that you’re not sure you will need in the future. It’s already likely you will end up collecting a whole bunch of things you don’t ultimately need. That’s just part of learning how to make your own glazes. Storage space is an expensive commodity in any studio, so try to keep the extraneous materials to a minimum. Start researching recipes and narrow it down to a few that you want to try first. Then buy the materials for those recipes. Buy them in small amounts for now EXCEPT for Silica and EPK. Go ahead and buy 50# sacks of those, and containers to