Rikki Gill on mon 26 jul 10
Hi All,
I still use seven or eight glazes that I work with and have worked with for
years. I still have decent quantities of obsolete materials, such as
barnard slip clay, gerstley borate, OM4, and some others. I do worry about
what to do when they are gone. I don't change my glazes much because I hav=
e
developed styles to fit these glazes for painting. I design my paintings t=
o
take advantage of the glazes. This might seem strange, but it works for me=
.
I gas fire in reduction, and that is an important element of my work.
I know that there are some very good commercial glazes that work in mid
range oxidation. I think if you have to use an electric kiln, that is the
way to go. I made my own glazes when I used an electric kiln,
and wasn't too happy with my cone 5 work. I used only three glazes back
then, plus stains, and did pretty well with them, but always wanted to gas
fire. I now fire to cone 11 in about 10 hours. A slow firing works well
for my glazes. I allow 36 hours of cooling, then wake up early as Sandy
does, rush to the studio, unload the kiln, go through it the first time
looking for flaws, the second time for racers. I have been doing this for
close to 40 years, and it is still exciting.
There is something totally magical and very moving about clay work.
We all love it, or we wouldn't be on this list.
Best to all,
Rikki Gill
rikigil@sbcglobal.net
www.rikkigillceramics.com
mel jacobson on mon 26 jul 10
had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
dramatically in the last few years, train carloads purchased in the
past, now come in a pickup truck.
the world is changing.
ready made glazes that are fired in an auto/kiln
are on the rise. all the vendors are make many new
glazes.
it does tell us a great deal about our profession.
problem solving, understanding chemistry and physics?
hmmm, not so much.
ready made, take out the failure...on the rise.
just an observation.
mel
i refer back to `soulcraft/shop class`, when you solve
problems, and take credit for the discovery, your brain grows.
`ready made` makes your brain get smaller.
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
alternate: melpots7575@gmail.com
Lee Love on mon 26 jul 10
On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 9:26 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads purchased in the
> past, now come in a pickup truck.
>
> the world is changing.
There is also many more ways potters can obtain their
materials, including buying them directly from the mines.
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
John Rodgers on mon 26 jul 10
Hmmm.
Mel said
>>problem solving, understanding chemistry and physics?
hmmm, not so much.
ready made, take out the failure...on the rise. <<
Hmmm!
Do nothing, observe nothing, learn nothing, be nothing
Don't think. Place your destiny in the hands of someone else.
That seems to be the way of it - dumbing down.
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 7/26/2010 9:26 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads purchased in the
> past, now come in a pickup truck.
>
> the world is changing.
>
> ready made glazes that are fired in an auto/kiln
> are on the rise. all the vendors are make many new
> glazes.
>
> it does tell us a great deal about our profession.
>
> problem solving, understanding chemistry and physics?
> hmmm, not so much.
> ready made, take out the failure...on the rise.
>
> just an observation.
> mel
> i refer back to `soulcraft/shop class`, when you solve
> problems, and take credit for the discovery, your brain grows.
> `ready made` makes your brain get smaller.
> from: minnetonka, mn
> website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
> clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
> new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
> alternate: melpots7575@gmail.com
>
>
Arnold Howard on mon 26 jul 10
From: "mel jacobson"
To:
> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads
> purchased in the
> past, now come in a pickup truck.
-------------
This confirms what I have sensed not just in pottery but in
glass fusing. In an era of instant gratification, people
want quick results. This may be because life seems to be
moving at an accelerated pace, and we want to experience as
much as possible before life passes us by.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
Brad Sondahl on mon 26 jul 10
I guess I was just a little ahead of my prophetic time: I wrote this
article for Ceramics Monthly back in 1991
http://sondahl.com/potthots.html#Trend%20toward%20Standardization
I'm strictly a mix-my-own-recipes from scratch guy, but I can see
where if good results can come from the manufacturers, it makes it all
easy... Hopefully the scratch glazers are still ahead on the costs,
giving us a little edge.
