mel jacobson on sun 1 may 11
this is some copy from an article i did a few
years back for pmi magazine.
it still makes sense for those of you in the
early stages of development.
Throwing with your legs.
The kick wheel, has faded as the wheel of
choice in America. Low slung, powerful wheels
such as the Brent, Bailey, Pacifica and Axner have
replaced most all production kick style wheels.
Those potters that
learned to make pots on old style wheels such as the Leech,
Klopstein and Randall often used their arms as the basic
power center of throwing.
This has changed dramatically over the last ten years.
The legs, and the powerful muscles that are tied into
the thighs and hips now control centering and throwing.
Using your legs and the power contained in them, will reduce
fatigue, has increased the size of pots any potter can make and
in the long run, will make you a better potter.
Placing your elbow or forearm on your inner thigh of the left
leg, and using your foot as a fulcrum will allow you to slide
the ball of clay, no matter what size, into the center of the wheel.
It is a simple matter of pushing with the leg, into the arm and
into the clay. Once you have placed your arm on your leg it remains
there. During throwing, the arm is braced so well, the pot rarely
moves, or gets out of center. Experienced throwers will often use the
legs to move the clay during throwing, allowing the arm to remain in
position to follow that move.
The argument that the body will move during throwing and allow for
a more casual pot to be made is valid, but often the body movement among
inexperienced potters will just create "bad pots". Being out of
control and moving
your body during throwing is just not good form. Being tight, in control a=
nd
having the power to throw any shape, any size is what potters are seeking.
That is the first step in good craftsmanship, control of the materials.
Using
your legs to throw will help you a great deal. Many potters are now lifting
power wheels on legs. Even with this elevation, the entire body and power =
of
the legs are used to control throwing.
Some modern teachers want students to be "loose" as if this will create
better pots. Loose or tight is simply a matter of throwing
rhythm. Any quality
potter can adjust his or her rhythm to make loose, tight, average, semi-loo=
se
or "whatever" pots. The speed of the wheel, the pressure on the fingers, t=
he
speed of the lift are what controls rhythm. Loose among students is just v=
ery
bad craftsmanship. They do it anyway, why encourage it?
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
Ric Swenson on sun 1 may 11
mel.
as Pete Voulokos and Don Reitz and FC Ball said to me....
throwing is a dance....
use the trapazius and gluteus maximus muscles .... the thighs......dance w=
ith the clay...use your hands as you would in a dance...slowly move and re=
move them...
caress the clay.
Ric
http:blog.sina.com.cn/ricswenson
"...then fiery expedition be my wing, ..."
-Wm. Shakespeare, RICHARD III, Act IV Scene III
Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Inst=
itute,
TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
Postal code 333001.
Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872
< RicSwenson0823@hotmail.com>
http://www.jci.jx.cn
> Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 08:02:10 -0500
> From: melpots2@VISI.COM
> Subject: throwing with legs
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>
> this is some copy from an article i did a few
> years back for pmi magazine.
>
> it still makes sense for those of you in the
> early stages of development.
>
> Throwing with your legs.
>
> The kick wheel, has faded as the wheel of
> choice in America. Low slung, powerful wheels
> such as the Brent, Bailey, Pacifica and Axner have
> replaced most all production kick style wheels.
>
> Those potters that
> learned to make pots on old style wheels such as the Leech,
> Klopstein and Randall often used their arms as the basic
> power center of throwing.
>
> This has changed dramatically over the last ten years.
>
> The legs, and the powerful muscles that are tied into
> the thighs and hips now control centering and throwing.
>
> Using your legs and the power contained in them, will reduce
> fatigue, has increased the size of pots any potter can make and
> in the long run, will make you a better potter.
>
> Placing your elbow or forearm on your inner thigh of the left
> leg, and using your foot as a fulcrum will allow you to slide
> the ball of clay, no matter what size, into the center of the wheel.
> It is a simple matter of pushing with the leg, into the arm and
> into the clay. Once you have placed your arm on your leg it remains
> there. During throwing, the arm is braced so well, the pot rarely
> moves, or gets out of center. Experienced throwers will often use the
> legs to move the clay during throwing, allowing the arm to remain in
> position to follow that move.
>
> The argument that the body will move during throwing and allow for
> a more casual pot to be made is valid, but often the body movement among
> inexperienced potters will just create "bad pots". Being out of
> control and moving
> your body during throwing is just not good form. Being tight, in control =
and
> having the power to throw any shape, any size is what potters are seeking=
.
> That is the first step in good craftsmanship, control of the materials.
>
> Using
> your legs to throw will help you a great deal. Many potters are now lifti=
ng
> power wheels on legs. Even with this elevation, the entire body and power=
of
> the legs are used to control throwing.
>
> Some modern teachers want students to be "loose" as if this will create
> better pots. Loose or tight is simply a matter of throwing
> rhythm. Any quality
> potter can adjust his or her rhythm to make loose, tight, average, semi-l=
oose
> or "whatever" pots. The speed of the wheel, the pressure on the fingers, =
the
> speed of the lift are what controls rhythm. Loose among students is just =
very
> bad craftsmanship. They do it anyway, why encourage it?
>
>
>
>
> 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
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