Newbie returns for yet more advice

[ladyinblack1964]

First, please accept my apologies for bugging you folks again. I need to run something by you.

If you read my other thread from last week, you'll recall that I have some doubts regarding the studio where I just finished some lessons. Today I asked when I might pick up the pieces I just finished glazing. The studio owner said Nov. 19. My eyeballs nearly fell out. Amongst my pieces are several season items that are meant to be gifts for the autumn. I wrote back and asked if perhaps I had misunderstood something. She took four hours to reply, and now says it could be before that but that with nearly 10 kiln loads with 3-day firings and cooling days is a minimum of 30 days.

I have several red flags regarding this individual. I don't want to diss anyone publicly here, but I am wondering if someone could tell me if this is true about the firing time. If it IS true, then do you think that a studio should make it clear from Day One that you're not going to get your items for a month?!
As I've mentioned before, this is my 4th round of pottery classes, and I have never, ever run into this before. She's got only one kiln, granted, but it's a pretty large one.

For various reasons (the red flags) I am getting the impression she's not being entirely truthful with me. She's had kiln problems in the past, posted about them on social media, and I wonder if that could be the problem here.

She also made it clear that she would be unavailable from now until Monday.

Again, I'm sorry to bother you. And, I'm beginning to see why some people get their own kilns and home studios.

My initial feeling is to pick up my items and see if a local community studio can fire them.

Thank you all very much.

If anyone wants to discuss this privately, please PM me and I'll be glad to elaborate.

 

[Bill Kielb]

Well as far as the time to fire, three days is probably spot on. A Day to load and fire, a day to cool and finally unload on the third day. Assuming all these things happen when someone is awake and present in the studio  to load and unload. Things often don’t happen perfectly on a timing basis so three days is probably realistic. With a single kiln, it’s actually a bit more complicated as somewhere bisque firings need to be done as well which often take a bit longer than the glaze firings.

As far as four hours to answer an email, could be indicative or could just be email is not her primary job everyday. I used to chuckle at folks who sent me an email and then called within 30 minutes to see if I read it. Email was way down on my list of things to do so I would try to answer them by the end of the day.

Most studios could use more kilns, more loaders and unloaders, etc…. I have never seen one over staffed or with too much free help so she may just be doing the best she can with the number of students / members that are there.

I  would be inclined to believe her.

[GEP]

10 kiln loads in 30 days sounds reasonable to me too. Taking 4 hours to reply to an email is also reasonable. My personal rule is to return emails within 24 hours. 

I would leave the pieces there for firing. Taking them out and trying to find another studio to fire them is not going to be easy. Many community studios will not fire something made by someone they don’t know, made from clay that they didn’t supply. Waiting 30 days is by far the better choice. 

I can see how this is all very surprising to someone who is new to ceramics. And it’s good that you are asking questions here. Please try to see that this is a matter of gaining experience and perspective, and that the studio owner is not jerking your chain. 

[Pres]

@ladyinblack1964Part of any involvement in a studio situation depends greatly on patience.  I used to teach HS ceramics, and did have two kilns in the classroom. We fired bisque to cone 06 and glaze to cone 6. Often during in the end of the semester and especially around the holiday season I would be running one kiln with a bisque, and one with a glaze, then towards the end of the time both kilns would be running glaze constantly. However, if things are fired too quickly or cooled too quickly more pieces can be lost than survived. Cracks or blow ups from too fast a firing or too fast cooling can occur, ware can get crazing that makes it less serviceable especially with functional ware. Here is where patience on the part of the kiln operator and the students or the participants is important. Everyone is under pressure at the holidays, and ceramics takes time, while good ceramics takes more time.

 

best,

Pres

[Meagan]

I’ve belonged to 3 different studios, 2 in NY, one in LA, 4-5 weeks was normal for people coming in for lessons. As members sometimes it is quicker, but not always. During holiday season even slower than 5 weeks because so many people are making gifts. 
 

Answering an email in 4 hours, is normal or quick. If it was past 3 days that might be a bit much. 

[Babs]

Also, packing student work is a 3 dimensional chess game,trying to fit different sized items to get best use of space, AND checking bottoms are clean....takes more time  than usual stuff.

It will be worth waiting for. In the mean time.

Make more pots!!! Even if you squish them up, won't be time wasted.

When you get your own kiln that darned thing will take years to cool some days!!!!

[Roberta12]

2 hours ago, Babs said:

Make more pots!!! Even if you squish them up, won't be time wasted.

That is very good advice @ladyinblack1964 from @Babs  Ruth Ann Tudball made work for 2 years without firing anything.  She didn't have access to a kiln but worked on her craft.  There was a thread not too long ago where @Pres asked if we would rent out our kiln space.  Overwhelmingly the answer was no.  The Community Studio has a big job as previously outlined.  Give the owner and yourself some grace.  It will happen!

[ladyinblack1964]

Thank you all for your input and advice, and for your encouragement. It seems every day, I get another surprise from ceramics--usually in the form of "all the things I need to learn"!
I think I just panicked when I didn't hear back from her. I'm a bit of a nervous nelly at times!

