Dayton Grant on mon 19 apr 10
Hi Bill, and Bill's students,
On the thing of Throwing Counter Clockwise,
I cannot do it very well, because by the time I 'realized' that I would lik=
e to be a 'both handed' potter, I was already too far ahead with the right =
hand, and I would have had to go too far 'back' to 'start over', so I kinda=
gave up on it for myself, but I would definitely encourage any young or be=
ginning potters or anyone who wants to try it, to practice throwing both wa=
ys (clockwise and counter-clockwise), I think it would afford a great advan=
tage of perspective in the study of wheel throwing.
I've heard the same statement about 'dry throwing', from some 'advanced' th=
rowers,
("...I would have had to go 'too far back' to start over, so I 'gave up' on=
it for 'myself', but 'you' should try to learn it if you 'can'." )
When I throw 'certain' things, I don't cut the lips, because if they are ar=
ound 1/8 or 3/16" or thinner, it shows 'great luck' (and a well prepared pi=
ece of clay) to have the lip of a tall, thin or narrow shape, 'almost' even=
, without fixing it up by using water or slip to effect the lip separately =
from the rest of the piece.
It's basically just 'showing off', like a good draftsman free-handing a two=
foot line... it's 'dam-near' straight.
There are also aesthetic viewpoints that have fetishized the intimacy of th=
e flaws in otherwise masterful works.
So I believe, every once in awhile, one should 'indulge the variable elemen=
t' and allow oneself an 'Expressionist', 'Existential' or 'Zen' piece, or e=
ven a whole series of these, never the less, we all, students in particular=
, need to take care not to use the 'freedom jazz ceremony' as a 'cop out' t=
o pretend like we're just 'too hip' to produce the basic shapes correctly. =
Like 'bebop' music, it's not really random a tall, you gotta 'have the chop=
s', and 'know the changes', to even 'joke around' with it.
Im going out into the garage to prepare a piece of clay for the wheel...
O.K. it's twenty minutes later, I wedged a piece of clay, attached it to th=
e wheel,
centered it and threw a little pot, with a brief commentary on 'double rib'=
technique.
My main computer made a burning smell and stopped working,
so I have to go across town tomorrow and use another computer to put it on =
youtube.
It should be up tomorrow night.
thanx
'bye for now
Dayton
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