Brad Sondahl
http://www.sondahl.com
steve graber on mon 26 jul 10
it would be interesting to know "what is the market?"=3D0A=3D0Aare potters =
a 50=3D
-50 crowd with 50% doing production pots, shows, etc; with the =3D0Abalance=
b=3D
eing student, adult education, hobby potters?=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0Ai had sim=
ilar dis=3D
cussions with ceramics monthly way back when i started =3D0Aadvertizing.=3D=
A0 u=3D
nderstanding "who is" the market helps.=3DA0 and it's a hazy number.=3DA0 =
=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D0Abut if train loads go to truck loads, that's the recession.=3DA0 =
=3D0A=3D0A=3D
i have noted i'm selling Steve Tools=3DA0this summer where in years before =
i =3D
sold =3D0Anone until school would start up again.=3DA0 when i=3DA0ask my st=
ores, =3D
they say their =3D0Asummer classses are full which is also generally an inc=
re=3D
ase for summer =3D0Aactivity.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0Aso perhaps the recession =
has people=3D
not buying pots for a while.=3DA0 instead they =3D0Aare=3DA0following Trin=
ity Cl=3D
ay's parody song of "give me some clay, i'll make it, =3D0Ayou bake it, and=
w=3D
here=3DA0can i buy that paint?".=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber=
, Graber's Pot=3D
tery, Inc=3D0AClaremont, California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesome te=
xtur=3D
e on pots! =3D0Awww.graberspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=
=3D0AOn L=3D
aguna Clay's website=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=
=3D0A----- O=3D
riginal Message ----=3D0A> From: mel jacobson =3D0A> To:=
Cla=3D
yart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0A> Sent: Mon, July 26, 2010 7:26:21 AM=3D0A> Subje=
ct: =3D
interesting, buying glaze making materials=3D0A> =3D0A> had an interesting =
exch=3D
ange with a friend, and a vendor.=3D0A> the amount of glaze making material=
s=3D
old has dropped off=3D0A> dramatically in the last few years, train carload=
s =3D
purchased in the=3D0A> past, now come in a pickup truck.=3D0A> =3D0A> the w=
orld i=3D
s changing.=3D0A> =3D0A> ready made glazes that are fired in an auto/kiln=
=3D0A> a=3D
re on the rise.=3DA0 all the vendors are make many new=3D0A> glazes.=3D0A> =
=3D0A> i=3D
t does tell us a great deal about our profession.=3D0A> =3D0A> problem solv=
ing,=3D
understanding chemistry and physics?=3D0A> hmmm, not so much.=3D0A> ready =
made=3D
, take out the failure...on the rise.=3D0A> =3D0A> just an observation.=3D0=
A> mel=3D
=3D0A> =3DA0 i refer back to `soulcraft/shop class`, when you solve=3D0A> p=
roblem=3D
s, and take credit for the discovery, your brain grows.=3D0A> `ready made` =
ma=3D
kes your brain get smaller.=3D0A> from: minnetonka, mn=3D0A> website: http:=
//ww=3D
w.visi.com/~melpots/=3D0A> clayart link:=3DA0 http://www.visi.com/~melpots/=
clay=3D
art.html=3D0A> new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com=3D0A> alternate: m=
elpo=3D
ts7575@gmail.com=3D0A> =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
John Rodgers on mon 26 jul 10
Arnold,
What you say is probably true, but in doing so ( experiencing life
before it passes by) the real experiences are oft missed. From the
window of the airplane you see only the patchwork of colors of the earth
and some clouds, but not the true grandeur of the land and the
mountains. From the window of the speeding train one see's the mountains
but not the elk in the glade on the hillside nor the trout leaping in
the brook. From the window of the speeding car the occasional wildlife
can be seen, and patches of flowers, but not the detail. When hiking one
can see individual flowers, plants, insects, birds, and animals. When
one sits on the ground, with eyes level with tall grasses one can be
eyeball to eye ball with a great wonderr of nature - the dragonfly. But
when one lies upon the earth, with eyes level with the blade of grass,
one see's the real wonders of it all - the ant dragging a bit of food to
the nest, a mud dauber wasp seeking a spider between the blades of grass
for food for it's young, or if it's late evening and the gound is moist,
see an earthworm emerge from his borrow .... and much much more.
