JJ Adams on wed 20 sep 00
Hi all,
I have subscribed to ClayArt off and on for about four years and the
one thing everyone (who writes in, anyway) seems to agree on is how
deplorable blue pottery is. Even those who have admitted making blue
pots usually add they HAVE to for commercial reasons (which strikes me
as a rather severe and unkind indictment of your customers who like
blue.)
I love blue. Blue is the color of the sky and water. Blue is soothing
and comes in infinite shades and intensities. I have developed one blue
glaze that is (better stop reading if you're squeamish) deep cobalt and
has flow and texture that makes each piece unique. I have blues that
break reddish brown; blues that overlap with white to create yet another
shade of blue; blues that have depth and intensity. It has been a
challenge to develop these blues. Luckily I started out on my own and
had no idea of the extreme prejudice other potters have against blues.
So if you are ever at a show and see a booth that has predominantly blue
pots, it's probably me since noone else seems to use blue. I can
probably recognize all of you real potters by the looks of horror on
your faces. :)
I love earthtones as well, but I do not see that they are any more
valid or better than blue. I can certainly understand everyone having
preferences; but why is blue not PC, ie pottery correct? I suppose I'm
showing my ignorance and lack of an MFA by not understanding this
seemingly universal truth: Blue pottery is bad.
Jan - who loves almost all blue, except feeling blue.
Chris Clarke on wed 20 sep 00
I think SOME potters feel blue is below them because it's too easy (it's
not). I love blue, blue sells. And I live in a place where you need sales
to eat. But honestly, I never knew there was such a distaste for blue.
chris clarke
Temecula, CA
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
look again
----- Original Message -----
From: JJ Adams
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 7:41 AM
Subject: Blue Snobbism
> Hi all,
>
> I have subscribed to ClayArt off and on for about four years and
the
> one thing everyone (who writes in, anyway) seems to agree on is how
> deplorable blue pottery is. Even those who have admitted making blue
> pots usually add they HAVE to for commercial reasons (which strikes me
> as a rather severe and unkind indictment of your customers who like
> blue.)
>
> I love blue. Blue is the color of the sky and water. Blue is
soothing
> and comes in infinite shades and intensities. I have developed one blue
> glaze that is (better stop reading if you're squeamish) deep cobalt and
> has flow and texture that makes each piece unique. I have blues that
> break reddish brown; blues that overlap with white to create yet another
> shade of blue; blues that have depth and intensity. It has been a
> challenge to develop these blues. Luckily I started out on my own and
> had no idea of the extreme prejudice other potters have against blues.
> So if you are ever at a show and see a booth that has predominantly blue
> pots, it's probably me since noone else seems to use blue. I can
> probably recognize all of you real potters by the looks of horror on
> your faces. :)
>
> I love earthtones as well, but I do not see that they are any more
> valid or better than blue. I can certainly understand everyone having
> preferences; but why is blue not PC, ie pottery correct? I suppose I'm
> showing my ignorance and lack of an MFA by not understanding this
> seemingly universal truth: Blue pottery is bad.
>
> Jan - who loves almost all blue, except feeling blue.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
Nina Jones on wed 20 sep 00
Jan wrote:
"I have subscribed to ClayArt off and on for about four years and =
the
one thing everyone (who writes in, anyway) seems to agree on is how
deplorable blue pottery is. . . . why is blue not PC, ie pottery correct?"
Hi, Jan. Lots and lots of potters like blue. The popularity of Floating =
Blue, Michigan Blue and the various searches for cobalt blue glazes (which =
you can find in the archives) will testify to that. I'm a water baby and =
am moved by the tides of the seas and the lakes, drawn to rivers and =
streams. Blues, greens and all the shades in between. We had a thread =
not so long ago about the colors included in the term "earth tones" and =
some questioned why blues weren't included, considering that a lot of the =
natural world is blue and, from space, the earth itself is blue and white.
You can love the warm "earthy" browns, yellows, and the so unique tones =
yielded from a wood-firing, and love color too.
You're not alone; I love blue too.
Nina D. Jones
Southside Chicago
@ njones@winston.com=20
Cindy Strnad on wed 20 sep 00
Hi, Jan.
I don't know about potters being extremely prejudiced against blue. It would
be nice to be able to sell all the colors, and one does get tired of looking
at one color only, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that
color. It's like bison, here where I live. Everything has to have an
American bison on it. Well, the bison is a marvelous animal--remarkable,
tough, fascinating, cool. Tourists don't get tired of them because they've
never carved 300 at one sitting. But believe it or not, I do get a bit tired
of carving bison by summer's end. I'd like to do . . . . . a tiger, maybe.
