Pres

assembled and ready for a gallery show.

For text work in letters I use a small squeeze bottle with the glaze or stain and fill the letter voids-far less clean up and messing with things-then I wax over them for glazing.

Pres, the wedding jar is just gorgeous.

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

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

What a lovely wedding present! Such a nice thing to make for them, hope they fill it with love, wishes and dreams.

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

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

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

Yappystudent recently asked a question that brings up old memories:  I'm curious if anyone else uses "Kiln Gods" or Gremlins when firing their kiln.
I can remember in undergrad school the professor having us make kiln gods to tame the fire and chaos of the gas kiln. We did all sorts of crazy gods and put them on the top of the kiln as offerings. .. . firing went all right as expected as the prof fired it. My first few years of teaching I did kiln gods with the students, and then I let things die a death that seemed natural as I was firing electric! However, at the last NCECA, I saw the really cool peep hole creatures, and I know that if I were still teaching I would have everyone make one of them they are so Cool!

 
 
 
best,
Pres

Busy glazing once again, Honey Jars this time to be out on Thursday for trip Friday.
best,
Pres

I did make mud sculptures and very just drip sand castles as a kid. In college I discover clay. I soaked up as much knowledge as I could. I focused all my art history research papers on ceramic topics relevant to each AH course I took. I designed kilns, built burners and experimented with glazes. Some of my happiest moments have been working in studios in the woods. After 50+ years, I am very engaged with the interaction of chemistry and firing marks on surfaces. It is my passion. And there is inner peace and there are stellar moments of excitement and discovery. I love it. never a dull moment.
 
 

Denice,
I understand the inner peace of working with the clay, but can also see where some would be so involved in production that it would consume that inner peace. Hope that makes sense to some.
 
 
best,
Pres

I don't know whether this is what you are asking,  but if you look just below the title for this thread, also in this ICAN forum, you will see all the past week's questions and answers.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Why? Because I find it strangely curious that glaze had exacting standards and defined chemistry. In my early searches for information about clay chemistry, none existed. Yes, some boundaries had been defined, but  formula limits, plasticity parameters, and particle distribution was a loosely defined concept. If I would have not seen a crystalline vase in Williamsburg, Va. In 2007 I would have bought a lathe and made furniture. But alas, I now have my rabbit hole decorated, and there is plenty of brain candy to munch on down here. I did talk to Alice yesterday, she has not aged a bit.
Nerd

Its really changed for me since the beginning as a high school student. My friend asked me back then to take some private clay classes taught by a studio potter for a very small group of 4-5 people.The high school also had some minor clay facilities .
It was fun learning not thinking to seriously back then. The serious stuff for me at that time  was losing one of my brothers  to suicide and taking flying lessons.
Clay just crept inside slowly and within a year I had bought  a Brent wheel to throw at home.
By collage I was sponging up all the knowledge I could on building kilns doing Raku,making glazes formulating clay bodies whatever I could learn I was game.I just in a few years was only thinking about ceramics while pursuing an BA in art. I was the President of the ceramics club at collage and built a few kilns at home during school . I began selling during school pottery club sales. I sold outside of collage as well . By graduation I was making and selling pottery with another potter . It just mushroomed from there . I had a starving decade before it started gaining traction.I never thought about a plan or a goal back then I was having fun and making it by if only barley.
I became a prolific potter along with about 15 other potters in our area all from the same collage clay classes . Now there are only a few of us left doing this from that era locally .
I started with all the local fairs and a few consignment outlets. Soon I was applying to juried shows out of my area and that really helped with income.
Most  local potters faded away decades ago-I stayed at it and it has become brand (Liscom Hill Pottery) for me locally. Now I know pottery is work but it still to some degree is fun. I have 100# control and can still pick and choose my work schedule. I'm trying to slow the train down a bit now.
The things I still like are customer interactions (selling direct to customers) Getting paid well and having this clay work as a lifestyle. its be a good mix with my  love of the the ocean  and diving as I set my own schedule.
Now I'm down to 5 shows and a mix of wholesale and consignment-so with 3 income streams its been a good mix.I used to never wholesale but now shows are just harder on me so I'm cutting them down and my wholesale filled that gap well. After 45 years with this in one area the business side is easy and I'm in the drivers seat.Never planned that but its evolved naturally.
The why clay is something that is beyond me-it took hold of me  early and grew into a lifestyle quest maybe a disease ?Its been a bit hard on the body but kept me active as well.
 

Last Wedesday It looked like a wheel repair shop on my bench-really my outside tables next to kilns under large metal roof
I bought a new old stock model A new in the box. These have not been made for 15 -20 years or more. I took it apart and sealed the deck edge and bottom with 6 coats of clear sealer (pressboard with a plastic top )
I also replaced the top deck hardware with stainless steel fasteners and replaced the belt since the original belt had a flat spot from sitting 20 years.I had all the parts as I have a model A already for trimming. This is my 6th Brent wheel now.Not sure what I'm doing with the two extras wheel yet as I use  only 4 of them now.
Thursday my bench was filled with bisque ware -Friday it all got glazed and loaded into two kilns and today Saturday the bench is empty.
Monday the bench will be covered with two glaze fires unloading-pricing and packing-some to my outlet a few (one box) to mothers day show at UC Davis next weekend and most summer back stock .Monday night bench will be again empty. Its about every week-pots on bench pots gone pots on bench pots gone. 
 

Love your forms Pres!

Glazing today, bisque is just turned off. Glaze load goes in tomorrow, then another on Tuesday. This is today load that I have finished glazing though the pic was taken this morning before.
 
 
best,
Pres
 
 
 
 
 
 

Busy glazing once again, Honey Jars this time to be out on Thursday for trip Friday.
best,
Pres

Busy glazing once again, Honey Jars this time to be out on Thursday for trip Friday.
best,
Pres

Two glaze kiln loads on bench yesterday-all priced and boxed-some going to upcoming big show some going on 8 hour drive to Santa Rosa wholesale  in am and killing two birds on that am trip with a gallery drop off in Eureka in afternoon on return drive.
Bench is clean today

Glazing today, bisque is just turned off. Glaze load goes in tomorrow, then another on Tuesday. This is today load that I have finished glazing though the pic was taken this morning before.
 
 
best,
Pres
 
 
 
 
 
 

Glazing today, bisque is just turned off. Glaze load goes in tomorrow, then another on Tuesday. This is today load that I have finished glazing though the pic was taken this morning before.
 
 
best,
Pres