LeeU

Great question. I was fortunate enough to take my work bench on the road to build a bench for a friend which went to sofa and sold  successfully for at least four figures. Loved her art and glad it sold! Feel good about the bench as it had to support at least three hundred pounds without deflection to crack any of her tiles. Fun project and success always makes the labor part forgettable. Picture of it going to its new owner attached.
December project (s)
Complete a couple glaze formulations to work well over heavy underglaze on  low expansion porcelain.  Test are going well and should be able to publish after the first of the year.
Additional December project was to get at least four basic throwing videos done for newbies in the studio. Three done so far so we will just keep plugging along.
last project was to begin creating a glaze workshop for the resident artist at the studio. Just beginning this one and have outlined it. Thus far I like the direction and content.
 

Here's the reclaim jars, had to torch them a little because the reclaim was pretttttttty soft, but they came out pretty good.  They'll all get lids and handles in the coming days

I am currently just making some personal holiday giftees. Pics are my view out the studio windows after it snows! (Landlord's construction yard, sitting below a ridge-lovely.)
 

I am currently just making some personal holiday giftees. Pics are my view out the studio windows after it snows! (Landlord's construction yard, sitting below a ridge-lovely.)
 

I am currently just making some personal holiday giftees. Pics are my view out the studio windows after it snows! (Landlord's construction yard, sitting below a ridge-lovely.)
 

Hello!
My name is Philip White. I was the manufacturer of the Stoker Electric Reduction Kiln. The company, a.k.a. The Reduction Production Refractory Factory was building Stoker Kilns in Amesbury,Massachusetts, USA. It had to close in the early 1980's when the US Small Business Administration reconsidered RPRF from being a 'small' business to a 'miniscule' one and not important enough to continue subsidizing. Consequently, the whole thing went down the tubes. Needless to say, I was so disillusioned with this state of affairs that I didn't want to have anything to do with kilns or pottery for years.
 
Flash forward to 2018 and I'm now retired. Thought I'd see if the Internet knew anything about the Stoker. I was amazed to see it mentioned on this website. Subsequently, I decided to come 'out of the shadows' and share a little of what I learned about electric reduction firing and the engineering constraints that made it highly doable and practical. Some of this may be surprising, and (I hope) edifying. Some of what I discovered, you may find surprising. As with other discoveries, it was under our nose all this time, but no one had connected the dots.
It is really not my intention to write a 'book' on this topic without knowing if there is still any interest.
If there is anyone that may find the subject interesting, or want to actually learn more and build one, please reply and perhaps we can open a thread on the subject.
Phil White

Lee:
it has been a joy watching you develop your own "voice" over the last two years. Glad to see you reimagining the platter. Actually find the expression intriguing. Well done!!
Nerd

Yep--and for short stints, if you have electric,  a small table top ceramic heater or oil-filled radiator are good. Thin thermal gloves help, ear muffs, and really warm socks--makes a big difference. My studio is indoors, but my kiln room and more working space is outside, on a screen porch. It is 12 x 12 and houses my L&L 23s kiln, a 5' work table, spillover studio storage, and all kiln supplies, plus a tiny corner seating area.  I close the porch up in the winter with panels of restaurant patio vinyl rated for 40 below. My wonderul landlord had them built and installed.  The stuff is clear as glass (see the pic!), durable, and can be cleaned. They only make about a 20 degree difference from the outside temp but with the heater(s) I can actually work out there in the NH winter. 
 

I am currently just making some personal holiday giftees. Pics are my view out the studio windows after it snows! (Landlord's construction yard, sitting below a ridge-lovely.)
 