To many of us, in our pell-mell lives, don't really take the time to
look at and marvel at the wonders that are at our very finger-tips.
We destroy the earth , trying to have great experiences, yet the real
wonder is before us, and we could have great joy in it.
How many parents teach out children this? Nowhere near enough. How many
have taken their kids and gone exploring in their back yards, and found
the wooly caterpillar, or the sow bugs under a rock, or a black cricket
in the grass, or captured lightening bugs, or a bumble bee or sat very
still and watched a chipmunk work on a nut, the list goes on. How many
have ever identified the plants in their yard with their children, and
explained to them how all living things would die, if not for the
plants, that we depend on them ot live. The list goes on. There is a
whole world to be explored in a back yard. And it is there that the
intellectual curisosity of a child can be stimulated in a way that will
follow throughout life as an adult. A back yard is a wonderful thing..
John
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 7/26/2010 11:00 AM, Arnold Howard wrote:
> From: "mel jacobson"
> To:
>> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
>> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
>> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads
>> purchased in the
>> past, now come in a pickup truck.
> -------------
> This confirms what I have sensed not just in pottery but in
> glass fusing. In an era of instant gratification, people
> want quick results. This may be because life seems to be
> moving at an accelerated pace, and we want to experience as
> much as possible before life passes us by.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Arnold Howard
> Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
> ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
>
>
James Freeman on mon 26 jul 10
On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 3:50 PM, steve graber wrote:
> it would be interesting to know "what is the market?"
>
> are potters a 50-50 crowd with 50% doing production pots, shows, etc; wit=
=3D
h the
> balance being student, adult education, hobby potters?
Steve...
I'd bet it's at least 100 to 1, hobbyists, dabblers, amateurs,
students, adult ed, (whether they sell or not), over full time art
fair and production potters. Just a guess, but I'll bet I'm close. I
remember a line from one of Mr. Branfman's books where his college
roommates accused him of majoring in "hobbies".
All the best.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
Mayssan Farra on mon 26 jul 10
Dear Clayart:
Yet it depends on the end you want. If the end depends on the glaze to be. =
T=3D
hen by all means make your own glazes, layer and test. If on the other hand=
y=3D
ou are interested in the shape, the carvings and the artistic content, then=
I=3D
don't think it matters whether you mix or buy.
If you want home made banana bread, you need to make it from scratch but yo=
u=3D
do not need to make "ladies fingers" to make home made Tiramisu.
It is all in the baking, or not:)
Mayssan,=3D20
Still in Charleston WV for a little bit more.
Arnold Howard wrote:
> From: "mel jacobson"=3D20
>=3D20
>> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
>> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
>> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads
>> purchased in the
>> past, now come in a pickup truck.
> -------------
> This confirms what I have sensed not just in pottery but in
> glass fusing. In an era of instant gratification, people
> want quick results. This may be because life seems to be
> moving at an accelerated pace, and we want to experience as
> much as possible before life passes us by.
>=3D20
>=3D20
Sandy miller on mon 26 jul 10
HEY! We just had a bang up discussion on pricing, standards and yadda,
yadda, yadda.
Fear of failure will get you a $24.99 pot faster than a jigger mold.
Do ya really think Hideaki Miyamura could get his glazes out of a bottle?
Hmmmm wonder why he can ask thousands of dollars for a gorgeous pot that
nobody else could ever hope or dream to make. Or maybe Phil Rodgers can
start buying his ash glaze in bottle.
Well all that said there is one artist charging $463.29 for some awesome
teapots with bottles glazes.
I don't own one.
