Jonathan Kaplan on sat 8 apr 00
You know, I for one am glad to see that this stuff will no longer be
available at some point. Many of us have been through all kinds of hell
with ghastly borate and have eliminated it from the repitoire of glazes.
IMHO, perhaps its time for those who depend on it to reconstruct your
pottery paradigm a bit and take some risks and learn about other materials,
other formulae, and take some chances. I applaud those who are taking the
time and effort such as Tony, Ron, Hammil and Gillespie, and probably
others,to reconstruct a similar material from frits, cadycal, and the
myriad of other materials available to us. Only time will tell, but there
are those who can't wait and are starting to whine. If you and your work
are so dependant on gerstley, lay in a few tons of the stuff and get to
work.
These are good times for potters, and this can be part of a new way of
thinking that can push the limits of your own thinking and doing. I
remember when other materials were no longer available such as PBX
Fireclay, Pine Lake Fireclay, Jordan Clay, Perrine Clay, Monmouth Stoneware
etc. etc.
Those of us dependant on those materials were in a real jam for a bit, and
those same people, myself included, found ways to continue doing what we
love using other materials and other approaches to our work.
Its not the end of the world, its a time to think and not complain.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group LTd/Production Services
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-9139 voice and fax
http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign
UPS: 1280 13th St. Unit13
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
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