Pres

All too often, the college courses for teachers, and non Ceramics majors was negligent on glaze chemistry. Possibly for the lack of appropriate teachers, lack in belief that students needed or even cared about it, and as budget required efficiency, was left out of the curriculum for lack of enrollment. I never had one on glaze chemistry, only a general that told us to read Nelson's chapter on glaze chemistry and be ready for a quiz that never occurred. Oh well! best, Pres

Hi folks, I am sorry that I did not get a question of the week out last week as I really didn't know what to ask. However, I thought why not ask the opposite of the week before. However, when I go to thinking of it, it would really be two questions. So this QotW is: What ceramic skill do you wish you had more training in, and what skill do you feel very confident with? This is one that I have thought often about, as I was trained in college, never having had much more than simple pinch pot experience before even though my parents did a stint with painting cast ceramics at an on base ceramics shop in Hawaii. In college, I had a professor with an MA from Alfred, who was into large forms, but would demonstrate a few forms for us, the plate, the bowl, and the cylinder. Most of what we learned we picked up by doing, but he did cover things like lids and spouts and throwing off the hump. He was very adamant that nothing thrown could be fired until we had thrown a 3# cylinder 9" tall. Most of my time in Ceramics 1 was focused on that. Ceramics 2 saw me with mostly lidded forms, pitchers and casseroles, and a teapot. It was when I began teaching that I really refined my work. Much as doing production work will make a potter, teaching will do much the same. To be able to go into a group of HS students and demonstrate without fail day in and out was tough, and mad me more aware of my flaws than anything else. So I practiced after school, investigated new forms, mad larger forms pushing the amount of clay I could handle and the height of the form. In the end the challenge to the student was to find a form that I could not throw. Hmmm no problem as I had pretty much done all from double walled to large to lidded, rings, multiple piece, combined handbuilding and throwing and more. Not bragging just saying if they wanted a demo, they got one. Now where do I wish I had more experience? Two areas actually mold making, and glaze chemistry. I am not the best with glaze chemistry, but have come to inherently know what chemicals will do what for me in a glaze, but really don' understand the balancing of amounts. However the good new here is that glaze formulation programs are available so easily now with things like Digi Fire giving the potter the tools to make their own based on what they understand. Of course this does mean testing, testing and more testing before use. As I get involved with the wholesale orders lately I have wondered whether making a few different molds from thrown forms and casting would be better. . . Naw, but it is something I haven' t done and probably if I had knowledge of it might say Ya! best, Pres

Moved from the QotW pool: Benzine Socratic Potter Members 957 2,903 posts LocationThe Hawkeye State I'd like to finally be selling my work. I've been working with clay for over fifteen years, but just as part of my teaching, and as more of a hobby. I have sold a few pieces here and there, but most that I make has been gifts and such. So I would like to dive more into it, as a business. I will still continue to teach, it will just be something extra, kind of like an additional retirement fund, that I will continue to invest in, when I retire... Which according to my math, is still many years off... Great question, by the way Mea.

GEP, just yesterday queried in the QotW pool: In terms of your pottery work, where do you seen yourself five years from now? I think this is an appropriate question for many of us, and especially for those at the beginning or at the end of their careers. I have had a long enjoyable time with clay, from college til now totals over 50 years. I taught ceramics in HS for over 34 years, and have been working in my own shop as a dedicated hobbyist for the last 30 years. I say hobbyist, as I really don't make enough on pots to even begin to consider it as a profession, just enough to keep the hobby from disrupting the household budget, and buy me a few ceramic related toys over the years. Five years away, I hope to be doing what I am doing now, maybe more or less. I have orders from places that carry into next year, and commitments that will probably last for the next five. So what could change? Visits by old arthur have been more frequent and severe, latest wrist assessment was severe of the left wrist. Thing is, it hurts less if I'm using it, especially after throwing. Use it or Lose it becomes more true the older we get. I hope not to have it or anything else get the best of me, my Dad is 92, so there is hope! best, Pres

I would vote on a red clay with wax resist or some other resist as you can see the change in thickness in the white areas. best, Pres

I do some large pieces, some fully thrown, some with wheel thrown and slab elements combined. Check my albums. Combining forms takes considerably less energy, but design becomes even more important as proportion, texture, and details become more important when combining in that manner. best, Pres

