Introduction

[Benhim]

My name is Ben and I'm from Portland OR, now living in WA where life seems a bit better these days. I've been making pots since my first experience with clay at 6 years of age. I took my first after school class in pottery at the Mt Scott Community Center. Since then I have done many different types of pottery including anagama wood firings, salt/soda, big down draft gas, updraft gas, electric at many temperatures including macro crystalline. I've been privileged to have many good potters in my area and many good instructors. I'm currently working in cone 1 - 6 electric and trying to scrape up the last of the funds I need to complete a large vegetable oil fired, fiber envelope kiln. Then I will do cone 1 - 6 reduction as well as 1 - 6 electric oxidation and crystalline.

[WUVIE]

Hello Buckeye and others!

 

Buckeye was the first person to respond very kindly to my first post on the forum. Thank you!

 

I'm 46, originally from New York, I've lived all over the map, and finally settled in Northeastern Oklahoma

with my husband, many furry children, and two grown sons and a stepdaughter who have left

the nest.

 

My first pottery project was at a very young age, though I'm certain many of us remember our

childhood creations in grade school. Mine was a handmade ashtray with a little man to hold my

father's cigarette. Years later, I created a head, likely around the 8th grade. I've always loved clay,

played in polymer for a while, but nothing extensive.

 

My kiln experience has mainly been with glass, having fallen in love with all things 'Mother Earth News',

including an old ad from Judy Sizemore about making wind chimes out of wine bottles that have been sliced.

I tinker around making miscellaneous craft items and very much enjoy firing glass in the kiln.

 

A few years ago I found some rather unique stoneware coffee cups at a shop in Eureka Springs, and

I was hooked. Why couldn't I do this, I asked. Over the past few years, I've gathered a few supplies here

and there, but never thought seriously about ceramics until I found what turned out to be knee pots at

a craft fair. That was all it took. I was so intrigued that someone had taken something so simple as a piece

of clay pressed to one's knee (Aborigines have done this for quite some time) and turned it into a usable

piece of art. This is where I will begin. Knee pots. With my own twist.

 

Thanks for listening. Looking forward to establishing relationships with all of you.

 

Karen Marie

[EarthnElements]

I just found this site and forums last night, good to "meet you" everyone. My name is Kathi my biz name is Earth N Elements Pottery and I started working with clay about 5 years ago. Love it. I work part time outside the home and spend as much of my remaining time as possible making pottery. I work in midrange temps (cone 5-6), and love making and testing new glazes. Every time we open the kiln after a glaze fire is like christmas isn't it? Bisque, eh, not so exciting.

I sell in local shops, wholesale to galleries in tourist areas, do some art fairs (although I find it physically exhausting to do so as I get older) and sell online. For those of you wishing to sell online but not wanting to have to set up your own website, you may want to try etsy. I have sold a lot of pieces through etsy and it is a good time of year to start there, not to mention really quite inexpensive.

[Diana Ferreira]

Hi everyone! I am Diana, live in Cape Town, South Africa. 20 years ago I took evening pottery classes at a local college once a week. And loved it. But my life as a nurse got in the way, and I was young and itchy, lol. 4 years ago I met my love and at that time I got bored with making jewellery. We started to talk about incorporating glass beads (made by me) into ceramics. I wanted to ensure that my beads formed a functional part of the ware, and the rest is kinda history :-).

 

These days I slipcast, but is getting a wheel next month (I want to use it to cut plaster masters too) and will see if I can remember how to throw clay :-)

 

I had a shop for the last 2 years, but is closing it the end of this week. I will then be able to work with clay for 8 hours a day, in stead of the 3 - 4 hours at night. Thank goodness I am able to get orders in this uncertain economic climate. I am also preparing for 2 big Potter's markets in the next few weeks.

[magi]

Being brand new to the forum I thought I would take a minute to introduce myself, I hope its ok to post this here.

 

I am 35, live here in Ohio and got into pottery last year after doing a small workshop. I fell in love and soon had a brand new wheel. The workshop I took helped me with the basics and I couldnt tell you how many hours I have spent surfing the internet for articles or watching youtube videos. So far I have only worked in high fire stonewares and made functional pieces. I have made everything I have wanted to so far after a lot of reading, research and videos but of course I still find things on a regular basis that I want to try.