I have to agree with Mark, Pres, Lee, and Neil regarding formal education. I was sent to Sat. Art classes at age 11 . I had been drawing all the time from a very early age. I later went to Art School for a BFA where I discovered clay. I was able to minor in Art History and write papers on ceramic topics in my Art History classes. I love learning about ceramics from all over the world. Taught college level ceramics for 25 years. I provided special topic courses in the summers and winter interim classes. We did kiln building, Tile workshops,Primitive pottery including searching for and processing clay.I taught glaze calculation, throwing, hand building, kiln building, mold making, glazing and firing during the regular course work of the ceramics program. I retired because the physical work of loading and unloading kilns was hurting my body. When tuition kept rising and students had to work more to pay the tuition, they had fewer hours to hang out in the studio and help me. During my final year my pain was interrupting my sleep 23 times/minute according to a sleep test with probes everywhere. I stuck it through til I hit 25 years and retired. Now I have been working my studio for the last 18 years learning more and more. Ceramics is a never ending quest for understanding the material, firing processes, chemicals and glazes. Never ending. I love it. It is my passion.  I don't think people need a formal education but it does provide more access to learning things like glaze chemistry, especially if you are fortunate to have good teachers who can direct your passion. Some people can learn well on their own and some benefit from good direction of teachers. I am very excited about what I am discovering in clay after 50+ years of working with it. It has been a wonderful life for me. This morning I had a studio visit from the current teacher where I worked and 5 of her students. It was fun to show them what I am doing and discuss it. Since they had been doing studio and gallery visits all morning, I prepared some food and refreshments for them. They were continuing across Montana, picking up work for a Montana Clay Invitational.  What a great opportunity for these students to visit studios and the Red Lodge Clay Center, The Archie Bray Foundation , and the Missoula Clay Studio. We have rich resources in Montana as well as good programs in the Colleges and Universities. Montana Clay is a statewide organization of ceramic artists and potters. It promotes clay people across the state. I am happy to be back in Montana after working in Texas for a decade.
Marcia

They were originally used as a  protective charm by one tribe, the webbing (spider's web) was supposed to catch bad spirits.  They never had anything to do with dreams, but now every redneck within 200 miles of me claims they are 1/8 Cherokee and has one hanging from the rear view mirror, even worse, I have heard some of them say the other rednecks should't hang them from the rear view mirror because your'e supposed to have them near your bed to have good dreams. 
It's the twisted meaning, the use of the thing, that people don't care to know, that the native americans I have spoken with say it is offensive, it's like wearing a cross because you like Madonna's music.
Ironically, the placebo effect is a real thing and they probably DO have better dreams....sigh...

I think this (deliberate misrepresentation/falsely suggesting etc.) is the key regarding the notion of "cultural theft".  As Liam (hope I got that right) noted, intent is the primary factor.  Without the ability for people around the world to appreciate the creative expressions of various cultures, including those held to be sacred, I think we would be impoverished to the point of spiritual starvation. Whether rigid boundaries are protective,  obstructive, or aggressive, I think we lose part of our humanity by petitioning off aspects of ourselves. I find  it joyful and uplifiting to learn from other cultures, including more about my own. I was especially thrilled when, in art school, I was essentially chastized by a few instructors for making art that was "derivitive" of some famous painter or sculptor. It really tickled my fancy because I had never heard of these artists nor ever seen their work. So, all the critique did was validate my own impulse to keep on doing what I was doing and the heck with the imposition of limits without foundation. I also subscribe to Jung's notions of the "collective unconscious" and think that it is a vital life force in the expression of art, in all cultures.

Working on a kiln load-I am likeing the direction I am heading-a bit larger, a bit more mainstream, trying to refine glaze combinations. This tile (to fit as a top for an old black iron ash tray stand I picked up) is commercial dark Gold, Ivory Crystal, and Orion. Should be interesting--we'll see. 
 

Pres I like your question and understand that my comments here are offered in the spirit of provocative analysis rather than attempting to invalidate the issue.  Maybe I don’t need to say this, but this topic may be emotive for some.
Theft is a pretty strong term.  Almost makes it seem like there was something private that you have taken away from the owner without permission.  I do not view cultural symbols, icons or art in this way.  They are in fact public, meant to be seen, acknowledged and interpreted by others.  
Further,  “cultural theft” may almost be a contradiction in terms.  Culture cannot be owned.  On the contrary, it is a shared construct.   Its  manifestations are an invitation from insiders to outsiders to engage and participate.  A culture’s ability to survive and thrive depends critically on its ability to be communicated and understood - and potentially adopted, or adapted - by those coming to it for the first time.   Those treating culture like a secret birthright that only the high priests can discuss are missing the point.  Success is where everyone is discussing it, learning it, sharing it.
However, since art is a primary vehicle for communcating culture, using imagery or symbols from a culture other than your own in your artwork, possibly out of (cultural) context, is risky business.   If misused, or possibly even when appropriately used, it could be misinterpreted, or seem like a cliche’, or possibly offend those who (legitimately) identify with those symbols as part of their own personal value system.  A bit akin to driving without a license, or sufficient training or experience - you probably just shouldn’t be out there.  Objects may be closer than they appear.