Out of a bottle? Just go punch out widgets at the local widget factory.
Can't imagine not having tests in a glaze firing and running out to the kil=
n
in the morning to see what the
kiln gods bestowed. Chemistry is wonderful thing; smart chemistry and a
darn good glaze program will never
replace a bottle! I slept through Christmas morning last year as I had jus=
t
finished one too many shows but three days later I laid awake in bed filled
with excitement while waiting for a glaze kiln to cool. In fact just about
every glaze kiln is like that for me. One going up tonight........ won't b=
e
sleeping much and I hope my neighbors have gone to work when I dash through
the dog poop in my nighty to race to the kiln.
Do ya think a kid who is flunking chemistry can go to the art studio learn
the basics of glaze making, pull a pot made by the flunking student and
say....... Wow! Chemistry is so cool. It happens, I've seen it, oh wait it
was me!
Ahhhhh there is that disconnection again.
Sandy Miller
www.sandymillerpottery.com
On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 7:47 PM, Mayssan Farra wrote:
> Dear Clayart:
>
> Yet it depends on the end you want. If the end depends on the glaze to be=
.
> Then by all means make your own glazes, layer and test. If on the other h=
and
> you are interested in the shape, the carvings and the artistic content, t=
hen
> I don't think it matters whether you mix or buy.
>
> If you want home made banana bread, you need to make it from scratch but
> you do not need to make "ladies fingers" to make home made Tiramisu.
>
> It is all in the baking, or not:)
>
> Mayssan,
> Still in Charleston WV for a little bit more.
>
>
>
> Arnold Howard wrote:
>
> > From: "mel jacobson"
> >
> >> had an interesting exchange with a friend, and a vendor.
> >> the amount of glaze making material sold has dropped off
> >> dramatically in the last few years, train carloads
> >> purchased in the
> >> past, now come in a pickup truck.
> > -------------
> > This confirms what I have sensed not just in pottery but in
> > glass fusing. In an era of instant gratification, people
> > want quick results. This may be because life seems to be
> > moving at an accelerated pace, and we want to experience as
> > much as possible before life passes us by.
> >
> >
>
Fabienne McMillan on mon 26 jul 10
Just wondering if a lot of the material sales included folks who mix
their own glazes and use someone else's recipe as well; no way to
distinguish, I suspect. It's the step between buying pre-mixed and
making your own recipe and mixing it.
Could it be that now there are more interesting pre-mixed glazes than
there way a decade ago and so on?
Personally, I way too curious to settle for auto-firing and pre-
mixed. Where is the fun otherwise? And form is just as an important
part of my exploration.
Fabienne
"We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace." ~
Peggy Tabor Millin
Maggie Furtak on tue 27 jul 10
Let me start by saying that I mix all my glazes from scratch and loudly pro=
claim
that fact to anyone who wanders into my EZ-up tent.
But, to play devil's advocate...
There is a real benefit to specialization in terms of speed and efficiency.=
If
I bought my glazes premixed, paid someone to handle photographing my pots, =
hired
an intern to run my kiln and a salesperson to sell my wares, I could spend =
more
time thinking about throwing. Practice really does make perfect, so more t=
ime
throwing means better pots and faster pots. And if the only equipment I ha=
d to
worry about was throwing equipment, I would have a more specialized tool se=
t,
which would also increase quality. I would become a really excellent throw=
er.
All those people I hired would also be working more efficiently if they sp=
ent
all day thinking about their one small part of the process.
But, to play devil's advocate with myself...
Knowing absolutely nothing anything but throwing would leave me completely =
at
the mercy of my glaze supplier, accountant, photographer, delivery person..=
. If
something was discontinued at the glaze company then too bad. If the only
photographer in town was really bad, I'd just have to live with it.
Besides which it's more fun to wear many hats than do the same thing all da=
y.
Which is the real reason most of us work the way we do.