Great article Chilly, thank you for posting it. Good to read a different take on cracks than The Potter's Encyclopedia. best, Pres

Oh well, once again, we seem to be lacking suggestions for the QotW. I will humbly submit another of my own, with the catchy tongue in cheek phrase. . . Does size matter? Now that we have your attention, I will clarify. Recently I saw one of the most derided (by potters) movie representations . . . from Ghost , In the scene Demi Moore is throwing a large vase. . . sensuously. Whoa, but wait. . . is that piece being thrown off the hump? Why would they do that? Size! So that got me to thinking, about my own use of the hump, and throwing and how I use throwing off the hump. Most times I would never throw a vase of size off the hump unless there were something special about the trimming, or the some other structural thing involving the form. Most of my throwing off the hump would be smaller items like cups, mugs, chalice stems, lids, and other things that I can reasonably repeat the shape and size by using my hands and relative ball sizes to repeat the same form over an over. That got me to thinking about size in slabs also. . . especially when using a slab roller. I usually would roll out the largest slab I could, and cut pieces from that slab to build with. Often using a template, but many times using multiple smaller pieces to assemble without a template, only a sketch or mental idea of what I wanted to do, like a castle on a rugged mountaintop all out of slabs. The size of the slab did matter, as I often used edges, and other areas when needed, then used large pieces for base and interior supports. So in you work, Does size matter? Why, How, When! best, Pres

I did forget to mention the power hand extruder that I have posted about this last year. It has really made handle making easier for me, and as others have said it seems like the handles are stronger. best, Pres

Liambesaw recently posted a question in the question pool: Is there some piece of equipment or tool that made such a huge difference to the quality of work, and quality of time, that you wished you had found out earlier? Nice question, that I am sure will generate some traffic here. I'll get my bite in first, with something of a listing, and let folks comment. Listing away, I have found that much of my work depends on the Griffin Grip, for trimming, and throwing. I use the GG to throw handles on lids quite often, just by centering up a ball of clay on a lid held in the GG, and then throwing a hollow ball or flared bell for the handle. I also have found when working with the GG, that parts from plumbing supply/hardware store come in really handy as chucks for trimming. These allow me to trim, and assemble pieces like chalices and honey jars with spoons really quickly and efficiently. Next would be a good spray gun for applying glazes, a curved throwing stick I bought at a conference years ago as it works well for shaping my mugs, small jars and pitchers, magic water (not a tool, but so much better than slip), A good adjustable stool, a trimming bed I have made to fit over the Brent CXC that allows much more space for trimming scraps and controls the mess, kitchen tools (modified for ribs to throw bowls, trim/shape bases, and as straight edges), diamond sanding plate (attached to a bat that is used on the wheel) makes bottoms smooth as glass and nicer on table tops, diamond pads also work well for foot rings as the pot may be held in the GG while grinding, and never forget the good heavy banding wheel with the 14" head. The list could go on and on, but I'll let the rest of you fill in the spaces. best, Pres

Hey folks, lets hold the replies until I post the Questions. . . .this is not to rebuke, just to say keep the thread clean for me to easily find posted questions. best, Pres

Plate space is relative. . . in that they do take up W and L, but little in the way of D. So I throw plates, and smaller low pots to go with them, put a lot of pieces in a kiln with a lot of layers. Bad thing is it is better to fire slowly as with so many layers of shelf it is easy to get one shelf faster or slower than the others. In the end long slow bisque, and proper cool down, with careful glaze firing to 1100F. then speed up to ^6. best, Pres

Callie Beller Diesel recently posted the following in the QotW pool: how often do you introduce new forms, and does that change throughout your career? How many new designs do you come up with in a year, and what's that work cycle like? As a functional potter, of late, I have not come up with a whole lot of new designs. However, as a teacher 10 yrs ago, every month was a new piece, handbuilt or wheel thrown, or as a combination piece. Projects for students were often "tested" out by some sort of piece in the beginning. A theme like "crazy plumbing" or "crooked houses" for something like an extrusion piece would be planned out and assembled by me before ever introducing it to the kids. Then there was the demonstration piece, and when starting a demonstration, I usually would carry that to completion also. So every year there would be as many as 10 or 15 new forms. When working in the studio, I am not as much concerned with new forms as refining or modifying existing forms. An example of this may be Berry bowls that came about as I found myself using a lot of fresh berries for dessert in the Summer, and decided to do a berry bowl with a shallow plate underneath for drainage of the rinse water. That ended up as a Christmas gift that year for some relatives, and then the following year for others. Teapots may be done with tilted galleries one year, and another with regular galleries, one year rounded forms, next wide kettle type forms. None of these are really new forms just morphs from previous thoughts and ideas. best, Pres

