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

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

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

At less than a year in, I have gotten way more out of utube, probably by a factor of 5, even though I took 4 or 5 classes since then. There is no option for me to receive physical instruction from a master potter here, I liked my teachers, and they are skilled, but I quickly moved beyond the basics and watching people that have really mastered it helped me tremendously. This forum has also been and continues to be a huge boon. I am still mainly focused on the physical act of making forms.

I learned by real people-teachers and fellow potters-before the net was a web.Books as well-I have a large library on ceramics.
I like to read .

I got a foundation in ceramics back before YouTube, but had a pretty long hiatus between college and getting my own gear.  Now I spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos on technique and read helpful books like a potters workbook by Clary illian, or functional pottery by Robin Hopper.  I also read back issues of PMI and CM.  I think it's just all around absorb as much as I can.  Of course these forums here are really nice as well.  I have been to a single demo, and it was nice but I was getting annoyed by all of the weird questions that people were asking while the presenter was trying to demo, it felt like they really got in the way.  I enjoy doing stuff by figuring it out so I think I'll stay away from the arts center for now!

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

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

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 

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 

My wheel is a Bailey that I got about 20 years ago. It is my 4th studio wheel since 1971. It is slower than Brents. I like that. Most important to me is the control of the form. I have been throwing some larger orbs. I had several go catty-wompus (sp?). I took them off the wheel,  jiggled them to straighten and hung them out until they stiffened a bit. Then put them back on the wheel and and continued throwing. I do give up on some and just re-wedge them.  Very excited about my new work with soluble salts.
Marcia
 

I think good music matters most when throwing .I know that is a little out of the box but for me its true.A nice large light  gathering window in front of me keeps me chipper as well
The other smaller things are speed control  and a good throwing seat.
The speed control needs to work well.
(The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.) I think Callie thats an understatement as all those old Shimpo's have teriable speed control .The foot pedal on the ring drives seem really outdated-even back in the day.Sure thay are cute but thats about it.
All 5 of my wheels spin only one way-never thrown the other way. No reason to.
 

It's funny, this thread inspired me to contact shimpo about my drifting pedal, looks like it's a simple fix wahoo!  I'm skeptical of course, the thing is 50 years old, but hey it's worth a shot!  I got a copy of the rk-2 price and stock list and they have quite a few important parts completely discontinued now so looks like when this thing dies I'll be in the market for a fancy dc motor one.

Speed control is definitely a thing. I have a Brent C which was the largest capacity wheel from that company that didn't need to be rewired to cross the border at the time. I had a friend in college who got the CXC, and it never did work quite as it should after being brought up to code. The C is strong enough and variable enough for my purposes: 75 lbs is still a pretty big pot if I wanted to really max it out. I tried out a number of wheels while I could at school, and I found that kick and treadle wheels were hard on the body:  you're not supposed to have back problems at 22. The pedals on the shimpos at the time weren't nearly as sensitive.
I'm sure there are better things on the market now, but I bought this sucker 15 years ago and I have no reason to replace it. 

For me it's probably torque and speed control.  I use a vintage shimpo rk-2, the ring-cone drive is very torquey, the one gripe I have is that I can't take my foot off and maintain speed.  If I take my foot off it either goes to full speed or to zero.  Another thing I like, but isn't quite as important is that in neutral it spins freely like a banding wheel.  Makes on-wheel alterations very easy.

Recently Johnny K. Posted the following on my profile:
Hey, Pres, How 'bout this for QOTW: How do you see yourself in clay?
One of the things about taking college level Ceramics courses it the challenges you are presented with. In the last course I took on Raku the professor had a thing for Xian warriors...the terracotta army unearthed in China. One of our assignments was to sculpt a version of one of these figures...with a twist. We had to incorporate some aspect of our current life situation into the sculpture. I don't consider myself a sculptor, but I wanted to give it my best shot. Since my primary interests at this point in my life are ceramics, farming, and photography but none of the statues were suitable for the pottery or photography aspects, I chose the farmer idea. It was a real challenge, but a productive one. Here is a photo of my Raku "John Warrior" self-portrait. , and the challenge..."How do you see yourself in Clay".
 
 
 
So How do those of you out there see yourself in clay?
 
best,
Pres

Ha....this one was made just for me! These are face-pressed. The white one is slip cast, the next is porcelain w/clear and Pallidium glaze, next is stoneware  with granite dust , multiple firings, micro glitter & a bit of gold enamel (mounted in an open frame); the last was angama-fired.   HMS is my Hidden Mask Series--a bit of self-absorption with therapeutic properties.  The mask concept, using my own face, emerged in defiance of the ceramics instructor who told me "Art is not therapy" (no, art is spirituality in drag) and wanted me to quit because I was falling apart a bit at the time and I was arguing that I should be allowed to hand build if I didn't want to throw. Titled in order: Art Is; Two-faced Selfie; Assembling the Surviver, and; Emerging.

Johnny K- so why did you ask such a hard question? Been thinking about this all day; the odd thing is- clay is totally contrary to my personality. Now clay chemistry is a 50.000 piece jig saw puzzle: solving the puzzle is another story.
T

Recently Johnny K. Posted the following on my profile:
Hey, Pres, How 'bout this for QOTW: How do you see yourself in clay?
One of the things about taking college level Ceramics courses it the challenges you are presented with. In the last course I took on Raku the professor had a thing for Xian warriors...the terracotta army unearthed in China. One of our assignments was to sculpt a version of one of these figures...with a twist. We had to incorporate some aspect of our current life situation into the sculpture. I don't consider myself a sculptor, but I wanted to give it my best shot. Since my primary interests at this point in my life are ceramics, farming, and photography but none of the statues were suitable for the pottery or photography aspects, I chose the farmer idea. It was a real challenge, but a productive one. Here is a photo of my Raku "John Warrior" self-portrait. , and the challenge..."How do you see yourself in Clay".
 
 
 
So How do those of you out there see yourself in clay?
 
best,
Pres

Even though Warren McKenzie died in December of 2018, I am kicking this strand off by including him here.
Min posted the following link to an excellent historic article on Warren.
Posted Wednesday at 11:33 AM Sad news, one of the greats, Warren MacKenzie, passed away on December 31. 
Truly a big loss.
http://www.startribune.com/world-famous-minnesota-potter-warren-mackenzie-dies-at-94/503729332/
  

That strange as I was just going thru my 2011 tax papers to shred (8 years back) to make room for the new 2018 papers I'm working on now.
One was a letter from Warren about the bowl he sent me as a trade (I paid shipping cost)I put it with bowl today-same day I read this thread.I had not heard the news-small world.