Fred Parker on mon 9 apr 07
This is for newbies -- not you seasoned old dogs out there. You already
know it.
It wasn't that long ago that I plopped a ball of clay onto a potter's
wheel for the first time. I have learned much since, some of it through
much pain and suffering. While it's still fresh in my experience --
before it fades into the obscurity of actualy getting good at this -- I
thought I might share a point or two as they come to me. If you are a
newbie to the wheel and inclined listen to advice, here's some that WILL
improve your life if you take it:
1. You will either NEVER, or perhaps only after sufficient misery to end
your potting career, succeed at centering a ball of clay that is too
stiff. If you suddenly find yourself having trouble centering and coning
up after having done it successfully in the past, chances are you need to
do something to soften your clay. I add water and knead after a day or
so. Others might have other methods. If you don't follow this advice you
will regret it.
2. The ONLY way you will ever make good pottery is to make LOTS of that
kind of pottery. If you are hell-bent on making many different forms all
at once (cups, mugs, bowls, creamers, plates and others), and having them
turn out well, then you had best get started and plan to have pizza
delivered because it is going to take you a LONG time to succeed. A
better approach is to spend a couple of months doing one, then move to
another for the next few months. Once you are good at something, it is OK
to make more of them while learning something new, but mixing many new
forms will slow your progress.
3. Your mugs will look like crap until you make 50 to 100 of them. Aftr
that, they will still look like crap to you, but others will tell you they
like your mugs. Successful forms without handles are possible at lower
production levels.
Like the Issenberg Pronouncement, each of these points is absolute and not
negotiable.
Fred Parker
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 10 apr 07
Dear Fred Parker=20
Admirable though your advice may be, perhaps you should have prefaced =
your remarks by telling newcomers to the Clayarts and Crafts how to =
judge the quality of clay so that they do not go through the traumas you =
describe.
All the best,
Ivor
Fred Parker on tue 10 apr 07
Dear Ivor:
Good point you make. However, I am still a bit of a "newbie," and not
really a good judge of clay quality myself. I posted the message because,
during this steep phase of my learning curve, I have struggled with
several demons that I am sure seasoned potters have long since conquered
and forgotten. They are very real and very present to beginners, and so I
thought it might be good to pass along what I have learned while it is
still fresh and painful for me.
I certainly encourage others to add their suggestions. I'm sure I and
others would be interested in hearing your thoughts re judging the quality
of clay (and other points).
Regards,
Fred Parker
On Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:11:14 +0930, Ivor and Olive Lewis
wrote:
>Dear Fred Parker
>
>Admirable though your advice may be, perhaps you should have prefaced
your remarks by telling newcomers to the Clayarts and Crafts how to judge
the quality of clay so that they do not go through the traumas you
describe.
>
>All the best,
>
>Ivor
>
>__________________________________________________________________________
____
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Lee Love on tue 10 apr 07
On 4/9/07, Fred Parker wrote:
> 3. Your mugs will look like crap until you make 50 to 100 of them. Aftr
> that, they will still look like crap to you, but others will tell you they
> like your mugs. Successful forms without handles are possible at lower
> production levels.
If it is possible. I would recommend making 100 before you
keep any. Or, make 10 and only keep the best one. Do this 10 time
so you have 10 mugs. Number them so you can put them in
chronological order so you can see progress. This helps keep you
from being too attached to the ugly ones.
Work from a model. Make your form as close as you can to the model.
Don't "free style" when you are learning, because the point of the
process is to improve your skill and not to simply produce an object.
During the first 1000 mugs I made during my apprenticeship, I
probably made 3000 to get 1000 keepers.
The recycle bucket is your friend. You can reuse your
clay before bisquing. Remember that before you select for the
bisque firing.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." -
Henry David Thoreau
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
Lisa E on tue 10 apr 07
Fred;
I have been potting for just over 6 months now and I agree with you 100%.
I learn something new every single day.
Lucky for me I have an extremely honest husband and he will tell me whether
something is ugly, nice, okay or awesome. Awesome doesn't come up too
often, but when it does, I know it really is.
As newbies, we NEED to ask people their advice and honest opinions. There
will always been a pot of two which I really like and only I will like it.
Hahahaha, but I will keep those for myself.
Art is also in the eye of the beholder, for sure, but we all need some
people we can trust for honest to goodness advice. I am fortunate to have a
brutally honest husband (I mean that in a good way) but ClayArt has also
been one of the best things to happen to me!
Cheers,
Lisa
On 4/9/07, Fred Parker wrote:
>
> This is for newbies -- not you seasoned old dogs out there. You already
> know it.
>
> It wasn't that long ago that I plopped a ball of clay onto a potter's
> wheel for the first time. I have learned much since, some of it through
> much pain and suffering. While it's still fresh in my experience --
> before it fades into the obscurity of actualy getting good at this -- I
> thought I might share a point or two as they come to me. If you are a
> newbie to the wheel and inclined listen to advice, here's some that WILL
> improve your life if you take it:
>
> 1. You will either NEVER, or perhaps only after sufficient misery to end
> your potting career, succeed at centering a ball of clay that is too
> stiff. If you suddenly find yourself having trouble centering and coning
> up after having done it successfully in the past, chances are you need to
> do something to soften your clay. I add water and knead after a day or
> so. Others might have other methods. If you don't follow this advice you
> will regret it.
>
> 2. The ONLY way you will ever make good pottery is to make LOTS of that
> kind of pottery. If you are hell-bent on making many different forms all
> at once (cups, mugs, bowls, creamers, plates and others), and having them
> turn out well, then you had best get started and plan to have pizza
> delivered because it is going to take you a LONG time to succeed. A
> better approach is to spend a couple of months doing one, then move to
> another for the next few months. Once you are good at something, it is OK
> to make more of them while learning something new, but mixing many new
> forms will slow your progress.
>
> 3. Your mugs will look like crap until you make 50 to 100 of them. Aftr
> that, they will still look like crap to you, but others will tell you they
> like your mugs. Successful forms without handles are possible at lower
> production levels.
>
> Like the Issenberg Pronouncement, each of these points is absolute and not
> negotiable.
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
--
Lisa Elbertsen
www.LisaElbertsen.com
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
SunnyDazeDesign@gmail.com
Squamish, BC Canada
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