Pres

Wedding jar completed except for cleanup a little after it sets up some more.
 
best,
Pres

Hi folks, no new posts for the QotW so I will resurrect one from a while back: What is your latest environmental companion in the studio?
I stated this question with the addendum of latest, because just today I used my phone streaming Pandora via bluetooth to my hearing aids! Really cool, but I found that it used the batteries to the Comm Pilot that makes the connection. Only could use it for about 5 hrs. Maybe have to pick up a battery pack to plug into as it is rechargeable from USB.
 
best,
Pres

Pres those teapots look like they would be fun to make,  I love making teapots.  I hope I can retrain my brain and arm connection so I can throw them on electric wheel I just bought.   I just had the foot pedal adjusted so that made a huge difference.  Losing the ability to throw was the first thing I lost to MS ,  I am slowly retraining my brain , I can throw small bows and cups now.  Mark C found me the wheel on E-bay so I sold my kick wheel  and forging forward with my quest.   Denice

Working in the brick garage in Summer is an advantage as it stays cooler. This is yesterdays completion, as more were thrown. still need to rub off nubbies.
 
best,
Pres
 

Teapots posted in my gallery. Part of an order for October.
 
best,
Pres

Forgot to mention, that the professorship was for something completely out of art area, but related. Seems because of my computer animation background that the college thought I would be a good fit to teach teachers how to transition into using their computers to prepare classroom materials. So it was about creating good legible organized slide shows, overhead transparencies and handouts for the classroom. .  . pre white board.
 
best,
Pres

Gabby recently asked in the question pool. . .  . Recognizing that some days are obviously different from others, and some here have studios that are available only in warmer weather or not in really hot weather, what is the typical day, hour block by hour block, during a time of year you are at your ceramic work? The interesting thing in these is the variety in the time of day people spend at their creative work, some starting in the morning and ending at 4, say, others starting at 4 and going into the night, some working at a stretch and others doing a couple of shifts, and so forth. There is also variety in how they spend the times they are not working. Some have a habit, like a walk. The choreographer Twla Tharpe, I believe, takes a cab to the gym every morning for a couple of hour workout. Some people have time specifically dedicated to reading (most of the writers do) or to family/spouse time.
In reply to this of late it has been problematic getting into the shop, and once in, a problem getting out of the shop. I will often go to breakfast with my wife around 7:30, come back to the house around 8:30, check the forum here, check email, check news, while putting in laundry, waiting for the drier, folding clothes and getting other things done. About 10 am, I may get into the shop, but sometimes not until 12:30, then I may work until 6 or 7 pm, and sometimes back at it until 8pm after some dinner. Weekends are the same, Sundays hardly ever unless pressed, Thursday no afternoon, as I bowl, and if the weather is nice I kayak at least once a week. . . . this Summer none yet. Hey! I'm retired!
Now if you had asked me that question in the mid to late 90's, I was in the shop earliest of Spring every night after school from nearly 4 til dinner, 7 til ???? Then back to school the next day at 7am. I did Saturdays all day, and some on Sunday if needed. Once school was out it was in the shop before breakfast, then breakfast, then lunch, and dinner. . . the only breaks in the day til 10 or 11 every night. No in the long run, not fun, and doing shows did not pay well. When offered a itinerant professorship at a local college with me in full control of the curriculum, teaching for two weeks to make more than I made in the entire Summer, I relaxed and made pots when I wanted. 
 
best,
Pres
 

Gabby recently asked in the question pool. . .  . Recognizing that some days are obviously different from others, and some here have studios that are available only in warmer weather or not in really hot weather, what is the typical day, hour block by hour block, during a time of year you are at your ceramic work? The interesting thing in these is the variety in the time of day people spend at their creative work, some starting in the morning and ending at 4, say, others starting at 4 and going into the night, some working at a stretch and others doing a couple of shifts, and so forth. There is also variety in how they spend the times they are not working. Some have a habit, like a walk. The choreographer Twla Tharpe, I believe, takes a cab to the gym every morning for a couple of hour workout. Some people have time specifically dedicated to reading (most of the writers do) or to family/spouse time.
In reply to this of late it has been problematic getting into the shop, and once in, a problem getting out of the shop. I will often go to breakfast with my wife around 7:30, come back to the house around 8:30, check the forum here, check email, check news, while putting in laundry, waiting for the drier, folding clothes and getting other things done. About 10 am, I may get into the shop, but sometimes not until 12:30, then I may work until 6 or 7 pm, and sometimes back at it until 8pm after some dinner. Weekends are the same, Sundays hardly ever unless pressed, Thursday no afternoon, as I bowl, and if the weather is nice I kayak at least once a week. . . . this Summer none yet. Hey! I'm retired!
Now if you had asked me that question in the mid to late 90's, I was in the shop earliest of Spring every night after school from nearly 4 til dinner, 7 til ???? Then back to school the next day at 7am. I did Saturdays all day, and some on Sunday if needed. Once school was out it was in the shop before breakfast, then breakfast, then lunch, and dinner. . . the only breaks in the day til 10 or 11 every night. No in the long run, not fun, and doing shows did not pay well. When offered a itinerant professorship at a local college with me in full control of the curriculum, teaching for two weeks to make more than I made in the entire Summer, I relaxed and made pots when I wanted. 
 