 

For me it is a hobby, passion and I must admit even an obsession! I find myself throwing pottery for long hours at a time and even day after day then I get burned out, concentrate on other stuff and come back to it when I am ready, even when I am taking a few days off though I am thinking about what I am going to throw next!

 

I would love to hear from others, how you got into this, if you do it for fun or do it for a living if you throw more functional or decorative pieces etc. anything! I want to hear it

 

[magi]

Hi, i am magi, just joined today, i have been into pottery for just over a year attending a class and now working at home on bits and pieces. Very new to it, very short on knowledge, and trying to upskill as fast as possible. I find that i just love to pot!, mainly coil work so far, owl, birdbath, various pots etc still at the very bottom of a big learning curve. Would love to exchange ideas etc with anyone who has the time and the patience for a newby! - mags

[buckeye]

Hi, i am magi, just joined today, i have been into pottery for just over a year attending a class and now working at home on bits and pieces. Very new to it, very short on knowledge, and trying to upskill as fast as possible. I find that i just love to pot!, mainly coil work so far, owl, birdbath, various pots etc still at the very bottom of a big learning curve. Would love to exchange ideas etc with anyone who has the time and the patience for a newby! - mags

 

 

 

Magi there are a lot of patient, good and experienced people here. I havent been around for long and already so many have helped me with questions. Their are all levels of people here so I would tell anyone dont be emberrased to ask, there are others here in your shoes wether your brand new to it or been doing pottery all your life! Great forum and glad you joined us.

 

I am so glad to see people are still posting here on this thread and sharing about themselves!

[BadKatPottery]

Hi everybody;

 

I just joined and saw this thread and thought I would pop by and say hi. My name is Gem, and I am a mudaholic...oops wrong thread LOL. I live in a condo in Peekskill New York and hopefully will be moving in 8 months to Maine to have property and finally stop living like a sardine. I am originally from Canada (Manitoba)....

 

I am self taught with a few community college classes thrown in for good measure, and a 2 and half year internship so that I could learn in the old way. I currently fire out of a local clay studio that has a wonderful vibe about it. I have a wheel and studio in my basement...which is beyond messy and needs to be cleaned LOL I prefer reduction firing because of the unknowing of how the glaze will come out. It is like christmas every time I open the kiln ...your never sure what you will get. LOL. I am currently trying to learn the chemistry of glazing..

 

I do mostly functional pottery with a twist LOL the twist being I love carvings, and double walled vessels are my passion.

 

I am not sure what else to say...oh and the name of my studio is BadKatPottery after the four fur babies who insist on rolling in the dry mud, sleeping in the wheel well, and think the spinning wheel is a fun ride.

 

That's about it for now LOL

[meisie]

Being brand new to the forum I thought I would take a minute to introduce myself, I hope its ok to post this here.

 

I am 35, live here in Ohio and got into pottery last year after doing a small workshop. I fell in love and soon had a brand new wheel. The workshop I took helped me with the basics and I couldnt tell you how many hours I have spent surfing the internet for articles or watching youtube videos. So far I have only worked in high fire stonewares and made functional pieces. I have made everything I have wanted to so far after a lot of reading, research and videos but of course I still find things on a regular basis that I want to try.

 

For me it is a hobby, passion and I must admit even an obsession! I find myself throwing pottery for long hours at a time and even day after day then I get burned out, concentrate on other stuff and come back to it when I am ready, even when I am taking a few days off though I am thinking about what I am going to throw next!

 

I would love to hear from others, how you got into this, if you do it for fun or do it for a living if you throw more functional or decorative pieces etc. anything! I want to hear it

 

 

 

I am in eastern Massachusetts and have been an art teacher since graduating from college. I have worked in both private and public schools in addition to teaching an occasional college class. Interestingly enough I went to a college that didn't have ceramics as part of it's teacher education classes. I first was exposed to ceramics in high school and I did lots and lots of hand building. I did some wheel work which I do remember I loved. In the past few years my children have all gotten out of the house or nearly so and I started taking classes at the local museum. The class was all wheel ceramics and I just fell in love with the process. After a few years of the class I began searching craigslist for a wheel. I found a woman who wanted to get rid of her wheel and kiln for a very reasonable price and it's just gone on from there. I have been lucky enough to sell enough pieces to keep me in clay and glazes. It's purely a hobby if I don't sell they are gifts. :-)

[Pam S]

Pam S here. I live in NC and work in psychiatric research as my day job. Community taught and got the bug really bad (15 years ago) along with my life long friend, Linda. We now have our own little studio in my home. We've acquired two wheels, one kick and one electric, a slab roller and a small kiln. We were fortunate enough to inherit a plethora of chemicals and formulas from a now defunct recreation center, thanks to our mentor. Amateurs at best, but we are trying... My motto is "Play Dirty"

[Marcia Selsor]

Hi,

I was an Industrial design major and took an elective in ceramics. That was 45 years ago.

