Fabienne Cassman on thu 8 apr 99
Folks,
I am pretty much on my own when it comes to throwing/glazing/etc. and have
been doing it for over a year now. It's a real struggle. Learn to throw
on one hand, trim on the other, formulate glazes on the third hand... I
feel like a powerless Kali. I suspect there are others that feel this way
or been through it. So, I thought I would share this with you.
All along, I found it rather difficult to see what experienced potters
hands/fingers were doing hidden in the pot or by their head. I also never
got a straight answer when I asked what was happening. I realize that
there is more than one way, but one way is a good start. So, I kept on
getting frustrated with what I call my "doorstops" which I endlessly
trimmed. I am also relatively picky and don't settle half way; most of it
went back in the bag unless I had to do glaze testing or it came out ok (a
fluke). Finally, I got Don Davis' book, "Wheel-Thrown Ceramics : Altering,
Trimming, Adding, Finishing" in the hope it would help.
In it, there is a section dedicated to what I cannot see over people's
shoulder. It shows a pot cut in half at several stages, one including a
pull in the middle of it, and Don (I assume) shows where the fingers/hands
are placed. The explanation is crystal clear, too. Now, I know what it
really looks like.
Maybe it's just me, but for the past three weeks, I have been trying over
and over to do as is outlined in the book and everything had to go back in
the recycling bucket for various horrifying reasons. I was starting to
fall into despair as I could not even get back to what I was doing before.
Last night, however, it finally paid off. My clay went a long way (never
had before), the wall was more evenly distributed (used to be mostly at the
bottom) and it is nice and centered (no embarassing bump(s)). I finally
have a genuine keeper!
If you're out there listening Don, thank you!
Faye
Tom Wirt on fri 9 apr 99
>>>-----Original Message-----
From: Fabienne Cassman
>>>Subject: Learning to Throw
All along, I found it rather difficult to see what experienced potters
hands/fingers were doing hidden in the pot or by their head. I also never
got a straight answer when I asked what was happening. I realize that
there is more than one way, but one way is a good start. So, I kept on
getting frustrated with what I call my "doorstops" which I endlessly
trimmed. I am also relatively picky and don't settle half way; most of it
went back in the bag unless I had to do glaze testing or it came out ok (a
fluke). Finally, I got Don Davis' book, "Wheel-Thrown Ceramics : Altering,
>>>>Trimming, Adding, Finishing" in the hope it would help.<<<<
Fabe
Another excellent book along the same lines is Elspeth Woody's "Pottery on
the Wheel". Great book to go back to when things go wrong. Same types of
cutaway pictures.
Tom Wirt
Veena Raghavan on fri 9 apr 99
Hi Faye,
Have you seem a magazine called Pottery Making Illustrated
published quarterly by CM. It's a how-to magazine and I think you would
find it a great help. There are several articles on throwing methods by
Ivor Lewis in the back issues, which I think you would find very helpful.
Good luck
Veena
Veena Raghavan
75124.2520@compuserve.com
ivor lewis on fri 9 apr 99
Hello Fay,
I appreciate your dilemma which is why I wrote two articles for Pottery
Making Illustrated. Look for Vol.1 No. 3. It is about throwing bowls
and shows how to hold your hands, both inside and outside. A second
article called "Throwing Tall Pots" in No 4 was well received although
I did not show hands in that instance. You are right in suggesting that
most of the books which are supposed to teach "how" do not show the
essentials.
I wish you every success, keep on trying. Ivor Lewis.
--- Fabienne Cassman wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> Folks,
>
> I am pretty much on my own when it comes to
> throwing/glazing/etc. and have
> been doing it for over a year now. It's a real
> struggle. Learn to throw
> on one hand, trim on the other, formulate glazes on
> the third hand... I
> feel like a powerless Kali. I suspect there are
> others that feel this way
> or been through it. So, I thought I would share
> this with you.
>
> All along, I found it rather difficult to see what
> experienced potters
> hands/fingers were doing hidden in the pot or by
> their head. I also never
> got a straight answer when I asked what was
> happening. I realize that
> there is more than one way, but one way is a good
> start. So, I kept on
> getting frustrated with what I call my "doorstops"
> which I endlessly
> trimmed. I am also relatively picky and don't
> settle half way; most of it
> went back in the bag unless I had to do glaze
> testing or it came out ok (a
> fluke). Finally, I got Don Davis' book,
> "Wheel-Thrown Ceramics : Altering,
> Trimming, Adding, Finishing" in the hope it would
> help.