dhPotter recently posted in the QotW pool: At what point in a potter's career does he/she stop searching for and testing new glazes? When does the potter become satisfied with his/her stable of glazes and says "This is enough"? I really don't know how to answer that, as I am still keeping notes on new glazes, watching for ingredients and percentages, constantly interested in new glazes and trying out quite a few in 100 g test batches. Over the years, my own work has changed quite a bit as I learned more about glaze. ... I had never had a glaze theory/making/testing class. However, as I had been a math/science major in the early days of my college education and worked as a lab assistant nights glaze chemistry is not too distant a reach for me. I have learned to be more intuitive of late as I understand much more about how things react in a glaze than I have before. I was a teacher in a HS, and as my budget was a small for the size of my classes, I turned to mixing my own glazes as a way to get the most bang for my buck. I had around 20 glazes I mixed for classes, and then a few that I used in large powdered lots of commercial glaze. In my own work, I started out by saving money with just one white glaze that I sprayed underglazes and stains over top of for color and decoration using dipping and atomizer spraying. Over the years I have changed from that to airbrushing using a series of blue, brown and green glazes over a creamy tan white that reacts well over texture as now my decoration comes in stamped and carved decoration put in before shaping. I really don't think potters say. . . enough, especially with the way the technology and understanding increases as we keep exploring the medium. Maybe I'm wrong, and after all it is only my personal opinion. Thanks for the question dhPotter. best, Pres

Don't get me started on the disrespect of educator's. best, Pres

Over the years, I have found that I often have to have a "Gestation state", a period of time where I don't do something, but think about it. Then when I return to the activity or problem, I have solved it without even really knowing it. This has happened to me often when dealing with throwing over the years. . . throwing off the hump and having "S" cracks, throwing large and not getting enough out of the base, Wonky rims, that were weak and poorly finished, trimming through too many large plates, cracks in large plates, cracks in large bowls, and the list could last for much longer. Point is, problems do not just disappear when you push more time into it, often you have to figure out why. Research helps, thinking about what you research helps, also thinking about what you know about clay and how it is structurally made up and how to use that instead of fight it. All in a lifetime of working with any material, especially one so simply complex. best, Pres

Had 3 pots that got broken at once when a library shelf support that wasn't seated let the shelf fall. Broke the glass shelf and 3 pots. I worked with epoxy glue and putty for the next 3 months repairing the pots, paid for the shelf out of my pocket. When the students got their pots back, after having seen how badly they were broken they were amazed, but happy to have them returned. They also knew how much work I had put into repairing them and how sorry I was that they had broken. The showcase was one that loaded from the back, very difficult to work with. The next year I designed a showcase on large wheels with a skirt that hid the wheels. Loaded from the front, with locks. Really worked quite well and was used at all sorts of displays for the department. best, Pres

My hammer was often the cutting wire, as I would often cut the piece in half just to see. I still do it, and find it is a great tool for teaching. However, there have been times that pots went through bisque before I realized I didn't like it. . . . . Floor drops are so satisfying when all of those shards are scattered, and nothing left to do but sweep it up. The sound of a pot breaking on a concrete floor is enough to get everyone's attention either in fear of an accident or a crazy teacher getting release on one of his pots. They never worried about me wrecking theirs. best, Pres

Well thrown pots are not necessarily well designed either functionally or aesthetically. best, Pres

