LeeU

There are very few aspects of my life-the more serious, important stuff-that does not carry some regret. Some regrets have been very deep-decisions/circumstances responsible for major shifts in feast or famine, well-being , and very not-well being, relationships, work life, and living situations. Some regrets have been sorrowful learning experiences that somehow transcended everything bad and became fuel for positive change years later. My clay journey is not separate from expressing my world view, and my creative spirit, even tho I had to leave it by the wayside for many decades. I work to not regret the past (sometimes much easier said than done, but it is do-able) and as such, no, I have no regrets about my journey with clay.  Since I retired I have been able to waken it from hibernation and am very grateful to be enjoying it...like today, when I "allowed" myself to overlay & partly "brillo off" some  metallic acrylics on a glazed tray--been wanting to do that for a while! It gave me a rush to "just do it". 

I already commented, but later the topic got me thnking about whether I did have a piece I regret having been sold. I remembered a sentimental favorite from when I was in art school. Gas-fired terra cotta, no glaze.  I made this for my parents--representing my maternal grandmother who would sit on her porch to  "snap beans" for dinner. It was sold when my last parent died and everything was being licquidated. I was in a bad place at the time and couldn't deal with wanting anything, or driving south for 5 hours to get anything, and so it is gone. But I found a photo!! 

I already commented, but later the topic got me thnking about whether I did have a piece I regret having been sold. I remembered a sentimental favorite from when I was in art school. Gas-fired terra cotta, no glaze.  I made this for my parents--representing my maternal grandmother who would sit on her porch to  "snap beans" for dinner. It was sold when my last parent died and everything was being licquidated. I was in a bad place at the time and couldn't deal with wanting anything, or driving south for 5 hours to get anything, and so it is gone. But I found a photo!! 

I already commented, but later the topic got me thnking about whether I did have a piece I regret having been sold. I remembered a sentimental favorite from when I was in art school. Gas-fired terra cotta, no glaze.  I made this for my parents--representing my maternal grandmother who would sit on her porch to  "snap beans" for dinner. It was sold when my last parent died and everything was being licquidated. I was in a bad place at the time and couldn't deal with wanting anything, or driving south for 5 hours to get anything, and so it is gone. But I found a photo!! 

There are very few aspects of my life-the more serious, important stuff-that does not carry some regret. Some regrets have been very deep-decisions/circumstances responsible for major shifts in feast or famine, well-being , and very not-well being, relationships, work life, and living situations. Some regrets have been sorrowful learning experiences that somehow transcended everything bad and became fuel for positive change years later. My clay journey is not separate from expressing my world view, and my creative spirit, even tho I had to leave it by the wayside for many decades. I work to not regret the past (sometimes much easier said than done, but it is do-able) and as such, no, I have no regrets about my journey with clay.  Since I retired I have been able to waken it from hibernation and am very grateful to be enjoying it...like today, when I "allowed" myself to overlay & partly "brillo off" some  metallic acrylics on a glazed tray--been wanting to do that for a while! It gave me a rush to "just do it". 

Well I am not up to the level of many of you but every so often I really like the way a mug works out. I make one or two "experimental" every time I throw a big batch of  mugs.
Anyway I feel like those that do work really elevate the look of my display and I just wish they would stay around longer for that contribution.

Over time I realized that the idea that someone would enjoy something I made was the feel good I enjoyed most. So sold or given as a gift I am addicted -zero regrets. Now finding out something is resold at a profit ………… that definitely puts a damper on the feel good part.

has happened to me.  and then realized i forgot to take photos.  take photos of everything!!!  hard to remember sometimes what made something new so special!!

I get stuck erratically - generally doesn't seem to be connected to anything in particular, internal or external. A lot of what Callie said resonates (as usual!). I make an effort, when effort seems to be needed, to give myself permission to just BE.  I try to accept a basic "go w/the flow" approach to  most stuck points. Eventually I'll either tap into something I can identify as a provoking issue that I can then address, or more likely I'll just cycle around and get back to work. In the interim, I tend to shift gears and do photography, or writing, or cooking or some other creative outlet. What I definately son't do is tey to dig into more ceramics-history, other people's work, techniques, drawing out ideas etc. I avoid it until I am compeled to get back to it. And am ever grateful that I do not need to, and am not motivated to, generate income from it! 

