QotW: How far back/deep do you feel compelled to go in your pursuit of pottery (or insert another craft/art here)?

[Pres]

Chilly recently posted in the QotW pool: How far back/deep do you feel compelled to go in your pursuit of pottery (or insert another craft/art here)?

As I am not what you would call a purist, I do not mix my own paints, or inks, but use limited palettes that are expanded greatly by my skill of mixing color, when using watercolor or acrylics. As an art teacher, it was what I used, and knew.

As an art teacher also, over the years I became pretty acquainted with ceramics, and became most inclined to continue work with it. However, I have never been interested in pursuing the digging of my own clay, let alone the refinement of it. In the long run, I do what I did lately, bought clay! As far as glazes, I started out using studio glazes from my college classes. We were given a Nelson text to purchase, read, understand, but at no point in undergrad did we actually mix glazes. When starting to teach ceramics, as the teacher before me had used commercial glazes, I continued. However, he used ^06 clays and glazes, which I did not like to work with. He also used the crappiest of the Amaco white clays on hand. Yuch! When I started teaching all of the Ceramics classes as he was too busy with the other classes he taught, I moved everything to ^6. I started with powdered glazes, large lots, then as I became more secure, following grad classes, started mixing some from books, then started modifying these, and moved slowly into mixing all of the studio glazes.

I really am not interested in mixing my own clays, as I really don't have the room for this type of studio, and I am also content with what I am and do.

 

best,

Pres

[liambesaw]

I follow the rabbit holes as I go.  If something interests me further I pursue it until it doesn't interest me anymore.  So recently my pursuit of DIY lustres came with a lot of research.  I figured there had to be a cheaper option out there that I could make myself.  There is and there isn't, but I'm still on it and still making them, mainly because I like the way the bright oil-like sheen looks on my pots.  It's subtle so I doubt anyone would really notice until I pointed it out, but they're cool!

Anyway, I don't mix my own clay for several reasons, the main one being there's very little cost savings and I have local access to beautiful pugged clays for dirt cheap.  I do mix my own glazes and make my own tools, but that's out of cost savings and control and not about returning to the roots or honoring my ancestors or whatnot.  

I like this hobby because you CAN go down these rabbit holes and come out understanding just a weeeee bit more about the different processes and how they interact.  But it's also awesome because everything is now set up to where you don't even NEED to know anything so just about anyone can hop on into the hobby with just a few hours of reading.

 

[hansen]

From day one we busted open 50 lb. sacks of clay, feldspar, and grog to make stoneware, earthenware, porcelain, and raku clay. Same as per glazes, engobes, lustres, slips, terra sig.  In fact, the clay I’m using is mostly Kentucky Stone, about cone 8. Digging my own clay? It’s interesting but it rarely gets beyond bisque. On the other hand, I do make my own ash glazes, and  I usually have a few pounds of new ash annually for this. It’s a by product of fireplace, firepit

[Benzine]

I've got a pile of rocks, that I am "decomposing", to create some new clay.  I am a patient person...

[liambesaw]

26 minutes ago, Benzine said:

I've got a pile of rocks, that I am "decomposing", to create some new clay.  I am a patient person...

I'm going camping this weekend and plan to bring back a bunch of decomposing bedrock.  I do some gold prospecting and so I always have granular magnetite but as I was washing a bunch of bedrock clay down the stream last time I thought hey I bet this would melt in a kiln!

[Benzine]

22 hours ago, liambesaw said:

I'm going camping this weekend and plan to bring back a bunch of decomposing bedrock.  I do some gold prospecting and so I always have granular magnetite but as I was washing a bunch of bedrock clay down the stream last time I thought hey I bet this would melt in a kiln!

Have you struck it rich yet?

[liambesaw]

1 minute ago, Benzine said:

Have you struck it rich yet?

I'm still trying to save up enough to make a big bottle of gold lustre, will let you know if I've got enough in 20 years hah.  It's just for fun

Edited August 29, 2019 by liambesaw

[Benzine]

21 hours ago, liambesaw said:

I'm still trying to save up enough to make a big bottle of gold lustre, will let you know if I've got enough in 20 years hah.  It's just for fun

You might be better off salvaging gold from circuit boards and other such electronics.

[Hulk]

Good question - depends! Contemplating over the last few several days - where does the "compel" come from? Somewhere near the top of my list would be thrift and curiosity, also the wish to acquire mastery*.

In ceramics, all are factors for me; mixing one's glazes (should be) less expensive, where curiosity - how does it work - should be a help! How far to go? When the I'm getting the results I want, we'll just have to see from there, eh? So far, I have a few keepers: Wollastonite Clear looks like a home run on the buff, and particularly the red stoneware; Van Gilder's Teal Blue and Variegated; Lakeside Pottery Clear Blue. I want a few shades of green, a red, white, light blue, and clear that works on bmix and light red clays. Hooowever, throwing is the thing; if/when I'm ever satisfied with my throwing, mebbe time to quit. I'm just not finding a rabbit warren of throwing - there's studying how others do, and practice practice practice; there isn't much to read.

 

Other pursuits

   Literature - first degree, English lit, was curious what goes into making a good story. While I still enjoy stories - all kinds - and indulge in analysis (mostly kept to myself), I drifted away from serious study quite some time ago.

  Competitive swimming - over twenty years of coaching, and the decade of competition afore that, I devoured everything written about the sport, technique and training; I just wanted to know what worked and why, then see my team excel (which they did).

