mel jacobson on thu 29 oct 09
i love this one:
said it many times.
nothing serves the potter more than a quality
foot ring that fits your fingers. then you have
a very nice handle to hold on to while glazing
the pot.
what is harder to glaze than an odd bottomed pot that
you cannot get a grip on?
(the scourge of teaching at an art center.) how do i? how do i?)
no matter the size of the pot, the foot ring fits
your hand, or hands...dip, done.
my apprentice is finding that out the hard way.
`mel, how do i glaze this pot...i cannot get my
hands around it?`
`plan ahead. the minute you put clay on the wheel,
you know how you will glaze it.` (many potters know the
glaze, style and color as they throw...they see the pot
finished...i know i do.)
that is often a negative. when the pot does not seem
to be what was in the potter's mind, it appears to be "bad".
not always the case.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
William & Susan Schran User on thu 29 oct 09
On 10/29/09 8:54 AM, "mel jacobson" wrote:
> my apprentice is finding that out the hard way.
> `mel, how do i glaze this pot...i cannot get my
> hands around it?`
> `plan ahead. the minute you put clay on the wheel,
> you know how you will glaze it.` (many potters know the
> glaze, style and color as they throw...they see the pot
> finished...i know i do.)
I often ask potters and my students if they envision the
glazed/fired/finished pot when they complete the throwing or trimming
process.
Many say they already do.
Maybe I'm that odd bird - I NEVER consider the finished piece when I throw
or hand build a work. I generally am only looking at form, devoid of surfac=
e
embellishments or color. If I know I will be applying a slip or carving int=
o
the surface, I do consider how that impacts the form, in that I might
simplify the shape.
When the pots come back from the bisque firing, I will sit and look at the
forms, wax the foot rings, then begin the glaze application process. It is
only at this stage that I am thinking color and surface and how I can
integrate them with the form.
I also agree with Mel about the foot ring providing a "handle" for glazing.
Most of my foot rings are slightly narrower in diameter where it meets the
body of the pot, flaring out from there, allowing me to get a good hold eve=
n
with wax on it.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
KATHI LESUEUR on thu 29 oct 09
On Oct 29, 2009, at 8:54 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> i love this one:
> said it many times.
>
> nothing serves the potter more than a quality
> foot ring that fits your fingers. then you have
> a very nice handle to hold on to while glazing
> the pot.
>
I agree to a point. There are bowls I throw with a footring for that
very purpose. However, the idea of a footring for a handle to glaze
with assumes a certain way of glazing. For most of my work it would
not serve this function since I dip into one glaze and then into
another using the overlap as a design element. In that case I just
hold by the rim. I do trim every piece to give it the lift and
profile I want. But, I do believe there are forms where a footring is
not only unnecessary but detrimental.
KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
June on thu 29 oct 09
Some of my mugs have foot rings because it fits the style. Others are flat =
bottomed, again, because it fits the style and shape of the mug
Since I soda fire, the majority of my mugs are slipped on the exterior. I p=
ut my hand inside the mug and lower it into the slip. As soon the the slip =
is dry, I then dip the rim (or visa versa). You can use the same method wh=
en using glaze. Some people actually like leaving their fingerprints on the=
base of the mug as part of the process. It's an aesthetic choice. You can =
examples of this in the whimsical low fired work of Ron Philbeck or the bea=
utiful wood fired work of Michael Kline.
One of the negatives of foot rings on mugs is the accumulation of water in =
the foot ring, spilling on to the otherwise dry dishes as you unload. I jus=
t realized that all our current house mugs are flat bottomed.
Regards,
June
http://www.shambhalapottery.blogspot.com
http://www.shambhalapottery.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sodasaltfiring/
http://saltandsodafiring.ning.com/
http://ncclayclub.blogspot.com
________________________________
From: William & Susan Schran User
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 9:17:02 AM
Subject: Re: foot ring as a glazing handle
On 10/29/09 8:54 AM, "mel jacobson" wrote:
> my apprentice is finding that out the hard way.
> `mel, how do i glaze this pot...i cannot get my
> hands around it?`
> `plan ahead. the minute you put clay on the wheel,
> you know how you will glaze it.` (many potters know the
> glaze, style and color as they throw...they see the pot
> finished...i know i do.)
I often ask potters and my students if they envision the
glazed/fired/finished pot when they complete the throwing or trimming
process.
Many say they already do.
Maybe I'm that odd bird - I NEVER consider the finished piece when I throw
or hand build a work. I generally am only looking at form, devoid of surfac=
e
embellishments or color. If I know I will be applying a slip or carving int=
o
the surface, I do consider how that impacts the form, in that I might
simplify the shape.
When the pots come back from the bisque firing, I will sit and look at the
forms, wax the foot rings, then begin the glaze application process. It is
only at this stage that I am thinking color and surface and how I can
integrate them with the form.
I also agree with Mel about the foot ring providing a "handle" for glazing.
Most of my foot rings are slightly narrower in diameter where it meets the
body of the pot, flaring out from there, allowing me to get a good hold eve=
n
with wax on it.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Lee Love on thu 29 oct 09
My job during my apprenticeship when we were glazing was sponging
the bisque before glazing. I sat on a stool in front of Shimaoka,
with a banding wheel between us. Just to the right of Shimaoka was
the Shop Foreman, who was also the glazer. After I sponged ware, I
would either place it on the wheel for Shimaoka or put it on a board
for the Glazer. I also took work off the banding wheel after it was
decorated and set it on a low wareboard for the glazer.
Mitsuyan, the Foreman/glazer always criticized our
personal work when it didn't have a proper footring. Because he
was the glazer, to him, that was the primary purpose of footrings.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Elizabeth Priddy on thu 29 oct 09
I think it has to be a process of anticipation and letting go at the right =
=3D
moment, like swinging and jumping off into the air at just the right moment=
=3D
to be exhilarated but unhurt.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AYou approach the pot with a pl=
an, th=3D
en you apply the appropriate physics to make it happen, glaze it with skill=
=3D
and knowledge, then you let it go when you fire it. You have done all you=
=3D
can to control it, then you get to have that moment of joy when you let go=
=3D
and jump! You open the kiln and you land. It could be a roll to stop gig=
=3D
gling finish or a sharp thunk as you hit reality/solid ground hard.=3D0A=3D=
0AMy=3D
obtuse analogy for the day.=3D0A=3D0AMoral: without the plan and the physi=
cs t=3D
o get you up high, there is no opportunity to fly. Pump your legs at the w=
=3D
rong time and you go slower!=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A- ePriddy=3D0A=3D0AElizabeth Pri=
ddy=3D0ABeau=3D
fort, NC - USA=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.elizabethpriddy.com=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A--- On=
Thu, 10/2=3D
9/09, mel jacobson wrote:=3D0A=3D0A> From: mel jacobson=
lpots2@VISI.COM>=3D0A> Subject: foot ring as a glazing handle=3D0A> To: Cla=
yart=3D
@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0A> Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 8:54 AM=3D0A> i l=
ove =3D
this one:=3D0A> said it many times.=3D0A> =3D0A=3DA0 (many potters know=3D0=
A> the=3D0A>=3D
glaze, style and color as they throw...they see the pot=3D0A> finished...i=
k=3D
now i do.)=3D0A> =3D0A> that is often a negative.=3DA0 when the pot does no=
t seem=3D
=3D0A> to be what was in the potter's mind, it appears to be=3D0A> "bad".=
=3D0A> n=3D
ot always the case.=3D0A> mel=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
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