Or even a cow. Anything but another bison, please. And maybe in a nice
green, tan, or brown for a change. Nothing wrong with blue. I like blue. I
like bison, too, but well, you know, enough's enough.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
www.earthenvesselssd.com
Andie Carpenter on wed 20 sep 00
Hooray! Hooray! I, too, LOVE blue. Floating Blue, Moody Sapphire Blue, Glossy
Cobalt Blue, Teal Blue, Midnight Blue, Noxzema Blue, Turquoise Blue...
I've never understood the thing about blue glazes, either. I am always on the
lookout for a new shade, a new texture, of blue.
Of course, I also love my shiny lime green that makes my husband nautious, the red
and yellow streaky glaze that my stepson thinks looks like melted crayons, and
every tenmoku I've every come across. So maybe I'm not going to end up with an MFA
either...
: ) Andie Carpenter
June Perry on wed 20 sep 00
Hi Jan:
Not everyones hates blue or uses it only because it sells. I happen to love
the color blue and find a medium to medium dark blue very pleasing on
functional pottery - particularly bowls. Food looks great on various blues.
Since the only blue food is blueberries, I think, blue pots don't competes
with the color of the food. The color also zips up the look of bland foods
like a bowl of taco chips, or a casserole covered in bread crumbs.
It's an easy color to get and that may be why many potters have an attitude
about it. I'm sure your note will garner some other replies! :-)
There is certainly a wise range of possibilities in blue glazes and I think
they can all be beautiful and interesting on the right forms. I also love
Shino, celadons, tenmokus and earth toned glazes as well. In fact, the only
color I dislike is pure chrome green or a very yellowish olive (army
fatigues) green --don't like it, don't buy it, don't use it. :-). There's no
rationale for my dislike. Rather, it's just that looking at those tones just
evokes a not so pleasant feeling in me.
I once heard that matter is color densified and color is sound densified, so
maybe I just don't respond to the "sound" of those particular greens. If we
have sounds preferences based on how we feel in the presence of certains
sounds, music, etc. then I don't see any reason why color wouldn't have the
same impact on people.
Regards,
June
Chris Clarke on wed 20 sep 00
Like your Bison, I spent four years putting horses on everything for the
people up in Colorado. When I moved to California I vowed never to do
another horse again. Hope I don't find some other creepy niche to get stuck
in (unless of course it sells : )
chris clarke
Temecula, CA
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
look again
----- Original Message -----
From: Cindy Strnad
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: Blue Snobbism
> Hi, Jan.
>
> I don't know about potters being extremely prejudiced against blue. It
would
> be nice to be able to sell all the colors, and one does get tired of
looking
> at one color only, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that
> color. It's like bison, here where I live. Everything has to have an
> American bison on it. Well, the bison is a marvelous animal--remarkable,
> tough, fascinating, cool. Tourists don't get tired of them because they've
> never carved 300 at one sitting. But believe it or not, I do get a bit
tired
> of carving bison by summer's end. I'd like to do . . . . . a tiger, maybe.
> Or even a cow. Anything but another bison, please. And maybe in a nice
> green, tan, or brown for a change. Nothing wrong with blue. I like blue. I
> like bison, too, but well, you know, enough's enough.
>
> Cindy Strnad
> Earthen Vessels Pottery
> RR 1, Box 51
> Custer, SD 57730
> USA
> earthenv@gwtc.net
> www.earthenvesselssd.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
Merrie Boerner on wed 20 sep 00
I am the ultimate "blue snob". It was my favorite color for 45 years. I
called it MY OWN COLOR. I told children in grade school that blue was
brighter to me because I was looking through blue eyes.....they hated me...I
was a blue snob. I love blue in the woodfiring, electric, gas, raku. I'm
sorry if I ever put it down! I'm sorry that I appear to be a snob at
times....I'm really only snobbish about blue. I see it brighter than most.
Merrie
Charles on thu 21 sep 00
I have a snobbism towards blue...but it is only for particular reasons. I
feel that beginner potters often go for the cobalt shiny blue -just because
it is pretty. I think too often they will dunk the whole pot into the shiny
blue and then the form of the pot is completely hidden. Shiny cobalt blue
hides everything. All the shadows, all the details. I LOVE blue as an
accent. I love blue as a liner for bowls. I want my students to learn how to
apply the glazes so that the glaze does more than cover the pot and make it
pretty blue, I want the glaze to show the form and accentuate the pots
qualities.
