Eleanora Eden on thu 5 mar 98
Hi David and all,
I spent my whole life trying to get my studio and me in one place.
Wouldn't have it any other way. For some years way back when I lived in
Putney VT and had my studio at my apprentice's house (you'd think it would
have been the other way around but he had a place to build a studio and I
didn't) about 25 miles away and it was SO HARD especially managing to have
someone there through the firings (c 10). Then for more years I lived in
Berkeley with my apt at one end of town and studio at the other. That was
before living at your studio was legal there, others did it but I didn't
have the nerve. I dreamt of walking 20 yards to my studio.....
Now I am almost finished my house above my studio 20 yards away from where
I sit now and I CAN'T WAIT to have my studio in the same building.....
I think the difference between me and Mary is also, like David, that this
is very rural and the problems are not the same. Also I have done about
zero advertizing about being here only customers who find me at a fair or
through a gallery near or far would know to come here, and it is quite off
the beaten track.....my driveway alone will discourage the
less-than-intrepid....
I agree heartily with David's assessment of Easy and Hard earnings, and
when a neighbor calls up that all her sisters are here for an occasion and
could they all come up.....up they come and spend a half-hour buying gifts
for each other......waaallll color me delighted......
bright and cheerful morning on Paradise Hill......Eleanora
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@sover.net
Cindy on fri 6 mar 98
I can't resist adding my vote to this topic. As David said, I am never too
busy to talk to someone who drives out to my house to give me money. :) And
I would *hate* to have to drive in to work every day. Yuck! Working at home
is one of the chief advantages of being self-employed. Another great
advantage is the great people you meet--even the strangers who come
knocking on the door, saying "So and so told me you might have a gift for
our co-worker who is moving away next Friday. Could you do a (name
something I don't have in stock) by that time?"
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels
Custer, SD
USA http://blackhills-info.com/a/cindys/menu.htm
TERRAOPERA on fri 6 mar 98
I have to jump on the wagon and say that I too love having my studio in my
home. but...I had alot of customer problems in the beginning including
staying all day , falling on the stairs and touching and breaking my
unfinished work. Now I have my shop in my garage and when somebody comes to
buy pots I pull my car out , it's sort of cold out there and there are no
chairs or refreshments so customers pick,pay and depart in a timely and
efficient manner. I knew a potter that had shelves on the outside of his house
for this purpose! Once a year I invite them all inside and feed and entertain
with throwing etc. It's important not to spend too much time with your hands
out of the clay.
mel jacobson on thu 18 nov 04
it is a choice that i make.
it is not for everyone, in fact it may
not be for many.
but, it fits into my life style, why i make pots,
and how my personal life and work fits all together.
it is choice.
i have never seen `shows and contests` as fitting
the work i do. they never have had meaning.
for some, it is everything...and that is fine with me.
to each their own.
but, often folks don't have a clue why they enter shows
etc. it just seems the `thing we are suppose to be doing`.
does not make sense to me.
if i am invited, i send pots. i like malcolm davis, we have shared
a great deal of information, and he
is having a shino show this spring...he asked me, and i send
a pot. as it should be.
i have worked hard for many years to learn `black shino`. i write
and share what i know. many are doing my work now, so i
do not do it much any more. move on to new things.
in five years every show will have examples of joe and my work
in tenmoku.
i hate it when i pick up `clay times` (not polly's fault) and there are my
pots.
even my recipes...`right back at you mel`.
a story of how a person has done great research to make the
black and orange. hmmm. not much.
just read and fire.
now that does piss me off. not a mention, and no permission.
that is stealing.
too much of that going on.
just finished reading the early parts of robin hopper's new book.
he sent me a copy to review/read. (wonderful book by the way. great
images.)
he says much the same. quick trends in surface, expensive kilns
and easy technique. many do not understand what or why they
are doing it. a new idea that is seen, and quickly do it to
join the club. the shino club, the wood fire club, the other and
yon club. read it, he is a smart guy, knows his stuff. he sees
much and is not frightened to speak his mind. he really cares
for the craft of clay. i respect that.
anyway.
remarks by jerks about your work just don't count.
but, none of us like it. but on occasion, we need
a kick in the pants. try and figure out what we are
up to. never hurts much.
we all get it now and then. recovery is easy. get to work, do some
fresh research...in depth.
i had to smile, several have said they did research from john britt's book.
glaze research. no, sorry, john did some great research, tremendous,
in depth research and wrote a book, others just copy his recipes
and make what he researched. there is a huge difference. you can
test those recipes on your clay, that is simple an easy. but, it is not
research, in depth research. (again, john is a big boy, can take care
of himself.)
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
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