Marcia

[Pres]

Hi,

I was an Industrial design major and took an elective in ceramics. That was 45 years ago.

Marcia

 

 

I had originally wanted to go into Industrial Design when in HS. How I got here was a long winding road. Seems back then on the east coast smaller towns/colleges not many understood what ID was. In the end the journey was great and happy I am!

[Alden]

Hello everyone,

my name is Alden.I'm 25 years old.I just joined today to this forum community.I'm an architect.One of my friend tell me about this site.I seen some interesting threads and posts so I thought I would signup. Looking forward to learning and sharing from thecommunity.

[metal and mud]

Hello new friends--

 

This is my first post and I know it won't be my last because, reading the other posts, I realize I have been hooked, line and sinker and all, into clay. I just turned 60 (and didn't enjoy it). I live in the desert of Southern New Mexico. I'm a baby doctor by day, a full-time potter in my dreams. I'd always wanted to try clay, with the intent to make myself a set of stoneware dishes. My adult son, who learned to throw porcelain while in college, found an octagonal electric Paragon kiln for $100 and brought it to me. This was a year ago. I got it set up in my garage and decided to give home made pie dishes for Christmas last year. I made so many mistakes in both creating pieces and glazing them that it's pretty funny. Luckily my loved ones indulge me.

 

Since then I've taken classes at Ceramics Plus of New Mexico and have learned the basics. I entered some pieces in our regional State Fair this fall and won a blue ribbon for a vase that I put metal pieces on--hence my name metal and mud. My son makes the metal pieces; we etch them with salt and hydrogen peroxide. I'm envisioning tumblers that feature an etched strip of metal. I decided to sell my pieces (I can't keep them all!!) and actually sold a clay basket last weekend. I start selling at our Farmer's Market on the 17th. I hand build only and love to put texture in my pieces, and glaze them nice colors. I'm saving for a wheel and look forward to that. Sorry this was so long-winded, but now you know the most important things about me!

[Juli Long]

A big hello to the new posters young and "older" alike. An architect and a baby doc., psychiatric researcher, mudaholic, nurse, students.

Should be some interesting post coming from this new group.

Can't wait!

Juli

[Guest The Unknown Craftsman]

Should be some more great posts here!

Keep smilin'!

[trina]

Hi everyone! Those are some really great introductions. My name is Trina Doerr and I have a small pottery and paintong studio in southern Spain. I have been living here for about the last twelve years and just opened my studio about two. years ago. It has been a struggle but things are finally starting to pay off. I have learned so much from the internet and other potters. I run classes two days a week and pot for myself the rest of the time. I sort of struggle with the term artist, basically I just love making stuff! This year I finished a large mural project and if anyone wants to see it you can have a look on youtube. Its called Making a mural by Trina Doerr. If anyone wants any advice on this kind of project just ask, I know exactly what i did wrong!!! Anyway look forward to participating on the forums and getting the chance to exchange. I would like to know what inspires everyone!

[claclana]

Hello Buckeye and all!

this forum as being a great help, and this site is full of data: thank you, this is a GREAT community!

 

I live in Buffalo, NY, Moved from NYC 10 years ago (originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina) worked as mosaicist for eons (mostly commission-murals), adding volume to the surface with carved wood or cement, so when "discovered" clay 1 year ago was a breakthrough, where was clay all my life!? THIS is my material! hand build and extrusions so far takes all my doings, love it, just playing with forms, not with surfaces neither colors, SO much still to explore, ...love it.

My old website is www.mosaicNY.us (or www.ClaudiaNagy.com) and the ceramic works are at www.IntrinsicStillness.com, sold some works in 2 locals gallery shows, and trying to start on Etsy but requires so much time with the photos, word etc etc!