best,
Pres
 

Gabby recently asked in the question pool. . .  . Recognizing that some days are obviously different from others, and some here have studios that are available only in warmer weather or not in really hot weather, what is the typical day, hour block by hour block, during a time of year you are at your ceramic work? The interesting thing in these is the variety in the time of day people spend at their creative work, some starting in the morning and ending at 4, say, others starting at 4 and going into the night, some working at a stretch and others doing a couple of shifts, and so forth. There is also variety in how they spend the times they are not working. Some have a habit, like a walk. The choreographer Twla Tharpe, I believe, takes a cab to the gym every morning for a couple of hour workout. Some people have time specifically dedicated to reading (most of the writers do) or to family/spouse time.
In reply to this of late it has been problematic getting into the shop, and once in, a problem getting out of the shop. I will often go to breakfast with my wife around 7:30, come back to the house around 8:30, check the forum here, check email, check news, while putting in laundry, waiting for the drier, folding clothes and getting other things done. About 10 am, I may get into the shop, but sometimes not until 12:30, then I may work until 6 or 7 pm, and sometimes back at it until 8pm after some dinner. Weekends are the same, Sundays hardly ever unless pressed, Thursday no afternoon, as I bowl, and if the weather is nice I kayak at least once a week. . . . this Summer none yet. Hey! I'm retired!
Now if you had asked me that question in the mid to late 90's, I was in the shop earliest of Spring every night after school from nearly 4 til dinner, 7 til ???? Then back to school the next day at 7am. I did Saturdays all day, and some on Sunday if needed. Once school was out it was in the shop before breakfast, then breakfast, then lunch, and dinner. . . the only breaks in the day til 10 or 11 every night. No in the long run, not fun, and doing shows did not pay well. When offered a itinerant professorship at a local college with me in full control of the curriculum, teaching for two weeks to make more than I made in the entire Summer, I relaxed and made pots when I wanted. 
 
best,
Pres
 

Update: So I've been pretty upset the past two weeks waiting to hear back about a test for a mutation in my blood cells that renders the known forms of drug treatment useless. They did the wrong test twice...anyway apparently third time is the charm and the test came back negative, I'm just responding slower than most, which is very very good news. Thanks for all the nice comments and getting to hear folk's sharing. I wish everyone else a bit of good news in their struggles also. 

I always have a bag on the table where I working to place scraps which I try to add as I go so they are not dried out.  I mist inside the bag.  So the clay says moist.  When I have enough, I plop the contents of the bag out and smoosh  (Technical term) the pieces together into a rectangular shape.  Then I set the roller on high setting then roll, then set it lower and position the clay the opposite way and roll again....and do this again until I reach the thickness I want.  What I found about changing the direction each time was that I reduced the amount of air pockets.  I also waste very little clay and don't generate so much dust.

Folks, lets give credit where credit is due. I am only a facilitator on the this Qotw thing, as I try to choose questions from the question bank that is in the ICAN forum section. LeeU posted this question just last week, and so here it is. . . thank her.
Thank you LeeU!
best,
Pres

Yeah, I am on medicare, and have T2 diabetes. I would not want to be looking for insurance at this point as the premiums for T2 are through the roof. I am controlled, and don't have to take meds, but anyone that knows me knows that I am very strict on my diet. I don't test, unless feeling ill, but have had an A1C below 6 since 2010. Diagnosed in 2009 just 3 months before retirement. 
Yappy, sorry to hear of your condition, but you seem to be handling things well, and still learning.  . . thats a good thing. Keep on keeping on as much as you can. Loved the Oregon coast, lived in Seattle for 7 years. great times.
 
 
best,
Pres

It sounds like you are handling a difficult situation brilliantly. I am not ill but a young one I love beyond measure is seriously, permanently ill, and I am glad for medicaid.