Gee---tubes to shape mugs--does that mean that the 100 straight-sided mugs I had to throw in art school really wasn't necessary? I knew that instrutor didn't like me, but really.....LOL

90% of the time un-sticking tactics for me involve filling a need that I’ve been neglecting. Is it my mind, body or spirit that needs attention? Do I need to rein in my caffeine consumption so I can get some sleep, do I need to get out of my head and go visit friends, or do I need some time to sit and noodle over a problem? Do I need a new playlist or audiobook? Am I hungry? Mostly getting unstuck is some form of “go away and do something else for a while so your unconscious can work on it.”I don’t love everything Julia Cameron does in her Artist’s Way books. I don’t think that treating a creative block as a pathology or an inner child is necessarily the best, but the parts of her approach that involve treating yourself gently and giving yourself mental/emotional space and time are good general life advice.
Creativity is play. You have to feel safe and warm and fed, and a little curious and a bit bored in order to begin to play. If one or any of those elements are missing, you have to do whatever it is that will get you into that state. 

I'm big on Serendipity...I've just spent some time yesterday and today updating my Hidden Masks text in the Gallery, and adding to the Aesthetics and Philosophy Forum topic "What Was I Thinking?", which is about....what were you thinking? All of which addresses the QotW re a certain mentality or emotional state tied to engaging with clay.
I assume I may take the liberty of adding  clay artists, for those who may not self-descibe as being potters.  I was once a potter, and while I did some great mugs-truly nice-and decent small bowls, most of my work is sculptural/functional. Some of the techniques, best practices craftmanship, and motivational approach might differ, but I figure clay is clay and working with clay is working with clay, and the drive to create is the drive to create, so I feel free to pipe up.
I did a search: Googled personality types of potters. The 1st hit was https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/potter/personality/  Every subsequent hit was all about Harry P.
I'll leave speculation, or evidence-based, valid/reliable research results, on potters' personality attributes (or diagnoses LOL) to others. My 2-cents worth is that we Clay People may  comprise a kind of social strata-using the term loosly- via a commonality of emotional/mentality internal/external world views, but I have no clue as to what those might be. Fun topic!
 

I'm big on Serendipity...I've just spent some time yesterday and today updating my Hidden Masks text in the Gallery, and adding to the Aesthetics and Philosophy Forum topic "What Was I Thinking?", which is about....what were you thinking? All of which addresses the QotW re a certain mentality or emotional state tied to engaging with clay.
I assume I may take the liberty of adding  clay artists, for those who may not self-descibe as being potters.  I was once a potter, and while I did some great mugs-truly nice-and decent small bowls, most of my work is sculptural/functional. Some of the techniques, best practices craftmanship, and motivational approach might differ, but I figure clay is clay and working with clay is working with clay, and the drive to create is the drive to create, so I feel free to pipe up.
I did a search: Googled personality types of potters. The 1st hit was https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/potter/personality/  Every subsequent hit was all about Harry P.
I'll leave speculation, or evidence-based, valid/reliable research results, on potters' personality attributes (or diagnoses LOL) to others. My 2-cents worth is that we Clay People may  comprise a kind of social strata-using the term loosly- via a commonality of emotional/mentality internal/external world views, but I have no clue as to what those might be. Fun topic!
 

I'm big on Serendipity...I've just spent some time yesterday and today updating my Hidden Masks text in the Gallery, and adding to the Aesthetics and Philosophy Forum topic "What Was I Thinking?", which is about....what were you thinking? All of which addresses the QotW re a certain mentality or emotional state tied to engaging with clay.
I assume I may take the liberty of adding  clay artists, for those who may not self-descibe as being potters.  I was once a potter, and while I did some great mugs-truly nice-and decent small bowls, most of my work is sculptural/functional. Some of the techniques, best practices craftmanship, and motivational approach might differ, but I figure clay is clay and working with clay is working with clay, and the drive to create is the drive to create, so I feel free to pipe up.
I did a search: Googled personality types of potters. The 1st hit was https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/potter/personality/  Every subsequent hit was all about Harry P.
I'll leave speculation, or evidence-based, valid/reliable research results, on potters' personality attributes (or diagnoses LOL) to others. My 2-cents worth is that we Clay People may  comprise a kind of social strata-using the term loosly- via a commonality of emotional/mentality internal/external world views, but I have no clue as to what those might be. Fun topic!
 