 

[phill]

Hello everyone!

 

my name is phill schmidt. i live in mn, i am 24, i make functional work in the cone 10 redux style, and am getting married soon! i went from a biology major in school to an art major in ceramics. it was a crazy move for me, but God has made me a maker and thus making pots has been a wonderful way of making. after college and learning under the great Kirk Freeman, i took up an apprenticeship with master potter S.C. Rolf for a year--the apprenticeship only recently ended. i love posting on here, and i will say that i am much bolder in my talk here on the forum than in person. i hope i dont offend anyone, or at least not deeply. i do love a good opinionated conversation though. i am young, i am bold(ish), and i love making.

 

i also really enjoy cooking. perhaps it has something to do with my love for food.

 

i also have a website, phillip-schmidt.com if you are interested.

 

phill

[lacemuse]

Hi! I'm new to the forum, too & new to pottery. I LOVE this site!! There's so much here to learn from!! I'm here every day reading the forum posts & watching videos!

 

I was inspired by Lyn Belisle's scent shards - faces from the past. I decided I could do it, so I followed her video instructions to learn the basics. I make a clay mold of the face of a statue, then use low fire earthenware to make the faces, & add some hand-building to them. The point is for the bisque to still be porous enough to absorb essential oil, but to still be strong.

 

So, of course, I needed a small kiln & purchased a Paragon Firefly. I fired my molds last week - yay! I have 3 faces drying & they'll be ready to fire this week-end. I'm soooooooooo excited! Low fire bisque - unglazed. Easy peasy! We'll see how they turn out Sat. LOL!

 

Well, now that I have the small kiln that will fire low-fire bisque & low-fire glazes I needed to decide what other items I could make. I decided on small cups & bowls for starters. Well, now I decided I needed a wheel & to learn to throw them, so I purchased a wheel. I have a great DVD that I purchased from the store here on wheel throwing. I tried out the wheel & learned how to center right away. Yay again!!!

 

I have 2 weeks off starting the 19th, so I'll be practicing, practicing, practicing. I'm thinking about taking a pottery class in January from a highly recommended local potter, so I'll have a live person to help me with throwing.

 

OK, I've decided that I'll eventually need a larger kiln. The 4.5" height limit of the Firefly just isn't going to work for the larger pieces I'd like to do on the wheel. Providing I get good enough on the wheel, I'll be shopping for a larger kiln. I've already talked to an electrician, & got some recommendations from our local supplier. LOL!

 

I'm 59, so I don't have time to become a master potter, but I'm beginning to live this dream I've had for sooooooo many years!!

[SShirley]

OK, here's mine:

 

My name is Sylvia Shirley and I live in Pittsburg, Kansas. I'm 56 and have been doing pottery for about 18 years. (It took some math to figure that out... since my son was 17 and he's 35 now...gosh I feel old) I started taking classes for stress relief and loved it. I built my own kick wheel and turned a garden shed into a studio. I soon outgrew the garden shed and moved into my half of the garage. For years I tried to talk my husband into letting me get a building for a studio, but when I took over his side of the garage he finally relented. Four years ago we bought a run-down little building in town and I set up a gallery in part of it and a studio in the rest. It's about 1300 square feet total. Now I have two electric wheels and a big Skutt kiln and a slab roller. This is not a great town in which to be a potter. Sales are not great, but they are slowly growing. I just had my holiday open house with three friends, and it was pretty successful. People are starting to find me, but I do spend a lot of time explaining that this is not a "paint your own pottery" place, and I do not do children's birthday parties. My studio work is almost exclusively functional, cone 6 electric, but I have started doing some cone 6 crystalline which is a lot of fun - when it works. I also take a continuing ed class in Joplin every semester, where we get the use of the gas kiln, which is pretty nice.

[trina]

Hello new friends--

 

This is my first post and I know it won't be my last because, reading the other posts, I realize I have been hooked, line and sinker and all, into clay. I just turned 60 (and didn't enjoy it). I live in the desert of Southern New Mexico. I'm a baby doctor by day, a full-time potter in my dreams. I'd always wanted to try clay, with the intent to make myself a set of stoneware dishes. My adult son, who learned to throw porcelain while in college, found an octagonal electric Paragon kiln for $100 and brought it to me. This was a year ago. I got it set up in my garage and decided to give home made pie dishes for Christmas last year. I made so many mistakes in both creating pieces and glazing them that it's pretty funny. Luckily my loved ones indulge me.

