Callie Beller Diesel

I've got a pile of rocks, that I am "decomposing", to create some new clay.  I am a patient person...

@preeta the first set of cups were made by Dawn Candy, who is actually from my neck of the woods. She’s @littlesisterpottery on IG if you want to check her out. Those particular models look like some of her older work.  Her whole process is to draw with a slip trailer and underglazes (I have no idea what brand), and then she layers glazes that run over top. 
The second set are Sean O’connel’s, and he actually has a video here on CLAYflicks on his decorating process. These cups are part of it. 

I've got a girlfriend who has signed up for a Dawn Candy workshop, on the materials list she said she uses Amaco Velvets but can use other brands. Sean O'Connel's website has the glaze recipe he uses from 2018 as Campana Clear. I've tested that glaze, it is fluid.  (contains zinc so chrome green stains in green underglazes are going to go muddy)

It's maybe not a student question but a customer one, usually from someone who isn't familiar with clay: "How long does/did it take you to make that?"
While I do have my stock answers to this question worked out, I find it's still difficult to give a s atisfactory answer without sounding either arrogant or too obscure. Most people when they ask this are trying to figure out the value of my work, how hard it is to do, and how pottery in general differs from a mug you buy at a big box store. If I slaved for hours, that must be where all the money goes, right? I believe that education is important, so I'll take a few minutes with these folks, even though it likely won't result in a sale today.  But it might later.  I try and explain that the individual piece breakdown isn't always a very practical analysis, and depends on a lot of things. ('It depends.' heh.) I describe a bit of my work cycle, the wating times, multiple firings and the batch nature of making pots. I tell them it can take years to build skill, to learn firing techniques and the glaze chemistry. I explain that more experienced potters usually spend less time making any one item than a novice does.
With any luck, what I describe to these folks is at least interesting to them.

@liambesaw.  Liam.  My friend. Those prices, man. We need to talk!

@liambesaw.  Liam.  My friend. Those prices, man. We need to talk!

@liambesaw.  Liam.  My friend. Those prices, man. We need to talk!

Well I did my farmers market today, got out in the sun and got a lot of sketching done :/
Made 55 dollars, which was more than i was expecting since this was a 20 tent market and I was one of two Craftsmen there.  
luckily the booth fee was only 10 dollars!
man there are some really weird people out there...
Guy to the left of me was selling bleach water (FOR DRINKING!!!) and the booth across from me was selling essential oils... Don't these people know how dangerous those things are!? 

@Callie Beller DieselI got a good one today...
At my booth of 99% functional ware: "Is it safe to eat off this stuff?" I said yes, and she picked up a large vase and said "Even this one?" Which was a weird question but I just said, "if you wanted to!"

It's maybe not a student question but a customer one, usually from someone who isn't familiar with clay: "How long does/did it take you to make that?"
While I do have my stock answers to this question worked out, I find it's still difficult to give a s atisfactory answer without sounding either arrogant or too obscure. Most people when they ask this are trying to figure out the value of my work, how hard it is to do, and how pottery in general differs from a mug you buy at a big box store. If I slaved for hours, that must be where all the money goes, right? I believe that education is important, so I'll take a few minutes with these folks, even though it likely won't result in a sale today.  But it might later.  I try and explain that the individual piece breakdown isn't always a very practical analysis, and depends on a lot of things. ('It depends.' heh.) I describe a bit of my work cycle, the wating times, multiple firings and the batch nature of making pots. I tell them it can take years to build skill, to learn firing techniques and the glaze chemistry. I explain that more experienced potters usually spend less time making any one item than a novice does.
With any luck, what I describe to these folks is at least interesting to them.

working on a new batch of pots for soluble salts. will be writing 2 articles about discoveries in PMI and Revisita Ceramica International. Workshop schedule filling up for 2020. 
 
Marcia

Hi folks, 
I have been doing some thinking about the white liner glaze that I have been dipping the hazelnut and the white clays in before spray glazing. So I decided to try a piece without glazing the whole piece in the white glaze, just the inside and neck. I think you can see the difference. Seems like to me, the white is bleaching out the cream rust glaze here, pieces I had sprayed with the cream rust, the variegated blue and the rutile green would always be more blue and green. Interestingly enough, the hazelnut pieces would have more browns in them. 

 
best,
Pres

Can't wait!
 
 
Did another test last night, trying to make an iridescent copper lustre.  So close!  Came out a little too red for my taste but wow the depth it adds to the glaze is so beautiful!!  This recipe was bismuth and iron salts, I think an addition of silver salt will tone down the red and add silver bringing it closer to copper.  Hard to capture in photos 
 
This weekend I'll be bisquing and glazing lidded jars and sponge holders, last load before farmers market on Wednesday.

