meltonpottery82 Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 I have had pottery block for a long time. I havn't felt like anything was new or that I could come up with anything fresh. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas. I was looking at some online books but not sure whats good for such things. One person told me about a book that lists items would help. Does anyone know of any good books for ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Eberhardt Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 I don't know about books, but for myself, I draw a lot of inspiration from both the gallery here and Google images. Try searching wheel thrown pottery, or hand build pottery in Google images. I bet you could come up with tons of ideas from either source! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia UK Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Try Pinterest? The Lark Books '500..... ' Series are good if you already know the kind of item e.g. Bowls, Pitchers, Teapots etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 I am coming up on a pottery block myself, I have some projects coming to an end but have no idea what I'm going to do next. When I am without inspiration I will make some coil pots while I'm contemplating on whats next. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 do you throw or handbuild? it is time to build bird houses, thrown or hand built, the birds will appreciate them. i had a carolina wren take over the entire half acre of my old yard once she moved in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 If you're on Instagram, it can be interesting as well. It kinda depends on what you're messy-gooey-teenage-fan-girl level in love with. Form or surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Throwers block is a new one for me. How about 500 spoonrests Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Charpentier Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you have the option, don't hit the studio until you figure out what you need to make. Time away from making is healthy. If you feel pressured to get back into the studio, choose a form to make enough times that it becomes reflexive. I do lidded jars when I lack direction. It gives me plenty of time to figure out the next run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alabama Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sometimes I get potter's block. A couple years ago, during such a spell, I started making vessels based on,"If a ______ were a potter, what would the pottery be like.". The first one was "dominatrix". The color of glaze was a given ...black. The next decision was design. So I thought of spiked collars, and with that in mind trimmed bands around the rims of bowls and the shoulder of cups and scored and slipped clay spikes on the bands. They looked good, IMHO. I dropped them off at the gallery as part of my dominatrix pottery collection, but was told that they were going to sold as " spiked" pottery. After all we do live in Alabama! Try that, to rid your pottery block. Good luck. Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 you do have to work to your audience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavy Fire Studios Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Throwers block is a new one for me. How about 500 spoonrests Mark Omg...is that actually a book? *googles* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Quick, someone email Lark! My default is mugs. I can riff on those all day and all night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Have you read "The Artists Way", "From the Studio Door" or "Art and Fear"? They all address Creative Block. You are not alone. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 I just can't imagine.... if I lived to 100, and could keep working,I doubt I would ever get blocked. When in a funk and not feeling up to working, I clean. Nothing is a bigger turn on to me then a clean and organized studio. For design ideas I like pinterest. To help my kids I often suggest the most simple form, pinch or coil pot. They will say they have done that. I tell them to try and make something completely different this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtRoads Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 Just read the front page of Ceramic Arts Daily. Every time I check my mail box there is some new idea. So many techniques, ideas, glazes .... I'll never get down the list of things I would love to do. I barely have time to read about all of the new ideas much less try all of them. If you do hand building, try the wheel or vice versa. You can try different types/colors of clay. You can layer clay. The room for growth in this profession are endless .... So many (techniques, glazes, clays, ideas, products) so little time. I'm not void for new ideas ... more like overwhelmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S. Dean Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Sometimes a way to break a funk is to take a class or workshop on a focused topic in a new area. Last year I took a hand building class on making bird bath. This was quite different from my typical wheel work. I learned some new techniques and its always great to see how somebody else works. More importantly, it really engaged my brain about new possibilities. I've not made any more birdbaths (yet), but I was able to use it as a stepping stone to make many new items of my own design. I am sure I would not have done this without the inspiration from the class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Just change something. Handbuild instead of throwing. Use a different trimming tool. Draw. Make a collage. Wash the floor. Make glaze tests. I always start throwing by making mugs. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolieo Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 I only get blocked when I go to do it! It's because i am putting pressure on myself to achieve something I am not capable of yet cuz I haven't done the work to get there. Alabama - what a great idea. Writer's and fine artists do it all the time , themed block busters, but I love yours! Love to see pictures. I have to unload it make it fun again. Jolie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 yeah make mugs, lots of interesting mugs. You can't go wrong having a shelf full of mugs. Whether you sell of give away, mugs are half the demand and there are thousands of ways to make mugs. Ya know is it the pot or the process? Me I love studio time and the process so there's that. I don't get bored but I do get frustrated that there are so many other grunt work type things to get done so getting on the wheel and making is the time I most enjoy no matter the form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alabama Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 ----- You can't go wrong having a shelf full of mugs. ----- make mugs. I placed three mugs in gallery, all decorated and stained using red stoneware, fired cone ten reduction. They are incised, embossed, and modeled. Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Yeah, and once you get a shelf of mugs done, then do shelf of bowls, then a shelf of one piece boxes, then try a shelf of tea bowls, and then one of plates. Fire the load, and glaze them, start all over again, and make the next set completely different from the first. Keep the cycle going, and forget about throwers block. Works for me. Either that, or I walk away from throwing and plan out some larger forms that are large thrown or slab and wheel combo, and do a few of these for change. Then go back to . . . . yes, throwing mugs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 ever notice how many original posters disappear? another one seems to have bitten the dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 speaking of dust they could did a pond hole for coi fish and collect rocks. I think oldlady they post and fold up as the same jestor-not really here but a baby toe into the stream only to run away. Clay can bite you.Its been a long trip and I'm fried-I will ponder on original posters turning to dust. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltonpottery82 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 Hey thanks everyone for your replies. I recieved a really good book from a great friend that has helped me come up with some great ideas. If your interested check it out, it helped me and maybe it will help you. http://potteryrowe.com/book/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted June 7, 2015 Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 I haven't had potters block yet. I can't imagine having it since clay is so organic. You don't have to come up with an idea, you just do random things and new creations evolve from it. You can take your finger on a cup and close your eyes and imagine the trees swaying when you were a kid and move your fingers that way as your wheel spins. When you open your eyes you have something new. I often experiment a lot with handle ideas. I just put on a normal handle and screw around with it to see what I can come up with. Get some neat looking handles sometimes, and some awful ones other times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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