 

Since then I've taken classes at Ceramics Plus of New Mexico and have learned the basics. I entered some pieces in our regional State Fair this fall and won a blue ribbon for a vase that I put metal pieces on--hence my name metal and mud. My son makes the metal pieces; we etch them with salt and hydrogen peroxide. I'm envisioning tumblers that feature an etched strip of metal. I decided to sell my pieces (I can't keep them all!!) and actually sold a clay basket last weekend. I start selling at our Farmer's Market on the 17th. I hand build only and love to put texture in my pieces, and glaze them nice colors. I'm saving for a wheel and look forward to that. Sorry this was so long-winded, but now you know the most important things about me!

 

[trina]

Hello new friends--

 

This is my first post and I know it won't be my last because, reading the other posts, I realize I have been hooked, line and sinker and all, into clay. I just turned 60 (and didn't enjoy it). I live in the desert of Southern New Mexico. I'm a baby doctor by day, a full-time potter in my dreams. I'd always wanted to try clay, with the intent to make myself a set of stoneware dishes. My adult son, who learned to throw porcelain while in college, found an octagonal electric Paragon kiln for $100 and brought it to me. This was a year ago. I got it set up in my garage and decided to give home made pie dishes for Christmas last year. I made so many mistakes in both creating pieces and glazing them that it's pretty funny. Luckily my loved ones indulge me.

 

Since then I've taken classes at Ceramics Plus of New Mexico and have learned the basics. I entered some pieces in our regional State Fair this fall and won a blue ribbon for a vase that I put metal pieces on--hence my name metal and mud. My son makes the metal pieces; we etch them with salt and hydrogen peroxide. I'm envisioning tumblers that feature an etched strip of metal. I decided to sell my pieces (I can't keep them all!!) and actually sold a clay basket last weekend. I start selling at our Farmer's Market on the 17th. I hand build only and love to put texture in my pieces, and glaze them nice colors. I'm saving for a wheel and look forward to that. Sorry this was so long-winded, but now you know the most important things about me!

 

 

I hoe you get this message, potter but totally computer illiterate.... anyway loved your post and just wanted to say, speaking of metal, i have been using rusy iron nails in some of my pieces and it is a great effect. I also like to use hinges as bird legs....i will psot you some pics if you are interested and i can figure this machine out hehehe. take care adios Trina

 

 

[metal and mud]

Hello new friends--

 

This is my first post and I know it won't be my last because, reading the other posts, I realize I have been hooked, line and sinker and all, into clay. I just turned 60 (and didn't enjoy it). I live in the desert of Southern New Mexico. I'm a baby doctor by day, a full-time potter in my dreams. I'd always wanted to try clay, with the intent to make myself a set of stoneware dishes. My adult son, who learned to throw porcelain while in college, found an octagonal electric Paragon kiln for $100 and brought it to me. This was a year ago. I got it set up in my garage and decided to give home made pie dishes for Christmas last year. I made so many mistakes in both creating pieces and glazing them that it's pretty funny. Luckily my loved ones indulge me.

 

Since then I've taken classes at Ceramics Plus of New Mexico and have learned the basics. I entered some pieces in our regional State Fair this fall and won a blue ribbon for a vase that I put metal pieces on--hence my name metal and mud. My son makes the metal pieces; we etch them with salt and hydrogen peroxide. I'm envisioning tumblers that feature an etched strip of metal. I decided to sell my pieces (I can't keep them all!!) and actually sold a clay basket last weekend. I start selling at our Farmer's Market on the 17th. I hand build only and love to put texture in my pieces, and glaze them nice colors. I'm saving for a wheel and look forward to that. Sorry this was so long-winded, but now you know the most important things about me!

 

 

I hoe you get this message, potter but totally computer illiterate.... anyway loved your post and just wanted to say, speaking of metal, i have been using rusy iron nails in some of my pieces and it is a great effect. I also like to use hinges as bird legs....i will psot you some pics if you are interested and i can figure this machine out hehehe. take care adios Trina

 

 

 

[metal and mud]

Hi Trina--I hope I'm replying to you and not myself!! The term newbie is so accurate. . . I'm very interested in your use of iron nails and I'd love to see a picture!