But I'm not going to poo-poo those who chose to buy commercial glazes, if t=
hat
means they can spend more time and thought on another part of the process. =
If
that means they sit with their fingers up their noses for an extra hour eve=
ry
day, that's different. I draw well, sing well, make good brownies, and was=
good
at calculus. That doesn't mean that every piece I make should incorporate =
all
of those skills. It's not the "me" show. It's about using the best tool f=
or
the job. It's about the pots.
-Maggie
Pate Ceramics
pateceramics.etsy.com
pateceramics.blogspot.com
781-956-1364
517 Fellsway East
Malden, MA 02148
Callie Williams on tue 27 jul 10
Warning-major run on sentence ahead:
If I spend hours designing a piece in my head and on paper=3D2C then spen=
d =3D
hours making it just right=3D2C then a little bit of time glazing it it the=
w=3D
ay I want (per my hours of design time) and end up with a creation that is =
=3D
from me=3D3B how is that any less "art" then someone who sits down at a whe=
el=3D
and throws a pot=3D2C bowl or mug=3D2C but spends hours=3D2C if not days=
=3D2C work=3D
ing out just the right glaze to end up with a creation from them?
I think a little less judging of others is in order here. We're all differe=
=3D
nt and that's what makes this world wonderful. =
=3D20
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail is redefining busy with tools for the New Busy. Get more from your =
=3D
inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=3D3DPID28326::T:WLMTAGL=
:O=3D
N:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_2=3D
Lee Love on tue 27 jul 10
We really can get caught up in the Holy Grail of "the perfect
glaze." I like the clip of Voulkos, where he talks about "Three
dumb glazes." He said, he provided his students with 3 dumb glazes
to put on their "dumb pots." He said if the students could make
something successful out of the three dumb glazes, you know they've
accomplished something.
We are lucky in our craft, that there are so many different
aspects to approach it from. Some folks aren't interested in "the
perfect glaze." They might be interested in beauty and good form.
Great!
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
Bob Seele on tue 27 jul 10
It sounds like you are judging the ones that are judging others.
Or is that just your xxxxxxx ?
bob
On Jul 27, 2010, at 8:11 AM, Callie Williams wrote:
I think a little less judging of others is in order here. We're all
different and that's what makes this world wonderful.
Callie Williams on tue 27 jul 10
I'm not judging others=3D2C just the act of other's judging. What's my xxxx=
xx=3D
?
> CC: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> From: b.s.bobseele@gmail.com
> To: calliams@HOTMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: interesting=3D2C buying glaze making materials
> Date: Tue=3D2C 27 Jul 2010 09:05:34 -0500
>=3D20
> It sounds like you are judging the ones that are judging others.
>=3D20
> Or is that just your xxxxxxx ?
>=3D20
> bob
>=3D20
> On Jul 27=3D2C 2010=3D2C at 8:11 AM=3D2C Callie Williams wrote:
>=3D20
> I think a little less judging of others is in order here. We're all =3D20
> different and that's what makes this world wonderful.=3D20
=3D20
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hot=
=3D
mail.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=3D3Dmultiaccount&ocid=
=3D3DP=3D
ID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_4=3D
Carl Cravens on tue 27 jul 10
On 07/27/2010 08:11 AM, Callie Williams wrote:
> I think a little less judging of others is in order here.
I think the judging is somewhat ironic. Where do we draw the line between =
"make your own" and "buy ready-made" as the line between "real potters" and=
"dabblers"? Make your own glaze? Blend your own clay body? Dig your own=
clay? Make your glazes and clays only from materials you have personally =
dug up? Build your own wheel? Build your own kiln? Build your own forge =
to make the parts to build your wheel? Make your own firebrick in a primit=
ive "bootstrap" kiln? Harry Davis talks about having done this in "The Pot=
ter's Alternative"... building a kiln with bone-dry bricks and firing in pl=
ace. Maybe nobody's a "real" potter until they've faced the challenges Dav=
is has, with nothing but local materials and a few tools.
