Lili Krakowski on wed 9 nov 11
Dr Wire Rabbit: As far as I know "short clay" is clay with too little =3D
plasticity. What your describe seems to be clay that has gotten too dry, =
=3D
unevenly so, been rewedged too dry, and "cannot get its act together." =
=3D
Try to "develop" a system that allows clay to dry, but not too quickly. =
=3D
I keep the clay I want to use next in Styrofoam coolers. Either the =3D
shipping ones I pick up from people who order meat by mail, or old =3D
picnic coolers, or "boxes" made from insulation Styrofoam, held together =
=3D
with duct tape.
I add a wet rag. In the absence of a damp box I find these containers =3D
ideal for drying the clay evenly, keeping it a good consistency...and I =3D
use them as damp boxes as well. =3D20
After a few tries you will develop a schedule that gets your clay just =3D
right for when you are able to work. For instance--a week or two in =3D
closed cooler with wet rag; then no wet rag, cooler slightly open; or =3D
transfer to another cooler that has some holes in it...
=3D20
Magnesium is a flux. It gives glazes a creamy look, and affects cobalt =3D
strongly, turning it purple.
Manganese actually does flux, but in glazes is used in too small amounts =
=3D
to do much of that. However: The specks in a glaze most likely will =3D
affect the rest of the glaze, and they tend to develop an "halo" around =3D
themselves.=3D20
You can get nice specks from rust, fire scale, as Steve M says. If you =3D
do not enjoy steel-brushing your car or chimney, get a piece of steel =3D
wool, wet it, let it rust..grind it up. (Use the untreated sw from the =3D
hardware store, not the treated one from the grocery.)=3D20
3. If you are savvy, you can tell who studied with whom for years after =3D
a student leaves a teacher. I can tell across a crowded room that =3D
Charles Counts is a Wildenhain student, as probably people can tell from =
=3D
my work. (he Marguerite, I Frans).
It seems to me impossible for a teacher to demonstrate how to throw, or =3D
criticize a piece of work, or give aesthetic advice without being an =3D
influence.
And it takes a long time for a student to learn to develop an inner eye =3D
to rely on, on her own perceptions without "falling back" on early =3D
influences.
I have always been convinced that we are imprinted very young with =3D
certain "aesthetics" that we stop being aware of, but still direct us. I =
=3D
know that--Wildenhain aside--I am imprinted with the pottery I grew up =3D
with...as are many others.
A teacher is likely to have clear preferences. Handles pulled directly =3D
on pot.
Inset lids as distinguished from cloche style ones. Strong, trimmed =3D
foot. And so on. Another teacher will lean to preshaped handles luted =3D
onto the pot; no foot rims at all, and lids that demand no gallery. It =3D
really is up to the student to grow enough to actually choose what she =3D
wants...not just inherit it. =3D20
As said by others, we live in a time when every design and style is =3D
accessible to us, when we really can explore all sorts of possibilities, =
=3D
try on, as it were, many styles. Anyone who persists in following what =3D
teacher did, and following it slavishly, is bone lazy, and might just as =
=3D
well go work in a factory....there is no "creation" there.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
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