  Competitive cycling - there's much less technique involved, haha! I do all my own maintenance, because it's cheaper, and more consistent; it's not easy to find a good wheelbuilder, and if/when you find one, she/he will eventually drift away... A few years ago I ramped off reading everything I could get my hands on - didn't have any new questions, really, and interest in pottery had latched on 'bout then.

Good question - looking back, I've been actively researching something(s) for quite some time now; maybe it's just good for me to be trying to learn something new.

 

*Mastery, hmm, maybe I'm still trying to impress my Dad? Well, looking back, the subjects I dove into have something in common - I just love doing them, so put that inna ya pipe and smoke it!

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by Hulk
oops

[Denice]

I was 12 years old when I fell in love with clay,  didn't have much opportunity to work with it until I was in high school.  I really ran with it ,  I did good enough work I won a lot of awards and a  art scholarship.    I have piddle with many other area of the arts,  it would probably take all day to list them.  I always came back to clay.   There is so many different areas in clay to study  I decided to focus on C5/6 oxidation firing.   Richard Zakin 's first C6 book had just come out with his philosophy,  formulas and theory,  after reading it I knew that it was the future of clay at least for me.   Denice

[Marcia Selsor]

Liam's answer is very similar to mine. I am pursuing another rabbit hole...soluble salts. I began working in clay 53 years ago. I started working with ceramic sagger about 20 years ago. Then foil saggers using soluble salts. Since May 2018 I have been focused on Soluble saltsand exploring low fire temperature and varying firing temperatures and processes. I also explore Obvara in warmer weather as a fun workshop topic. I have a copy of Arne Ase's watercolor on Porcelain which discusses using soluble salts in higher temperatures. It is a good resource for my exploration . BUT he is not environmentally aware that these hazadous chemicals can no longer be tossed down the drain. I am experimenting with salt that is used to melt sidewalk ice...both Magnesium Chloride and calcium chloride neither of which is considered toxic.

Marcia

[terrim8]

I have Arne's book too and I've visited Gary Holt in Berkeley to see his beautiful high temp work on southern ice. But I'm interested in the low T work too. Gary didn't toss anything down the drain- when I was there he advised me to wear protective clothing, mask & goggles & gloves..... and work in a ventilated area and make very, very small amounts solutions - only what you would use up on your project.

The problem for me is getting the ingredients - a few are somewhat easy to obtain but in Canada most are too difficult to get unless you are a commercial lab.

So far I've made a few things with polar ice at cone 6 but the lower T processes seem really interesting - you'll have to post results!

Any skiers on the hill yet? I've started an exercise program to get these old bones moving for winter!

Edited September 30, 2019 by terrim8

[Marcia Selsor]

Terrim8,

Gary Holt's work is awesome. Are you using a gas kiln? Skiing open around end of Nov. 
I am doing low temperatures on porous porcelain in a Raku kiln. Photos are from pots I was packing up for galleries and customers.

 

 

[Mark C.]

I used to dig clay and add things to it to make it work-what a hassel for crappy clay. I also used to reclaim all my trimmings-what a hassel-I started in clay in last year of high school(1971) I was full time in 1976- after graduation -drying my scrap in large plaster forms and wedging it all then pugging it at facilities at collage for trade like class tours of studio .

I gave that all up in tyhe 80s and trew dred trimmings away-still do. I bought a second hand peter pugger in 2013 if I recall after hand/wrist surgery(PRC -3 bones removed)

I wish I had done that 35 year earlier-and I could have If i chose to.

I will add that making your own clay gives you insight to clays and the same is true making your own glazes. I like having atht background as a full timer when issues pop up yuou have the skills to guide you. Clay is cheap and making  it costs more time than its worth  money wise at least for me. Its a young mans fancy as its also a  back killer-I reall that part well.

With ceramics knowing as much as you can gives you a edge as the rest of your life you will add to it and never get it all-its about 3 lifetimes worth of stuff to learn 

 

[liambesaw]

10 hours ago, Mark C. said:

I used to dig clay and add things to it to make it work-what a hassel for crappy clay. I also used to reclaim all my trimmings-what a hassel-I started in clay in last year of high school(1971) I was full time in 1976- after graduation -drying my scrap in large plaster forms and wedging it all then pugging it at facilities at collage for trade like class tours of studio .

I gave that all up in tyhe 80s and trew dred trimmings away-still do. I bought a second hand peter pugger in 2013 if I recall after hand/wrist surgery(PRC -3 bones removed)

I wish I had done that 35 year earlier-and I could have If i chose to.

I will add that making your own clay gives you insight to clays and the same is true making your own glazes. I like having atht background as a full timer when issues pop up yuou have the skills to guide you. Clay is cheap and making  it costs more time than its worth  money wise at least for me. Its a young mans fancy as its also a  back killer-I reall that part well.

With ceramics knowing as much as you can gives you a edge as the rest of your life you will add to it and never get it all-its about 3 lifetimes worth of stuff to learn 

 

How do you dispose of clay? I'm picturing a porcelain mountain next to your studio. 

[Mark C.]

In a normal production week all wet clay goes into peter pugger-all trimmings (usually 2-3 five gallon buckets goes into my weekly trash pick up can. (auto can loader on trash truck)

I used to take it down the hill to our road concrete recycle plant but I stopped that as I got tired of hualing the buckets.I have zero clay or shard dump on our 1 acre property.I like a clean place relatively speaking-no clay or shards anywhere.I do dry out my settling clay vats in the sink system and throw away a clay box amlost weekly of wet goo as well from that system .