The old-timers of any craft have always looked down on the newcomers and ho=
w easy they have it when things they *had* to do become optional because of=
commercialization of supplies or advances in tools. It becomes a badge of=
honor, the mark of the "true" craftsman, the elitist touchstone by which t=
hey can hold themselves apart. And the strong vibe I get from this is "the=
y can't possibly be real artists, because they didn't have to *work as hard=
* as I did." Sour grapes?
The materials and tools are not what make the artist. Store-bought glazes =
may limit the artist to a certain range of expression... but if that range =
of expression entirely encompasses what the artist wants to explore, then t=
here is no *value* in creating custom glazes. If Picasso had bought slip-c=
ast greenware, painted on it with commercial glazes, and had someone else f=
ire it... it would still be a Picasso.
I don't buy commercial glazes (experimenting with glaze making is a fascina=
ting part of pottery for me), but I do buy moist clay. There are so many m=
oist clay bodies available from Laguna alone that I can't imagine not findi=
ng one that meets my needs. Why reinvent the wheel when the available whee=
l does exactly what I want it to do?
The effort to prepare clay from dry materials is pretty high when you don't=
have much equipment (a five-gallon bucket and a drill-powered mixer)... *r=
eclaiming* clay is so labor-intensive, and moist clay so cheap, that I find=
myself tempted to not reclaim. (Wedging fifty pounds of clay is the most =
time-consuming and exhausting part. I'm going to try foot-wedging next tim=
e.) And when it comes down to it, I want to spend my time throwing, glazin=
g and firing pots. Not mixing clay.
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
Hey, I ran Windows the other day, and it didn't crash!
Pottery by John on tue 27 jul 10
I think the best reason to make your own glazes is demonstrated by the
occassional post of someone desparately looking for discontinued glaze XXXX
by YYYY manufacturer.
The best reason to buy premixed is to break out of the rut of always using
the same glazes. I assume that eventually most premixed glazes will be
discontinued and you will have to change. Even if the glaze name is the
same, later purchases sometimes fire differently.
Eventually the mined materials will run out, or change in composition enoug=
h
to change your glaze, or you have to stockpile enough to last your working
life tkaing up valuable space, if you keep to the same glazes. But,
sometimes a trusted old friend is just too hard to leave behind.
Sigh...What's a potter to do?
John Lowes
Sandy Springs, Georgia
http://wynhillpottery.weebly.com/
Fabienne McMillan on tue 27 jul 10
> I forgot to say that when I was taking a graduate class in ceramics
> (for personal growth) a few years ago, I had material and equipment
> at my fingertips I could never have here (space and $$ issue) I had
> time on my hands and explored making a ^6 porcelaneous clay body.
> After that I went back to my studio and bought commercially
> available clay... more reliable anyway. I wonder what ceramicists
> would have thought of this when it had just become available. Now,
> it's acceptable to most.
>
> Fabienne
>
> "We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace." ~
> Peggy Tabor Millin
Ron Roy on wed 28 jul 10
Hi Rikki,
I have had very good results subbing in available materials for
obsolete ones using calculation software - if you are running short of
any material I can probably get the same looking glaze using other
materials.
It certainly is possible to make a sub for albany - maybe even
barnard. Let me know if you want to do some experiments.
RR
Quoting Rikki Gill :
> Hi All,
>
> I still use seven or eight glazes that I work with and have worked with f=
or
> years. I still have decent quantities of obsolete materials, such as
> barnard slip clay, gerstley borate, OM4, and some others. I do worry abo=
ut
> what to do when they are gone. I don't change my glazes much because I h=
ave
> developed styles to fit these glazes for painting. I design my paintings=
to
> take advantage of the glazes. This might seem strange, but it works for =
me.
> I gas fire in reduction, and that is an important element of my work.