Mark C. asked a poignant question of late that figures in to a lot of discussion that has reappeared concerning quality of work, pricing, and sales. Mark's question posted in the QotW pool is:QotW: What is a realistic amount of time to spend before being able to produce quality thrown forms on the wheel.Meaning ones that others will want (not family members) 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years longer? I find this to be quite appropriate, but maybe not inclusive enough. When I first learned to throw, I was in the studio for a 10 week course in the Summer. I had a night job that left my days open, as it also had flexible hours, posting liability ledgers in a bank. During the 10 week course, I had a 2 hour class 3 times a week. I spent 5 hours in the studio minimum every class day. I also mapped out the class schedule of final due dates, firing due dates and such so that once I started making pots, I kept nothing. Then the week before final bisque deadline I kept everything I made. 9 pieces to show for the class. Got an A for the course, worst yet was hooked on the wheel and clay. The point of this is that intensive training will definitely move one along faster, and non distracted intensity over a few years would do much more than hobby potting a few nights week. Maybe you get my point now about years vs. intensity. I believe it is a good discussion, that will lead into venues such as apprenticeships, MFA degrees with required residency, work study programs or even jumping in with both feet into a startup. Hmmm lots to think about. So please horn in on Mark C's excellent but thought provoking question. best, Pres

Chilly very recently posed the following question in the QotW pool: Do you think you have helped, or been helped more by people in the flesh, or by forums, or by You-Tube? Pottery-wise, not your whole world. I will take a little moderator's license here and paraphrase: As a potter/ceramic artist, Do you think you have helped, or been helped by more people in the flesh, by forums, You-Tube, or other printed or digital media? I really have so much I could write here, so cut a long to the short. . . . I have been a HS teacher, and as such I like to have thought that I influences hundreds if not thousands of people over the years to experience and appreciate all things ceramic. I have also been influenced by professors, and others in classes in college and graduate schools. In the flesh, oh yes, so many times have I been totally enthralled by a demonstration at a conference or festival, and often at a smaller venue as a workshop. I have also influenced others in the same way as I have demonstrated in festivals, smaller venues, and in my own classrooms. I started getting answers to questions I had in the early days of the internet, seeking knowledge that was verifiable, and making use of it in my classroom and my own pottery. Often these would be forum or other texts of glaze formulas, firing solutions, repairs and other things. As the Ceramic Arts Network appeared I became a regular on the forum reading much of what was presented, finding some real gems, some friends, and lots of knowledge and usable advice. Later when asked to become a moderator by John Baymore, I jumped at the chance. I had recently retired and was looking for new venues for the teaching that I had so loved and so missed. The turn had gone full circle and I now was able to learn and teach within the forum. I have always been an avid reader, magazines and books, fiction and non fiction. I would often peruse Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, and later Pottery Making along with so many others to get information. I usually did not partake much of the art speak, as it was irrelevant to my personal interests. However, techniques, processes, studio shots, pottery, all of those I would drool over. Seems of late, I have found again that I can teach with in a magazine format with some of the published articles in the last few years. I still have an extensive library, and magazines coming monthly to keep me interested, especially in the winter months when the shop is Frozen ! I have used You tube, when in the HS to show students alternatives to the way I throw, or how to trim a plate, or a bowl well. Of course I have learned some alternative techniques also, and find that some of my old students have come back to the adult classes and shown me videos that have influenced them and asked for my thoughts and alternatives. Life is truly good! best, Pres

Ok, OK, OK, ok. . . no more new QotW's in the pool so Pres is going to have to pose one. I just happened to have been asked a few days ago if I would be interested in a Brent 14 inch slab roller with stand. This is a cable system that I first purchased while teaching. I am familiar with its foibles, and the board system for setting up thicknesses. So not a big deal. However, I had to pause, as my one car garage is kind of crowded. Then I figured that I could always cover it and use it for a table or new pot shelf when not actually using it. So someone might ask how often I would use it? I do like to do a bunch of slab/wheel combinations, and this would be helpful. . at times. In the end I said yeah I would take it and pay some cash for it. I think I mentioned $25 or $50. So the question of the week is Space wise can you afford a slab roller or any other piece of equipment that you would not use all the time? best, Pres

When I make salt pigs anymore, I just throw a rounded jar with a short lip, lay an embroidery hoop over the top at an angle and cut with a fettling knife, then reverse the top 180 degrees and rejoin. Angled cut sets the opening at near a 45. best, Pres

Still use catawampus. . . after living all over the country I have found that some words are regional, and but have credence. At the same time some words really date you! Catawampus might have been Wonky a few years ago, or even lop-eared, whatever the word is undeniably descriptive by sound of being misshapen. best, Pres