I recently scored 4 lovely small dishes by Maureen Mills, in her very distinctive surface decoration "signature" designs, sold as "seconds" (due to things that no one not familiar with the intracacies of ceramics would ever notice, much less care about), for a delightful fraction of what "perfection" would cost. As the purchaser, it is great to be able to "afford"  someone's work that I would not be able to justify buying, within my tightly controlled budget! 
 
 

Better imo to apply underglaze when leatherhard, then glaze when bonedry , dry and fire through to glaze maturity.
Pots turn out just fine.
@oldlady single fires her pots perhaps she will chip in here.
Quite comon , really. I learned the orocess and came uo caling it Raw Glazing, there are other names around.
 

I recently scored 4 lovely small dishes by Maureen Mills, in her very distinctive surface decoration "signature" designs, sold as "seconds" (due to things that no one not familiar with the intracacies of ceramics would ever notice, much less care about), for a delightful fraction of what "perfection" would cost. As the purchaser, it is great to be able to "afford"  someone's work that I would not be able to justify buying, within my tightly controlled budget! 
 
 

I find Coyote's cone 6 White MBG023, when applied as Neil described,  to look like a glossy white mug you might get at Target. I also find that Stroke & Coat is not that great for mid-fire and the results are not always consistent w/what the labeling says the 05 will look like at 5. 

I recently scored 4 lovely small dishes by Maureen Mills, in her very distinctive surface decoration "signature" designs, sold as "seconds" (due to things that no one not familiar with the intracacies of ceramics would ever notice, much less care about), for a delightful fraction of what "perfection" would cost. As the purchaser, it is great to be able to "afford"  someone's work that I would not be able to justify buying, within my tightly controlled budget! 
 
 

I recently scored 4 lovely small dishes by Maureen Mills, in her very distinctive surface decoration "signature" designs, sold as "seconds" (due to things that no one not familiar with the intracacies of ceramics would ever notice, much less care about), for a delightful fraction of what "perfection" would cost. As the purchaser, it is great to be able to "afford"  someone's work that I would not be able to justify buying, within my tightly controlled budget! 
 
 

I do sell 2nds; pots that have tiny flaws that in no way effect the use of the pots. Things like slightly out of round pots (that are meant to be round) or glazing that isn't quite what I wanted. Definitely no cracks or chips. During summer Farmer's Markets I will put out a basket of clearance or 2nd best pots. This basket of pots isn't on a main table, it's off to the side on a small stool so not too obtrusive. Just about everyone asks why a pot is in my clearance / 2nd best basket, it's usually hard to spot why they are there. Hammer for anything I wouldn't want coming back and biting me. 
Thanks for posting my question Pres.
 

Another product you can use is a latex resist. Brush 3 coats on the bisque where you want the lava glaze then when dry glaze the pot in your other glaze. Peel off the resist and brush your lava glaze on. (Michaels carries this brand and often have 40% off coupons)
 

in case anyone wants to try bab's suggestion about carpet, be sure to use something from the thin but strong commercial stuff.   you do not even need wax if you do foot rings on the wet carpet, just slide the whole piece across the carpet,  the excess glaze will wash off instantly.  keep it pretty clean, especially if the glaze is a dark one.

Yes, you have a wide firing range clay so I would be surprized if fully vitrified at lower temp of range. You may think of changing your clay into the future.
clay and glaze maturing at Cone 6 or 7 would be a more economic and popular firing range. Google Midfiring glazes.
Bisque firing is low at 950degC ,go for  Cone 06, 1000degC ,  becoming more popular, cone 04, 1040 deg C.

The pottery shop most associated with this process is Dock 6. Kerry Brooks is the potter and she applied this process to coasters as well. She spent a year, or two, developing the process and the glazes that go with it. 
Again, she spent a year, OR TWO, developing this and I know she had a lot of failures. (Her studio/shop is a few miles from mine. I know she experimented with glazes, with firing temperatures, and with types of glass.)
Once she found success technically she found success in the marketplace. (Anthroplogie ordered 1000's.) 
Having seen failed experiments with coke bottles, in high school and college, I have never felt inclined to attempt anything like this. She found the sweet spot and her coasters really are a thing of beauty.