> I know that there are some very good commercial glazes that work in mid
> range oxidation. I think if you have to use an electric kiln, that is th=
e
> way to go. I made my own glazes when I used an electric kiln,
> and wasn't too happy with my cone 5 work. I used only three glazes back
> then, plus stains, and did pretty well with them, but always wanted to ga=
s
> fire. I now fire to cone 11 in about 10 hours. A slow firing works well
> for my glazes. I allow 36 hours of cooling, then wake up early as Sandy
> does, rush to the studio, unload the kiln, go through it the first time
> looking for flaws, the second time for racers. I have been doing this fo=
r
> close to 40 years, and it is still exciting.
> There is something totally magical and very moving about clay work.
> We all love it, or we wouldn't be on this list.
>
> Best to all,
>
> Rikki Gill
> rikigil@sbcglobal.net
> www.rikkigillceramics.com
>
steve graber on thu 29 jul 10
=3D0A=3D0Ai dug a hole to plant a tree in lakewood, california and the dirt=
at =3D
the bottom =3D0Aof the hole sure had a fine clay uniformity to it so i thre=
w =3D
some in a bucket =3D0Aand added water.=3DA0=3DA0at cone 10 it sure came out=
to be=3D
a=3DA0beautiful earthy brown.=3DA0 i =3D0Awish i'd kept more of that=3DA0d=
irt....=3D
=3D0A=3D0Awhen a company=3DA0i worked for "broke ground" on a new building =
i took=3D
some of the =3D0Adirt to make a commemorative bowl for them.=3DA0 i got th=
e mo=3D
st putrid =3D0Agrey-blah-sh!t and threw away the bowl.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=
point is, =3D
test what you stumble across.=3DA0 albany new york is "just" another town =
=3D0A=3D
with dirt and clay and there are sure to be others scattered around the wor=
=3D
ld =3D0Awith similar dirt.=3DA0 if i was more active with the idea i'd run =
to h=3D
ome builder =3D0Aconstruction sites and see what they dug up for me to samp=
le=3D
...=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pottery, Inc=3D0AC=
laremont, Cali=3D
fornia USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesome texture on pots! =3D0Awww.grabe=
rspo=3D
ttery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's website=
=3D0Ahttp=3D
://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A----- Original Message ---=
-=3D0A> Fr=3D
om: Ron Roy =3D0A> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0A> =
Sent=3D
: Wed, July 28, 2010 4:32:05 PM=3D0A> Subject: Re: interesting, buying glaz=
e =3D
making materials=3D0A> =3D0A> Hi Rikki,=3D0A> =3D0A> I have had very good r=
esults s=3D
ubbing in available materials for=3D0A> obsolete ones using calculation sof=
tw=3D
are - if you are running short of=3D0A> any material I can probably get the=
s=3D
ame looking glaze using other=3D0A> materials.=3D0A> =3D0A> It certainly is=
possi=3D
ble to make a sub for albany - maybe even=3D0A> barnard. Let me know if you=
w=3D
ant to do some experiments.=3D0A> =3D0A> RR=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Snail Scott on sat 31 jul 10
On Jul 26, 2010, at 9:26 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
>
> ...ready made glazes that are fired in an auto/kiln
> are on the rise...
A bit like the late 19th century for painting,
with the advent of pre-mixed paint in tubes.
This contributed, perhaps more than any other
single factor, to the decline of the Academy in
defining art and its practice. For the first time,
a would-be painter didn't have to apprentice
for years to an approved master, learning the
master's style and methods, and seeing them
continued in his own work. People without any
training at all could just give it a go, inventing
art for themselves as they saw fit. The result was
Impressionism and everything else that followed.
I make no value judgements here; I merely draw
the corollary.
-Snail
Snail Scott on sat 31 jul 10
I have few scratch-made glazes, more taken
or adapted from recipes, and a fair number of
little jars I've bought.
I could make every glaze from scratch, but I
don't see the need. When the best result for
the artwork calls for something particular, I
can make it if that's the best way to get it, but
I will use an existing recipe if it suits the need
(why re-invent the wheel?) and if I only need
two square inches of bright red glaze, why
on earth would I do the research to develop
it from scratch when what I need is being
offered for sale at an entirely reasonable price?
