yappystudent

LeeU
Advanced Member   Members  520 1,014 posts LocationNew Hampshire Report post   (IP: 65.175.181.4)     Posted 11 minutes ago I've been thinking a while about those of us who have spoken about various limitations, challenges, health impairments, disabilities, and so forth. Some folks have had to leave the Forums and reduce their work because of certain conditions of body and/or mind (tho I believe they are integrated, not two separate issues). There is no Forum particulary suited or appropriate for discussion about one's aches and pains, or serious impediments that affect our ability to work in, and enjoy working in, clay, or work-arounds that help make it easier to function and hang in there. So, my question is:  Either generally or specifically, what do you think, feel, and/or do when confronted with moderate to serious/severe limitations of some aspect of health that alters how you work in clay? 
 

Pres, are those beautifully shaped teapots full sized or small? Are they a commission from a bee enthusiast?

I just put a nice size coiled pot in my drying cabinet which is now full.   My work table needs to be cleaned  covered with clay dust and crumblies,  my other work table is covered with glazed pots I unloaded from a firing recently.   Mark C found a Brent C wheel on E Bay for me to buy so now I need to sell it my kick wheel locally.  I hope I can find someone who will love it as much as I do,  I can't kick it up anymore  to the speed it needs to be.      Denice

Large-ish asymmetrical slab bowl in progress. Speckled buff clay body, lightly pressed pattern on outside, carved vine maple leaves and seeds on inside. 

Large-ish asymmetrical slab bowl in progress. Speckled buff clay body, lightly pressed pattern on outside, carved vine maple leaves and seeds on inside. 

Wedding Jar, the one posted earlier after glazing.

Good peasant stock hands of a middling age and size. Actually a dishwashing job years ago ruined my hands but at least it got them ready for clay. 

@ Callie Beller Diesel: Camera with a timer on it, balanced on the back of my work table. 

Yappystudent recently asked in the Question Pool for the QotW: Show of hands, pictures of potters hands. Really isn't a question, just a request so I made it into a question. . . What do your hands  look like?
So here are my hands, older, yet still in use!

Crocs!!! Classic clogs w/back strap. Luciously comfortable, long lasting, inexpensive (go for the sales).  I paid a little more and scored myself a Limited Edition of Jackson Pollack Studio clogs--how very artsy of me LOL

Sparked by my intention to make a clay toy for an event, how about a question about making clay toys? And for those  who have made them, pics please and some comments about their construction. 
 

The recent greenware. 

I have collected various pieces over the years with the latest being a couple of pieces traded and purchased from our own Mark Cortright. My favorite, however, is a crystalline glazed vase that was broken and dug out of the trash. My wife managed to salvage all of the pieces and I glued it back together and I keep it as an inspiration for my eventual foray into that realm of glazing...
JohnnyK

Anything I have that is special, whether something I have collected or something left from my parents or my husband's parents or anything of sentimental value, I have entered on a spreadsheet with a physical description in one column and an explanation of why it matters in the other. Some things are entered in groups, like "Lithuanian houses," or  "Mama-made paintings."
I did not always do this, but we went through this when we updated our will.

Moving from a country to another quite often, I never really considered starting a collection. When I was in Japan and visited some pottery centres there, I found 2 pieces that I decided I would keep with me. If they ever break I will replace them with some other handmade pieces. It makes me incredibly happy to use unique and beautiful pieces but I don't feel the need to have more than what I have now. 

I keep business cards with the pieces I have collected when I have one. I am looking into putting together either a database, or spread sheet of the artwork in the house now/ much of it does not need a card as much of it is mine from pottery to watercolor to acrylic paintings. I also have several prints of my own and of old students. Of the pottery Cynthia Bringle, Mea Rea, Tom Roberts, John Glick, Glenn Woods/Keith Herbrand and  a few others are represented. I also have a hanging weaving of Jean Giddings, and  three prints by Giovanni Bonazzon that are nicely framed.  Many of these are because of travels,  friendships, or chances to purchase work I really admire.
best,
Pres

Ah, I have many. Each holds a memory for me, from beginning fellow students, trades with other potters, admired artists and teachers. Most are cups and mugs, some larger serving pieces, some sculpture  
I've been wondering what the best way to catalog/document The Permanent Collection. A note inside or bottom? Photo album with notes? Video tour?
What do you guys do or recommend?