Thanks again!

 

[Babs]

3 hours ago, ladyinblack1964 said:

Thank you all for your input and advice, and for your encouragement. It seems every day, I get another surprise from ceramics--usually in the form of "all the things I need to learn"!
I think I just panicked when I didn't hear back from her. I'm a bit of a nervous nelly at times!

Thanks again!

 

Clay work is meditative!

Just make pots, the outside world just goes away.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

Clay work is an exercise in humility and patience. Frequently we get handed these lessons against our wills. Or hauled into them kicking and screaming, if you’re like me. But it is worth it! Hang in there.

[RuthB]

Everybody is spot on in their answers... The practical solution is to figure out how to get your own kiln as soon as you are able. I think of taking lessons at a group studio as the equivalent of riding the stable pony.. If you want consistency and some image of control, then you need to get your own horse. And running a teaching studio has just about as many moving parts as a stable.  Those of us who changed out blood for clay in our veins get the horse sooner. Make more pots!

[LeeU]

On 10/21/2021 at 6:37 PM, ladyinblack1964 said:

Again, I'm sorry to bother you.

My 2-cents worth: First, stop apologizing-it's not necessary. The community and the forums are for the purpose of sharing, learning, discussing,  and making available useful and correct information about ceramics & ceramic science. Your two posts  sound like you're pretty soured on the current situation and the interactions with the owner are causing you discomfort. You may be doing yourself a favor by looking for a better fit for the future.  Engaging  in ceramics as a hobby with a priority focus on self-care is just not that easy. There is much that has to be learned/understood when using real clay/glazes/kilns, especially to avoid waste, expense, disappointments, & dealing with  problems common to a community kiln and studio restrictions. Perhaps consider whether working in clay is truly getting you out of the house enough to compensate for the distress that issues (which are inherent to the art/craft) are provoking. They are not going to go away anytime soon in the journey. In terms of supporting health, the payoff needs to be more positive than negative. I too use ceramics for self-care, and it has taken a good bit of trial & error and well thought-out strategies and practices to make it work for me.  One suggestion I have is to see if there is a Potters Guild within traveling distance in your area and if so, check out a few meetings. 

[ladyinblack1964]

18 hours ago, LeeU said:

My 2-cents worth: First, stop apologizing-it's not necessary. The community and the forums are for the purpose of sharing, learning, discussing,  and making available useful and correct information about ceramics & ceramic science. Your two posts  sound like you're pretty soured on the current situation and the interactions with the owner are causing you discomfort. You may be doing yourself a favor by looking for a better fit for the future.  Engaging  in ceramics as a hobby with a priority focus on self-care is just not that easy. There is much that has to be learned/understood when using real clay/glazes/kilns, especially to avoid waste, expense, disappointments, & dealing with  problems common to a community kiln and studio restrictions. Perhaps consider whether working in clay is truly getting you out of the house enough to compensate for the distress that issues (which are inherent to the art/craft) are provoking. They are not going to go away anytime soon in the journey. In terms of supporting health, the payoff needs to be more positive than negative. I too use ceramics for self-care, and it has taken a good bit of trial & error and well thought-out strategies and practices to make it work for me.  One suggestion I have is to see if there is a Potters Guild within traveling distance in your area and if so, check out a few meetings. 

A lot to think about here.  I'm on the lookout for a guild and have emails out to two of them in my state.
I realize I got pretty upset about some things that either a) worked out in the end; and/or b) will most likely work out in the future. There's an open studio/community studio that I should be able to go to in the spring. Mainly, I was taking classes at the studio I mentioned because I quickly realized my skills were not where they needed to be to take advantage of open studio. I really wish I could find someone I could work with one on one. I do have someone I'm in touch with, and may end up studying with him.

As far as finding something else to do, I work night shift, and I live in an area where there isn't much of an arts community. So finding, say, a sketching class isn't that easy either. It's been a challenge, and the virus has made it more challenging.

Thanks for your kind words.  

[Babs]

8 hours ago, ladyinblack1964 said:

.

As far as finding something else to do, I work night shift, and I live in an area where there isn't much of an arts community. So finding, say, a sketching class isn't that easy either. It's been a challenge, and the virus has made it more challenging.

Thanks for your kind words.  

Working night shift! Well look after yourself, not a healthy practice.

,ceramics will slow you down!.

Learn as much as poss fro. Any class.You can take the knowledge of clay over to whatever styles, techniques you want to focus on. These forums are filled with folk whI will help you in any area when you go to open studio

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I agree with Tom. Much of the formal instruction I’ve ever had was someone doing a demo, and then being turned loose to practice. It’s much like playing a musical instrument, in that you are responsible for much of your own learning. You can benefit a lot from being around other students when it’s a cooperative environment, and will often learn more from having others around you that are at similar places in their learning than you do from the instructor.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

For anyone who is wondering what happened to the rest of this thread:

It was evolving into really interesting conversation about learning modalities that I thought deserved its own thread. I’ve moved everything that @Hulk, @Bill Kielb and @LeeU were talking about into this thread here, in part so we don’t overwhelm the OP, and so we can give the new convo it’s head.