I don't use vast quantities of glaze, but the ones
I use the most of are the ones I mix (mostly recipe
or adapted-recipe), because the commercial ones
1. would get mighty pricey and 2. if used on a
large area might not offer the variety and nuance
of my mixed ones. For smaller elements, though,
it would be a poor use of my time to make a close
duplicate of a commercial glaze that suits my needs
well. I also don't make my own overglaze lusters.
The most awesome glaze in the world will not make
my work significantly better, because surfaces are
not that critical an aspect of what I do. My time is
better spent in other ways. I do sometimes make my
own clay (in buckets), because for my work the clay
matters more.
If glaze is critical to the overall result of your work,
or you desire a signature 'look', then that effort of
development and mixing may very well be worth it.
Your work, not mine.
The time I spend mixing materials, or building
studio equipment, is rewarded in the result: better
art. If it doesn't make the art better, the extra labor
is either for personal satisfaction or else a waste of
time, depending. We don't get brownie points for
the amount of time and effort our work takes; the
rewards of the process are ours alone; the result
is what goes out into the world.
Hard work only makes it better if it's the _right_ work.
-Snail
Lee Love on sat 31 jul 10
On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 10:03 PM, Snail Scott w=
=3D
rote:
> I have few scratch-made glazes, more taken
> or adapted from recipes, and a fair number of
> little jars I've bought.
>
> I could make every glaze from scratch, but I
> don't see the need.
I can't afford the store bought glazes even if they were the
ones I want. They are expensive if you use them in any volume.
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
May Luk on mon 2 aug 10
I found the initial testing of glaze is time-consuming and can be
costly, but the learning experience and the knowledge gained is
priceless.
I have to tweaked my transparent glaze for a year before it became
perfect for my production work. It could be quite puzzling because of
all the variables: the clay, the shapes and my way of working. I was
very proud of myself when it was 'fixed' just by thinking through the
problems.
I have this white glaze that I really really love and I made it from
Currie Grid based on first principles. It was inspired by a hunter's
moon I saw once in Italy. I say well done to myself when the white
glaze comes out of the kiln all the time. This self-congratulatory
feeling is totally personal and the pleasure is mine*. I can't think
of any store bought glaze that would give me the same satisfaction.
Regards
May
Brooklyn NY
*Maybe I'm full of myself, but there's so little money in making
ceramics, what the heck!
On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 11:40 PM, Lee Love wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 31, 2010 at 10:03 PM, Snail Scott =
=3D
wrote:
>> I have few scratch-made glazes, more taken
>> or adapted from recipes, and a fair number of
>> little jars I've bought.
>>
>> I could make every glaze from scratch, but I
>> don't see the need.
>
> =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0I can't afford the store bought glazes even if the=
y were t=3D
he
> ones I want. =3DA0 They are expensive if you use them in any volume.
>
> --
> =3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
>
> =3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
> the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
>
--=3D20
http://twitter.com/MayLuk
ivor and olive lewis on wed 4 aug 10
Dear May Luk,
I have great admiration for those who are willing to accept the challenge o=
f
going back to first principles, then persevere until they achieve a glaze
that works well, giving desired textural and optical properties. I
congratulate you on your success.
Sincere regards,
Ivor Lewis,
REDHILL,
South Australia
Lee Love on wed 4 aug 10
On Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 10:05 PM, May Luk wrote:
> Currie Grid based on first principles. It was inspired by a hunter's
> moon I saw once in Italy. I say well done to myself when the white
> glaze comes out of the kiln all the time. This self-congratulatory
> feeling is totally personal and the pleasure is mine*. I can't think
> of any store bought glaze that would give me the same satisfaction.
Currie's method is a great way to explore glazes, especially for
natural materials you have no analysis for. He based it upon
traditional glaze research methods he learned in Kyoto. Too often,
we are biased toward Western analytical methods, dismissing
traditional empirical methods. Currie's work is a treasure.
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
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