As I mentioned before somewhere I have leukemia. When I was diagnosed I promised myself a few things. One, I would do what I wanted the way I wanted as much as possible from then on with the time I have left. Working with clay to some extent gives me a focus and relieves my depression to a large extent, helps me to handle my fear, and though I don't really believe in 'legacies' it's sort of nice to know that a few things I made will be around a long time after I'm gone. Right now I actually feel physically pretty good and thought I was doing well in remission. A visit about a week ago with my oncologist cleared my hopes up when he said it's time for me to get in line for a bone marrow transplant. Hm, yes, well.
Anyway, on the bright side I got to quit my job (after not being able to finish a shift at work due to having pain from a swollen spleen, a health care provider with no health care, thanks to the heartless health care system in the US) three years ago when I finally walked into an ER and got diagnosed. I'd been managing and working through horrible symptoms undiagnosed for at least two years not knowing what I had. The ER doc suddenly got excited saying my white cell counts were off the scale and I was rushed over to another hospital in the middle of the night, put into all sorts of contraptions, IV's inserted, etc. The oncologist assured me I didn't have long if it was one type, about 25 yrs if another. My only thought was "Christ I can finally quit my job!" -that's how much I hated it. After recovering and getting social security and medicaid worked out, I sold my wee house in Idaho, (also hated Idaho, I'm from CA originally, seriously a fish out of water) and used the money to move to a place I love on the Oregon coast. Anyway I'm cramming as much of what I want, that I can afford on next to nothing, into what's left. Not everyone gets the news they better get their affairs in order and have such and such time left to do it. Most of the time, I'm grateful, not always. 

Pres,
Recipe for wadding box:
Start with a big C-clamp, or 
a  big Double Anvil C-Clamp, or 
something like IRWIN QUICK-GRIP 0.75-in Clamp, 
some scraps of 1x4 and 1x6 planks,
some nails, glue, etc., 
your own creativity, and 
you can make one of those wadding boxes your self.  
LT
 
 

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? 
 

Mark is the first ridge on your bowl for catching any running glazes?   Denice

Yes many of my glazes run and a good foot ring catches them.Its also my signature style of foot. A solid strong foot is something most pots need.
learning to make a  good strong solid  non chip foot is a key deal. I spent a year working with a mentee on her foot style.Most just ignore the foot or half -a--one or do not have one.Good feet are part of good pots.All that said I have a few forms that I do not have feet on. I used to 40 years ago foot everything .
In my temp range of cone 11 porcelain many glazes are moving and they fill that foot space above the foot.
My pie plates for example are flat bottomed but still have the side edge foot that catches glazes.
If you are working in cone 06 runny glazes will not be an issue but a good foot on a pot will always look better.

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? 
 

So the pool does not have any recent contributions so I will ask:Do you use cloth towels, paper towels or other when in the shop to dry your hands, and clean things off?
I have a tendency of using cloth towels in the shop, mostly the size of hand towels. I use an apron with clips on the front to hang the towel to. I used to use towels over my legs when throwing, but then when I got the new apron. . .  this works much better. Cleaning hands etc, I usually clean off in throwing bucket first and then in a clean bucket of water to finish and then dry off with a towel. Dirty towels go into a 5gal. bucket of water to soak, then another to rinse a few days later. Then laundry.
 
How do you handle cleaning hands, especially when pulling and making handles and applying them. I am always wiping my hands when working that way.
 
best,
Pres

Gabby,
They are for Savannah Bee, a honey company that is now selling my honey jars, mugs, and soon teapots. Nice catch on the decoration. I stamp them before shaping, that makes the images larger where they get expanded. The lids are stamped after trimming.
 
best,
Pres

Well lets see the past two days has been high production-These pots which I'm sponging on the white table and in the far distance (not the ones that need handles or trimming on plaster bats) where loaded today at noon and are now at 8pm about 1200 degrees. I sponged them today in sun dried them a few hours -still wet and slow fired them about 10 hours in gas car kiln today/night
That load was about 150 spoon rests and 60 sponge holders and a lot of mugs and bowls some where serving size.
Glaze day is friday
 

Working in the brick garage in Summer is an advantage as it stays cooler. This is yesterdays completion, as more were thrown. still need to rub off nubbies.
 
best,
Pres
 

Working in the brick garage in Summer is an advantage as it stays cooler. This is yesterdays completion, as more were thrown. still need to rub off nubbies.
 
best,
Pres