From back to front, left to right--my entire collection to date. The penquin is by Liz Fletcher, NH, the miniture porcelain collored clay, crafted in the neriage technique is by Karen Orsillo, NH; the slip trailed little vase is by Maureen Mills and my all-time-favorite coffee mug is by Steve Zoldak, both of NH; the two mini jars are by Joseph Painted Bear, PA.  My previous art budget went into paintings, but now I am setting aside some spendoolies for my next few acquisitions, from clay people who have been/are active on this site. Oh, and I forgot--I have a lovely porcelain water pipe by Ray Aldridge (who used to be on here). 

I collect mugs from other potters I have met,  I either purchase it or we trade.   I like ancient and primitive pottery so I have a collection of pottery from different areas of Mexico and a few Egyptian pieces.   Denice

yes, there are pitchers  around the top of my kitchen cabinets, cream and sugars on the china cabinet, lots of various things in the shelves around the fireplace in the living room and a huge collection of the smaller Windy Meadows houses in two rooms.  plus all the things in the kitchen cabinets, the beautiful things my daughter in law called "mismatched dishes".  i am considering downsizing and selling some of the ones by potters that collectors know.  

Last week, Yappystudent posted the following question in the Question pool for the QotW: Do you collect pottery and ceramics? 
Not an unusual question to be asking fellow potters, but I don't remember anyone asking before. My answer to this is yes, I have collected a few pots here and there of late, to remember some excellent potters, and good times. I decided I needed to do more of this a few years ago when I visited Dwight Hollands home outside of Asheboro, NC while attending the NC Potters Conference. Dwight's home was a potters haven, and home to hundred if not thousands of pots. We were invited in for a quiet party, and Dwight told us all to handle the pots, enjoy them and have fun. I was nearly dizzy most of the night as I was touching pots and seeing actual pieces by people that I had only read about in books and magazines. I decided as much as possible I would begin purchasing pieces that would remind me of and experience, or a person for later years. So I have spent a very small amount collecting  a few pieces that I treasure. My first ones had been at the conference, and others later, I also have some that were given to me as gifts, and have given others mine as gifts, humble as they are. I enjoy seeing them, and remembering a great demonstration, or a talk over coffee, or even a winning smile from them when first met. Memories.
 
best,
Pres

thank you , yappy, for the aquarium silicone suggestion!   i need to glue my shoes together again and there is just no good way to do it.  yes, i will glue some sponge to dowels for claywork but i really need to fix about 6 pair of shoes.    bad foot means only one kind fits but they fall apart after a week or so.

Yes that's exactly. originally I wanted the brine shrimp not be attached to anything, but it was too fiddly and one of it's ribs got cut off, so basically I made a rubber stamp out of it to glue the rib in place. It should have nice sharp edges for a long time. I used aquarium silicone to attach it to the backing; more vinyl; which worked great, then glued the whole thing to a small flooring tile because I didn't have a piece of wood the right size. Voila, prototype. I smeared craft paint on a plastic plate, twirled the stamp around in it and stamped it onto to a damp piece of fabric. Worked not so well on dry fabric. Anyway, I'll be using this idea again but without the backing attached it should work better in future for clay.  The sheet vinyl -not the hard 'tile' type flooring- cut super easy. I went into a flooring store I get my flooring tile remnants from and they were happy to give me a scrap. 

Yeh, not happy with it toss it.
I put a number of them on fence posts on the roads around here and they vanish.
Planet too depleted to smash stuff which some else had use for.
I do put such. In some and donate to street stalls for various charities.
I made a commemorative book ,2 actually, not happy with one I contacted the client and told her to find another potter. She did.
So months later I dropped off her pot details, my stencils And the cracked book.
Never do this. She then cancelled her order with other potter and she displays my flawed pot in her guesthouse, all for free And to my distaste.
 

assembled and ready for a gallery show.