L. P. Skeen on mon 26 jun 00
Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben =
Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the =
same piece over and over and over and over and over without going =
nutsoid? =20
Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally =
agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly =
killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. =
Any suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
Summerfield, NC
Ben Owen on mon 26 jun 00
Just remember that all those pots are seeds you are planting. Stop now and then and do something new when the time is right. There is nothing wrong with making bread and butter pots. Make a balance in your life. I know, it is easier said than done but you have
to have challenges in life. There is nothing more rewarding than a good days work with pots to show for it.
Ben Owen III
"L. P. Skeen" wrote:
> Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
>
> Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
>
> L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
> Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
> Summerfield, NC
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
VandRKatz@AOL.COM on tue 27 jun 00
Lisa,
A couple years ago when I was in NC you were kind enough to "tour" me through
Seagrove. We spent several hours in the car driving from point A to point B.
You talked about how you LOVED pottery & making pottery & that's really what
you wanted to do .....
Careful what you wish for ..... keep turning ! I am glad you are so
successful.
Sincerely,
Vicki Katz
CYoung/NCzuchra on tue 27 jun 00
Books on tape. Nothing like a good mystery to engage the part of your
brain that isn't throwing. When I've worked out the problems in getting
the shape I want, I weigh each piece, use a stick for the height I want and
after doing enough so that my hands remember the shape, I plug in the book,
I use a headset. The local library has the books on tape and its great.
Candace
>Ok you production folks out there, ..how in the WORLD do you make the same
piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
>
>L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
brooks ratledge on tue 27 jun 00
Lisa, I haven't done production for a number of years, but when I was, the next piece was always an opportunity to do it a little better. good luck, p. harden
L. P. Skeen wrote:
> Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
>
> Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
>
> L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
> Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
> Summerfield, NC
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
GREG MARSHALL on tue 27 jun 00
L.P.,
There are a couple of tricks I use to throw multiples of a form (I have
one on-going order that I throw over 3,000 of basically the same form a
year).
First of all, I think of it as meditation. Once the form is locked
into, my mind can become blank, think about other things going on in my
life, daydream, etc. Enjoy the rhythm, the flow of energy, the connection
between you and the earth. You are being a potter. Remember when you
dreamed of being a potter?
Secondly, I look at each pot in a critical manner. Try to throw the
perfect one. Often there are things about each pot I like, and things that
aren't quite right. Keep trying to repeat what you like and change what you
don't. It's a challenge. It's one of the beautiful things about pottery,
you just can't quite achieve perfection. So try again. In the process, you
grow, your work changes, it's evolution. You are alive, you are not
stagnant. Enjoy.
Greg Marshall
Manitou Springs, CO
----- Original Message -----
From: "L. P. Skeen"
To:
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2000 9:17 PM
Subject: Production work- it's driving me MADDDDDDDDDD
Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben
Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the
same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally
agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly
killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any
suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
Summerfield, NC
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Earl Brunner on tue 27 jun 00
Do you know anything about Zen? I think it's a Zen thing.
"L. P. Skeen" wrote:
>
> Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
>
> Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
>
> L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
> Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
> Summerfield, NC
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Marjorie Beynon on tue 27 jun 00
I took one of those orders once..500 plus mugs with applied logo and extra signage on the bottom (donor's name etc). They were for special olympics participants. I kept one, put it on the shelf to remind me to never be that agreeable or desperate again. Avoid
getting newspaper coverage of your large production run or other groups will appear and will not understand why you begin to laugh at their requests and they really will not understand why you do not want to make all that money...
Look at the project as another item to take off your list of what you will do. In the meantime try to get into the rythmn of the work and you probably will find that you will gain more than the frustration that you now feel. MarjB
"L. P. Skeen" wrote:
> Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
>
> Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
>
> L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
> Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
> Summerfield, NC
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Tommy Humphries on tue 27 jun 00
I think it is all in the mindset, try to make it like a mantra to clear the
mind---OOOHHHHMMMM-OOOOHHHHHHHMMMMMM
But really now, I am a production potter in a LARGE pottery. Today I made
220 1/4 gal (2.5 lb.) pitchers (with out handle) yesterday I did the same
and tomorrow I am scheduled to make 180 1 gal (7 lb.) pitchers.
It really is all in the way you approach the matter, in my home shop, in my
spare time, I am hard pressed to do 25 of a single item. If you have the
workspace set up to do the production, then it is really not a problem. If
you are trying to do production in a small space, them you are looking at a
free ticket to the looney bin IMHO.
Keep all your tools handy, boards/bats for pots near at hand, ready supply
of water nearby, get all the clay weighed and wedged ahead of time, develop
your handling skills so that you don't spend all your time putting on
handles (I can pull 100 mug handles an hour). ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE.
Keep a window handy for occasionally watching the birds or squirrels, just
keep pottin away. After the first 60-70 pots your hands can almost do it by
themselves, your mind can go on to do other things, like designing that new
Raku sculpture, or rebuilding that old soldner mixer out back.
Make sure that your muscles are stretched before starting, or you will never
make it through the day...
Needless to say, production potting can be a tiring venture, but it needn't
be a bore ( or an excuse for insanity), all you need is the proper
preparation(for the mind, body and studio).
Tommy Humphries
"`You know, it's at times like this, that I really wish I'd listened to what
my mother told me when I was young.'
`Why, what did she tell you?'
`I don't know, I didn't listen.'"
(Douglas Adams)
----- Original Message -----
From: "L. P. Skeen"
To:
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2000 10:17 PM
Subject: Production work- it's driving me MADDDDDDDDDD
Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben
Owens' name I saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the
same piece over and over and over and over and over without going nutsoid?