I feel like most cultures beyond american view this as flattery.  I know that the Japanese and Korean do.  I'm generally speaking here, but it's tourism culture in Japan to wear a kimono or participate in a tea ceremony.  I feel like it's the same thing.  Think about if you had to adhere to a certain American culture in your pottery because you're beholden to your culture.  I think it would be pretty boring and close minded.  I have seen italian videos of majolica demonstrations where they are happy to share their method and culture.  
I feel like the culture wars that are popular right now involve a vocal minority and dont truly represent popular opinion.  That said, appropriating culture is a hot issue right now, and my thoughts are all about intent.  If you're making something to purposely shortchange a culture or profit specifically on that, I don't think that's appropriate.  However if you're developing a personal style that draws inspiration from a culture, I don't think that is the same.  Basically if your intent is exploitation, bad.  If your intent is to create beautiful things, how can it be wrong.

Oh great, there's no hope for me, I'm gonna have to do this til I die to catch up

First day of the season it looked like this...

Pres, I throw like that as well. Can't do clockwise unless I am using it for a particular effect.  My "bad habit" is a deep aversion to taking notes.  I prefer the surprise and do not get too hung up on not being able to duplicate something, even when it is wonderful. Of course I have come to regret that bad habit more than once! The note-taking, whether by hand on paper or in the Pottery Logbook app or whatever is just too much minutia for my brain to handle-I lose steam fairly quickly. I've had to turn that lack of patience/sustained attention into an asset in terms of my style, which does seem to serve me well overall. I am making an effort to put more glaze detail into the Logbook, but have not attained any really useful consistency yet. 

Well, throwing well is not something I need to worry about...'cuz it sure ain't happenin'.  I used to be quite proficient (after 3 years of high quality formal training specific to ceramics.) I threw lovely bowls, fitted lids, mugs w/great handles. pitchers, platters, etc. That was decades ago--now, the simmering deficits beginning to riddle my brain overide much of the muscle memory & the essential knowledge about how to throw well, consistently.  The memory aspect seems to render my motivation  to press on (practice/practice; fall/get up, fall/get up) fairly diluted.  I will keep at it--I don't give up until/unless that is the only survival move left to make.  I have a great wheel and every once in a while I crank out a nice piece on it. I just won't be making myself miserable by confronting the times that I really "can't" pull it off.  What's important is that I love what I am doing at this time, exploring certain hand building dynamics, and simply enjoying other people's thrown work.   

Well, throwing well is not something I need to worry about...'cuz it sure ain't happenin'.  I used to be quite proficient (after 3 years of high quality formal training specific to ceramics.) I threw lovely bowls, fitted lids, mugs w/great handles. pitchers, platters, etc. That was decades ago--now, the simmering deficits beginning to riddle my brain overide much of the muscle memory & the essential knowledge about how to throw well, consistently.  The memory aspect seems to render my motivation  to press on (practice/practice; fall/get up, fall/get up) fairly diluted.  I will keep at it--I don't give up until/unless that is the only survival move left to make.  I have a great wheel and every once in a while I crank out a nice piece on it. I just won't be making myself miserable by confronting the times that I really "can't" pull it off.  What's important is that I love what I am doing at this time, exploring certain hand building dynamics, and simply enjoying other people's thrown work.   

Well, throwing well is not something I need to worry about...'cuz it sure ain't happenin'.  I used to be quite proficient (after 3 years of high quality formal training specific to ceramics.) I threw lovely bowls, fitted lids, mugs w/great handles. pitchers, platters, etc. That was decades ago--now, the simmering deficits beginning to riddle my brain overide much of the muscle memory & the essential knowledge about how to throw well, consistently.  The memory aspect seems to render my motivation  to press on (practice/practice; fall/get up, fall/get up) fairly diluted.  I will keep at it--I don't give up until/unless that is the only survival move left to make.  I have a great wheel and every once in a while I crank out a nice piece on it. I just won't be making myself miserable by confronting the times that I really "can't" pull it off.  What's important is that I love what I am doing at this time, exploring certain hand building dynamics, and simply enjoying other people's thrown work.   

This about 30 pieces from the 47 pieces. Will load the kiln at lunch break today and start it up to fire the other 17 or so pieces. The goblets will be in this firing. They take nearly half of the 27 inches of the kiln interior height.

I have a half finished coiled pot on my work table and a drying cabinet that is nearly full.   I am surprised I am getting any work done at all.   My 95 year old mother in-law has been in the hospital and my son and his wife are back from their European tour.    Denice

My workbench is empty! I just cleaned it off this morning (finally!). I have the last couple weeks worth of bisque ware to glaze and decorate now. Which usually ends taking up the most time and energy of all.

YEP----yep, yep, yep.  That, and the underlying intent, the hidden or overt motivation informing the end result. (HMS = Hidden Mask Series)