>
> In it, there is a section dedicated to what I cannot
> see over people's
> shoulder. It shows a pot cut in half at several
> stages, one including a
> pull in the middle of it, and Don (I assume) shows
> where the fingers/hands
> are placed. The explanation is crystal clear, too.
> Now, I know what it
> really looks like.
>
> Maybe it's just me, but for the past three weeks, I
> have been trying over
> and over to do as is outlined in the book and
> everything had to go back in
> the recycling bucket for various horrifying reasons.
> I was starting to
> fall into despair as I could not even get back to
> what I was doing before.
> Last night, however, it finally paid off. My clay
> went a long way (never
> had before), the wall was more evenly distributed
> (used to be mostly at the
> bottom) and it is nice and centered (no embarassing
> bump(s)). I finally
> have a genuine keeper!
>
> If you're out there listening Don, thank you!
>
> Faye
>
_________________________________________________________
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Dwiggins, Sandra (NCI) on sat 10 apr 99
Faye-
Let me recommend two books if you can get them still in print, or if not, try
and get them through interlibrary loan at your local library. One is John
Colbeck's Pottery: The Technique of Throwing. The other is a book I just saw
recently, by the person who did the first book on handbuilding that was so
good---Elspeth S. Woody, Pottery on the Wheel. Actually, I just looked and both
of these books are available from Amazon. They have excellent pictures for
throwing--the Woody book is particularly good since she cuts the pots in half
and shows how your hands should be inside and outside the pot. The Colbeck book
was the one I used to teach myself to throw 28 years ago. Things haven't
changed much.
As a person who learned throwing by trial and error, books were essential to my
learning. Watching other people throw any time I could and then practicing,
practicing, practicing was the way I learned to throw. Lots of good luck and
best wishes...
Sandy
-----Original Message-----
From: ivor lewis [SMTP:ivorredhill@yahoo.com.au]
Sent: Friday, April 09, 1999 11:28 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: Learning to Throw
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hello Fay,
I appreciate your dilemma which is why I wrote two articles for Pottery
Making Illustrated. Look for Vol.1 No. 3. It is about throwing bowls
and shows how to hold your hands, both inside and outside. A second
article called "Throwing Tall Pots" in No 4 was well received although
I did not show hands in that instance. You are right in suggesting that
most of the books which are supposed to teach "how" do not show the
essentials.
I wish you every success, keep on trying. Ivor Lewis.
--- Fabienne Cassman wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> Folks,
>
> I am pretty much on my own when it comes to
> throwing/glazing/etc. and have
> been doing it for over a year now. It's a real
> struggle. Learn to throw
> on one hand, trim on the other, formulate glazes on
> the third hand... I
> feel like a powerless Kali. I suspect there are
> others that feel this way
> or been through it. So, I thought I would share
> this with you.
>
> All along, I found it rather difficult to see what
> experienced potters
> hands/fingers were doing hidden in the pot or by
> their head. I also never
> got a straight answer when I asked what was
> happening. I realize that
> there is more than one way, but one way is a good
> start. So, I kept on
> getting frustrated with what I call my "doorstops"
> which I endlessly
> trimmed. I am also relatively picky and don't
> settle half way; most of it
> went back in the bag unless I had to do glaze
> testing or it came out ok (a
> fluke). Finally, I got Don Davis' book,
> "Wheel-Thrown Ceramics : Altering,
> Trimming, Adding, Finishing" in the hope it would
> help.
>
> In it, there is a section dedicated to what I cannot
> see over people's
> shoulder. It shows a pot cut in half at several
> stages, one including a
> pull in the middle of it, and Don (I assume) shows
> where the fingers/hands
> are placed. The explanation is crystal clear, too.
> Now, I know what it
> really looks like.
>
> Maybe it's just me, but for the past three weeks, I
> have been trying over
> and over to do as is outlined in the book and
> everything had to go back in
> the recycling bucket for various horrifying reasons.
> I was starting to
> fall into despair as I could not even get back to
> what I was doing before.
> Last night, however, it finally paid off. My clay
> went a long way (never
> had before), the wall was more evenly distributed
> (used to be mostly at the
> bottom) and it is nice and centered (no embarassing
> bump(s)). I finally
> have a genuine keeper!
>
> If you're out there listening Don, thank you!
>
> Faye
>
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
tmartens on sun 11 apr 99
Hello Fay
If I were you I would move heaven and earth to get my mits on these
articles Ivor has mentioned.