Remember those tumblers of which I spoke about a week ago? I originally
agreed to do 50 of 'em - 25 each size. Well, I did 'em, tho it nearly
killed me. Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any
suggestions for saving sanity appreciated.
L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
Living Tree Pottery & Handmade Soaps
Summerfield, NC
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Sarah House on tue 27 jun 00
Books on tape, that's my sanity. it worked especially well when i was in a
group studio, i could pretend i was alone. Now that i am alone, i can
pretend i'm not. Otherwise, if you hate it you might always hate it. I have
a good friend that got a commision for 50 mugs. she had never tried to
throw more than about 5 of anything. She started out hating it and by the
end loved the way they all stood side by side so alike. She even took on
another 50. Try the next order and if you still hate it accept that and do
your own thing.
Sarah House
Bruce Gioia on wed 28 jun 00
----- Original Message -----
From: L. P. Skeen
>>.how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and
over and over without going nutsoid?
Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions
for saving sanity appreciated.<<<
_____________________
The key to your sanity will in fact be found by doing just that....
Losing your mind!!!
The deeper you go, the distinction will become wider...
At first you maybe startled when
you begin to recognize that you are not
who you thought you were.
If this is the beginnining of madness...ok
fear no evil..trust
Your are on the verge of the real adventure/mystery
The discovery of who you are and who you are not!
The ranter and raver makes more noice when the
line of distinction approaches...let it rant just take note,
keep your awareness focused on the task at hand...
watch all the reasons that are generated to distract you/defeat you.
Come back to the clay..blend your concsiousness into the process.
Merge. dissolve, expand become one with the act.
I think it another way of saying to free associate.(elizabeth)
This is where the real action is
The real pots follow suit.
You are going in the right direction.
Be brave
Blessed is the path.
Bruce
Frank Gaydos on wed 28 jun 00
Speaking of Zen..... the cover story in this weeks U.S. NEWS and world
report is about Mind Power..
how athletes, executives and ARTISTS learn to stay in the ZONE.
Read it at http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/000703/zone.htm
============================================================================
==================================
Subject: Re: Production work- it's driving me MADDDDDDDDDD
Do you know anything about Zen? I think it's a Zen thing.
Timakia@AOL.COM on wed 28 jun 00
L.P I think repetitive work is good for some discipline in ones work. I`ve
done production for more than half of my career, before I changed to one off
pieces. Previously the challenge was to make pieces similar. Now the
challenge is to make something new every time I make a piece. Previously I
made 100 pieces a day, now I try to make 100 a year. What I learned during my
production years is wonderful knowledge today. Yes, I hated that time, but it
was good to see my work everywhere and it was good to be in control. When I
changed to one offs, it was hard for people to accept me in that way and it
was hard for me to adjust myself. When people asked for production work, it
was hard for me to send them to someone else. I am glad though that I`ve done
that. It took a lot of pressure of my back, but I often end up these days not
knowing the outcome of a piece from the kiln.
I think whether one do production work or single pieces, depends on the
attitude that one have. Put that together with ones circumstances and you
will get a production potter or a once off potter.
Antoinette.
Antoinette Badenhorst
PO Box 552
Saltillo,MS
38866
http://hometown.aol.com/timakia
L. P. Skeen on wed 28 jun 00
Thanks to everyone who responded to my madness. Some really good ideas here
for dealing w/ the nutsoids. I think I'm at a point where I"m gonna have to
fish or cut bait in terms of where I"m going professionally w/ my work, both
pottery and soap. Gotta get some discipline. Hope it doesn't cost all my
creativity. :(
Lisa
Earl Brunner on wed 28 jun 00
The simple answer is, we are all nuts.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: L. P. Skeen
>
> >>.how in the WORLD do you make the same piece over and over and over and
> over and over without going nutsoid?
> Now I've gotta do MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may lose my mind. Any suggestions
> for saving sanity appreciated.<<<
> _____________________
>
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
NLudd@AOL.COM on fri 30 jun 00
"L. P. Skeen" wrote:
> Ok you production folks out there, I see you lurking - yes that WAS Ben
Owens' name I >saw on a post today.......how in the WORLD do you make the
same piece over and over and >over and over and over without going nutsoid?
Sure you can do it as long as you don't have Attention Deficit Disorder or
maybe hemorrhoids...
It's challenging but it's not rocket science. Did someone say you have to be
good for 30 pots an hour or, in effect, you're doing it wrong?? Nonsense! Do
not believe them! Forget the clock at this stage. Let thirty an hour come in
its own time. You'll find your own pace in production throwing, and the
beauty is that you'll _naturally_ speed up with patient practice, refining
and economising each movement, learning as you go.
It's a cruise, and it stays a cruise even when it gets faster - it is never a
sprint uphill. Unless you are on a cruel deadline, that is. :-/
IMHO, think what you are going for, arrange your space, your boards or batts
and tools for minimal getting up and sitting down as you throw, weigh those
clay balls - and surprise yourself!
Don't be too quick to turn on the radio, either. I advise silence, if you can
find it. :-)
enjoy the journey!
Ned
(done his time production throwing, from Devon to Denver)
Norman Aufrichtig on sun 2 jul 00
no longer work in clay , but still make things and its still production
. what i don't like is when there is too much work and not enough time
and everything has to be done faster than it should be.
when i worked on the wheel, production , the making of many similar
objects gave me great pleasure after a while i would feel like a bird.
if you watch a bird their movements are very fast and very precise and
when i was at my best that is how i worked, it is the thing i miss the
most. but i put in over twenty years making pots and wanted to move on
to other things and now put most of my effort into making the prototype
as opposed to making them one by one.
norman in taos nm, where we need rain
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