Makes sense to me!
-Charles
http://www.thecreativeoasis.com/Hughes/hughes.html
Martin Howard on thu 21 sep 00
Blue over here represented Maggie Thatcher and all her (fiendish( works.
That was a deep handbag blue. It was what my grandmother and seemingly all
that generation used to wear all the time. As a child I disliked it. As an
adult I feel the same.
But then I look at the shades of blue which we can obtain as potters; the
variations as this cobalt, the strongest of all colourants works, with other
minerals. It can be disguised so as to have nothing at all to do with Maggie
Thatcher. It can be quite angelic.
A common colour scheme for tableware in the UK now is dark blues with dark
greens. Any potters in the UK who disagree, just go to your larger stores
and look at Denby and Churchill wares.
So perhaps the buying public out there still likes Maggie Blue, but wants
some deep green as well. Just as well, with the amount of pollution we are
producing.
This may sound quite foreign to our North American friends :-) Or does it?
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
Paul Taylor on thu 21 sep 00
Dear Jan
I sell mostly blue pottery. My customers like it and I like to eat.
YET, along with many other potters, I HATE BLUE, BECAUSE IT IS NOT GREEN.
..
-- Regards Paul Taylor.
Westport Pottery, Liscarney, County Mayo. Ireland.
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery/
> From: JJ Adams
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 09:41:40 -0500
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Blue Snobbism
>
> Hi all,
> I can certainly understand everyone having
> preferences; but why is blue not PC, ie pottery correct?
>
> Jan - who loves almost all blue, except feeling blue.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
Joyce Lee on thu 21 sep 00
Why would a potter care what a non-customer thinks of her color choices?
I adore shinos .... have tried many since finding ClayArt and now focus
on four ... when I walk by Mel's lovely faceted shino bowl, I always
give it a pat ... shino speaks to me..... about Mel, yes, but also just
about itself.... same with Tony&Sheila's cups ... however, it's okay
with me if YOU don't like shino, and many of you do not. David Hendley's
Matt Tallow is infinitely fascinating to me ... some kind of surprise
every time I fire it. Texture is important to me; it doesn't have to be
to YOU; we'll still be buds. Dannon's use of texture, shino and soda
ash intrigue me whenever her bowl comes into sight, which is probably
hundreds of times daily.
I love blues but I like blues that layer well with other glazes or that
break into different looks when thin/thick... or that develop iron spots
here&there ... I don't like soft blues that are limited to one hue and
one texture ... but I don't think that you're a bad person (or a snob)
if YOU do! I've never felt even mildly intimidated here on Clayart,
among the best in the world, by the thought of requesting a recipe for
blue or, recent example, testing Hal's Floating Blue glaze of the week.
I can't imagine being defensive about working with blue, and I have
difficulty believing that any of you can either. So ... some wonderful
potter is a "blue snob".... so what?
I've wanted to respond to this thread but just don't understand the
underlying concept; yet my experience is that there are probably others
who feel the same way I do, who haven't responded out of concern for
others' feelings, or their own. I think we are stronger than that, so I
am choosing to give another perspective. If you don't like my choice of
glazes...... then you don't like my choice of glazes...... that's it...
nothing more. And, by the way, expressions of Snobbism say more about
the person doing the expressing than they do about the object of her
derision ... all negative.
Joyce
In the Mojave mixing copperred and copperpurple today for sure, so that
if given an opportunity to ask questions of Tom Coleman at his demo in
Bakersfield next week, I'll be ready.
Diane Mead on thu 21 sep 00
Hey, guys:
Blue snobbery is so silly. It cannot exist. Tell me no.
Say it ain't so.
Because I'm goin' thru life believing that potters are
RIDICULOUSLY practical and if something like an anti-blue
snobbery exists I will die!
eeek
diane in ga
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Andie Carpenter on thu 21 sep 00
I had to giggle when I saw this post, because ironically Charles makes the most
stunning blue glaze around, and I have spent endless hours trying to get it to work
for me.
I don't blame his students - if I ever end up in a studio with him, I'm heading for
the nearest bucket of his blue glaze, too!!
: ) Andie
Charles wrote:
" I feel that beginner potters often go for the cobalt shiny blue -just because it
is pretty. I think too often they will dunk the whole pot into the shiny blue and
then the form of the pot is completely hidden." -Charles
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