Reposted as I had it in the wrong strand!  These are a few from the last load.
 
 

 
 

 
 
best, 
Pres

Some of 75 assorted mini vases for wedding favours, 60 done, 15 more to do.

 

My furry companion passed a couple of weeks ago, and everything is so quiet without her. 

My furry companion passed a couple of weeks ago, and everything is so quiet without her. 

What's on my workbench? My sister!! She drove up from Virginia. She has been taking some pottery classes in Roanoke. So she loaded her car with greenware (!!) and we bisqued them over the last few days. Now she is glazing her work for the glaze fire. The 05 fire was very lightly loaded with just her items but I have pieces to add for the cone 5 fire, so the kiln will be more balanced and full. She doesn't know I took these pics--I was sneaking around outside the studio (she doesn't like being photographed--opps, too bad!) It has been great fun doing this somewhat "together". 

My furry companion passed a couple of weeks ago, and everything is so quiet without her. 

Got a huge order of honey pots & mugs, just hope my back holds out as this may be the last large order I’m capable to make.
Joy

Not on my workbench, but to let you know what I have been doing. These shots were from delivery of pieces to Savannah Bee on June 24th.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
best, Pres
 

These are waiting for glaze firing tomorrow or next.

Hmmm. I have a simplified kit for outdoor shows, and a few more added items for indoor ones. (You'd think it'd be the other way around!) Mostly my outdoor work is a weekly farmer's markets, and the odd night market. Indoor shows here are more the norm. The outdoor stuff is mostly street festivals here.
The simplified kit has:
business cards, an assortment of writing implements including chalk for some display signs, price stickers (mugs mostly), Square chip reader, backup swiper, credit card payment signs, note paper, email sign up forms, duct tape, packing tape, dressmaker's T pins for tablecloths, scissors, utility knife, multi tool, string, wire, sandpaper and a Kemper stone, business card holder, tissues, lip balm, gum, pocket container of Advil, 2-3 band aids, hand warmers and 2 vitamin c powder envelopes, 3-4 cough candies and a cash apron with float. All this fits in a train case that I found at a thrift store. I have another box for table risers and sandbags to prop bowls on so people can see inside, 2 sizes of paper bags and tissue, my main table cloth and a sign.
For indoor shows, there's more boxes of booth accoutrements, like my lighting setup including extension cords, power bars and Velcro ties (moving away from zip ties because I only need them for cord control), additional risers and sandbags, additional table cloths, curtains, s hooks to hang curtains from pipe and drape....
I think that's it.

Hmmm. I have a simplified kit for outdoor shows, and a few more added items for indoor ones. (You'd think it'd be the other way around!) Mostly my outdoor work is a weekly farmer's markets, and the odd night market. Indoor shows here are more the norm. The outdoor stuff is mostly street festivals here.
The simplified kit has:
business cards, an assortment of writing implements including chalk for some display signs, price stickers (mugs mostly), Square chip reader, backup swiper, credit card payment signs, note paper, email sign up forms, duct tape, packing tape, dressmaker's T pins for tablecloths, scissors, utility knife, multi tool, string, wire, sandpaper and a Kemper stone, business card holder, tissues, lip balm, gum, pocket container of Advil, 2-3 band aids, hand warmers and 2 vitamin c powder envelopes, 3-4 cough candies and a cash apron with float. All this fits in a train case that I found at a thrift store. I have another box for table risers and sandbags to prop bowls on so people can see inside, 2 sizes of paper bags and tissue, my main table cloth and a sign.
For indoor shows, there's more boxes of booth accoutrements, like my lighting setup including extension cords, power bars and Velcro ties (moving away from zip ties because I only need them for cord control), additional risers and sandbags, additional table cloths, curtains, s hooks to hang curtains from pipe and drape....
I think that's it.

Well golly, Pres.  You didn't leave much room for me (can't speak for anyone else) to add much! Your list pretty much covers it all...and much more than I have in my studio (no grinding base or GG-- if  it won't Dremel off or respond to the various diamond-based assists and other manual processes, then it's just not happening). Then again, I'm not cranking out jars with lids, and  my inherently "rough" style lends itself to very minimal finishing  needing to be done. Packing I've got down to a science and am pretty good at it, but I don't do anything special that anybody else doesn't do, as far as standard practices go. If I use newspaper, I do make an effort to use sheets of interest from our local publications, like The Weirs Times, serving the Winnipesaukee lakes region of NH. Here's a sample of a pic I would use as a wrap. And I often include a small moose hanging ornament along with my biz card. My smalls bags are white, blue, or brown Kraft and I have a sticker with my logo to seal them shut.