liambesaw
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Posts posted by liambesaw
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Almost half of adults have a college degree, I don't consider that to be elite by any standard. If money is a barrier as a young adult, there is always time later in life to pursue a degree. I was\am poor and will probably continue to be so, but later in life I decided to look into college and decided it was worth it. I had to use grants and scholarships to afford school, had two infants at home, worked full time and ran a side business at the same time. It was a tough 5 years, but it was worth it. If money is the barrier there are many ways around it, and if you need help navigating the system let me know and I can help you.
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2 hours ago, Pres said:
Most college undergrad have kiln loading done by assistants. However, in Art Ed. courses of Ceramics they often include demos and actual loading and firing of kilns for the obvious reason that the student then will be the teacher in charge of loading and firing later. I got much of my understanding of firing from undergrad early. In grad work I fired gas only a few times, but then I had a lot of electric experience. Some things like packing the kiln, kiln wash and stilts were the same, but the gas kiln is much more hands on. I do not fire an electric with any controller or setter. Fired up and down by eye and color temp with cone pack for accurate ^6 most of the time. Last firing did not go as planned! OOPs!
best,
Pres
Yeah I meant the gas kiln. The electrics were always bisquing in the classroom and we were involved, but the giant outdoor gas one was our glaze kiln and only the assistants and the professor were allowed to touch it. I got to watch sometimes because I was a volunteer helper after my third class, but something something insurance and I wasn't an employee, etc etc. Community college woes
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10 minutes ago, Pres said:
When I taught adult classes, 9-12, we would have about and hour of class time then studio for 2. Class time was active demonstrations on my part from how to assemble clean 90 degree slab corners to using a slab roller or an extruder. Vocabulary always included, along with the correct name for tools, processes, and materials. Loading the kiln was a demonstration and at time a group project along with critiques at unload.
best,
Pres
I wish my college let the students observe loading and firing the kiln, but it was fired over the weekend. Students got to participate in kiln openings though, those are always fun
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I was lucky enough to get into a special pilot school in Seattle when I was a wee lad. It was a school that focused on the arts instead of academics and I got a very thorough exposure to every art form you could dream of. We had a giant ceramics studio as part of the school and that's where I started my obsession. Was able to stay in that school for 7 years, did everything from candle making to screen printing, wood carving, performance art, painting, etc etc.
We moved away when I was in 8th grade and my family decided to go the home school route after I had a difficult time adjusting to a traditional school. I ended up going to college through an early entry program and took ceramics courses every quarter for two years. Loved it, volunteered all the time, had a key to the studio and covered dang near every aspect. I really wish I had continued in that direction but I dropped out of school once I ran out of free credits.
Fast forward 20 years and I went back to school for my computer science bachelor's, graduated last year. I will say I use the knowledge and experience I gained in elementary and community college a whole lot more than I use the science I learned for my bachelor's. Maybe my unstructured schooling as a child was totally different than traditional art classes but I wouldn't trade that hands on learning for anything. I am a dental laboratory technician now, making dentures, and using those ingrained skills every day.
Just early this year I was able to afford the space, time and money to get a wheel and build a kiln. Back at it and it was like riding a bike. So the value of education on ceramics? Well, I have to say it is invaluable in my life.
As far as calculus and organic chemistry are concerned, they're there because there is some minimum standard of knowledge by which an institution must adhere in order to issue credible certifications. There isn't a specific degree for every possible field, so while I may not ever use calculus as a web developer, someone else with my degree who designs computer components may indeed use it. I didn't mind learning new things, even if I was never going to use them again in my life. I guess I am just curious enough to be a sucker for learning haha.
I don't understand animus towards schooling. We have the luxuries we have today by building on the progress of the people before us, most of who are dead. To not take advantage of that in one specific area (such as ceramics or design) out of some kind of personal principle seems like such a strange stance. And just because you have a solid foundation on which to start, doesn't mean you have some rule book you must adhere to. Why be ignorant by nature when you can be ignorant on purpose!
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1 hour ago, Pres said:
These handles are extruded, easier than pulling, but I do miss pulling handles.
best,
Pres
Would love an extruder, just so expensive I cant justify spending the cash on one when I don't do any coil or handbuilding. Would surely be for handles and test tiles haha. It's ok, pulling handles is meditative.
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1 hour ago, Pres said:
Glazing today as the weather is clear and sunny. These have been base glazed, and there are 7 more boards like this one, some with honey jars, and teapots.
best,
Pres
That's funny, I have that same amount of mugs waiting for some trimming and handles. That's what I'll be doing tonight! Pulling handles and trimming.
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You can get 80-200 mesh screen on Amazon for a few bucks, way cheaper than a talisman. And if you look at a talisman, you can see it's just mesh sandwiched inside of two pvc fittings.
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8 hours ago, Mark C. said:
Soap/lotion pumps outsell soap dishes for sure
But soap dishes are a perfect stuffer-I wholesale them and they sell in all 9 of my outlets.I like making them as well. I make about 1/2 of them with drain holes
I now use the metal covered (stainless heavy duty pumps)on my lotions and charge $5 more for them. I no longer offer plastic pumps. The metal tops made sales pick up.I buy them in $500 lots (sane a few dollars per pump)from some fellow potters I know who import and resale parts as well as they are high end crystalline potters.
You can view them at onedream.com
That url leads to a motivational speaker or something
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On 9/12/2018 at 6:11 PM, LeeU said:
My bench is clear today, having finished the pieces in prep for the pending anagama fire. I cleaned up my space, and the pile of tools, went and bought some window caddies to hold finishing materials, set up my most-used tools behind my little work slab, and finally got that annoying curtain out of my way--looks tacky, but I was in a hurry and just strung it up with those vegatable ties you get on bok choy--the poor man's Velcro LOL-works great.
Beautiful view you have, I am jealous!
What’s on your workbench?
in Aesthetic Approaches and Philosophy
Posted
Go ahead and send them my way when they're finished. I'd post a picture of the mess, but I'm afraid it would cause some of the more organized folks here an aneurysm.