I was admittedly much further along the line with throwing
than you are, BUT what a difference his method has made.
Instead of fiddling with pots and losing the essence I was looking
for, I am getting nice BIG bowls in about two pulls.
Thin walled and light and they have that heretofore elusive thing,
form.
Yes I know I am raving here, but well,
it is worth raving about, it is as though I have suddenly
gained a whole new freedom, it's heady stuff freedom.
Toni in Durban, South Africa, rejoicing at the Autumny nip in the air
and still insisting that my spelling comes from Toni's Great Book of
Alternative Spelling!
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hello Fay,
I appreciate your dilemma which is why I wrote two articles for Pottery
Making Illustrated. Look for Vol.1 No. 3. It is about throwing bowls
and shows how to hold your hands, both inside and outside. A second
article called "Throwing Tall Pots" in No 4 was well received although
I did not show hands in that instance. You are right in suggesting that
most of the books which are supposed to teach "how" do not show the
essentials.
I wish you every success, keep on trying. Ivor Lewis.
--- Fabienne Cassman wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> Folks,
>
> I am pretty much on my own when it comes to
> throwing/glazing/etc. and have
> been doing it for over a year now. It's a real
> struggle. Learn to throw
> on one hand, trim on the other, formulate glazes on
> the third hand... I
> feel like a powerless Kali. I suspect there are
> others that feel this way
> or been through it. So, I thought I would share
> this with you.
>
> All along, I found it rather difficult to see what
> experienced potters
> hands/fingers were doing hidden in the pot or by
> their head. I also never
> got a straight answer when I asked what was
> happening. I realize that
> there is more than one way, but one way is a good
> start. So, I kept on
> getting frustrated with what I call my "doorstops"
> which I endlessly
> trimmed. I am also relatively picky and don't
> settle half way; most of it
> went back in the bag unless I had to do glaze
> testing or it came out ok (a
> fluke). Finally, I got Don Davis' book,
> "Wheel-Thrown Ceramics : Altering,
> Trimming, Adding, Finishing" in the hope it would
> help.
>
> In it, there is a section dedicated to what I cannot
> see over people's
> shoulder. It shows a pot cut in half at several
> stages, one including a
> pull in the middle of it, and Don (I assume) shows
> where the fingers/hands
> are placed. The explanation is crystal clear, too.
> Now, I know what it
> really looks like.
>
> Maybe it's just me, but for the past three weeks, I
> have been trying over
> and over to do as is outlined in the book and
> everything had to go back in
> the recycling bucket for various horrifying reasons.
> I was starting to
> fall into despair as I could not even get back to
> what I was doing before.
> Last night, however, it finally paid off. My clay
> went a long way (never
> had before), the wall was more evenly distributed
> (used to be mostly at the
> bottom) and it is nice and centered (no embarassing
> bump(s)). I finally
> have a genuine keeper!
>
> If you're out there listening Don, thank you!
>
> Faye
>
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Fabienne Cassman on sun 11 apr 99
------------------
Hello=21
Wow, did I sound that desperate? :) I have a bloated inbox with
encouragement messages, tips, and stories of people in the same boat I am.
Thank you to all of you for replying=3B sorry if I missed anyone. Actually,
I am a happy camper, grateful to have challenge in her life or it would be
rather dull.
My intent was not to stress that I am having a relative hard time, but
rather to share my discovery, i.e. Don's book, and the impact it had on my
throwing, and perhaps to help anyone who is having the same problem in the
process. Number sure has its power :)
I am hanging in there=3B in fact, better than that, ceramics is keeping me =
sane.
Cheers,
=A4=BA=B0=60=B0=BA=A4=F8,=B8=B8,=F8=A4=BA=B0=60=B0=BA=A4=F8,=B8=B8,=F8=A4=BA=
=B0=60=B0=BA=A4=F8,=B8=B8,=F8=A4=BA=B0=60=B0=BA=A4=F8,=B8=B8,=F8=A4=BA=B0=60
Faye 04/09/99-new pics =40 http://clay.justnet.com
Yes, I have learned from my mistakes...
I can reproduce them exactly.
Tony Hansen on mon 12 apr 99
There are tons of good books on throwing at http://axner.com
Just search for the word 'throw'.
--
T o n y H a n s e n thansen@digitalfire.com
Don't fight the dragon alone http://digitalfire.com
Calculation/Database Software for Ceramic Industry
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