clennell on sun 17 dec 00
Ian Currie wrote:
>
>Most of these glazes were quite coarsely ground. (Our glaze materials are
>usually ground to at least 200#.) Some of the feldspathic material was
>ground no finer than 30# (mesh per inch). This had an effect on the glaze
>texture. In most cases there was no problem with it being "sandpapery",
>probably because of the very long slow finish to the fire. I'm sure the
>long firing has been mentioned on Clayart before.
>
Ian : Firstly glad you're back. Elizabeth wrote a good post on what is
Clayart is. I liked what she said about it not only being Q and A. For
some it is a whole days work , for some it is strictly Q an A, for others
it is pontification. For me it is meeting at the water cooler. I live and
work at home so don't get out much. I don't stand at the cooler long and
basically give it the time I can. A little during the week and sometimes
an hour or more on a sunday or while I'm firing a kiln.
I like what you said about roughage ( coarse materials) in the early shino
glazes. I try to put local materials into the glaze to make up for all the
refined material. My glaze (not shino but lustre ware) has 7% Queenston
shale and my green glaze has 12%. It is from an old brickyard and is
probably 25 mesh. It melts out in the glaze.
You will notice I do not have a shino, a celedon or a temmoku. I have
lustre, green and black/rust. A customer walks in the shop and says I like
this glaze. You then say that is my temmoku or shino glaze. They think you
"no speaka da English". then you have to start in with a history lesson
and their eyes glaze over.
Have a Fosters for me.
Cheers,
Tony
sour cherry pottery
tony and sheila clennell
4545 king street
beamsville, on.L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
clennell@vaxxine.com
Paul Taylor on wed 20 dec 00
Dear Tony
I am going to cross swords again.
I liked the site in fact it has pulled the rug from under some of my
ideas of what my pottery can be . (little sweetener)
However I am going to take you to task about the fancy naming . I use it
with my customers all the time I think it sells pots. Yes there eyes do
glaze over . I would like to think that i stop talking soon after that point
- although unable to help myself I probably do not .
I can not manage the hard sell I tried but it made me tense and the
customers tense- I just felt embarrassed.
Now I do a sort of passive selling its a deadly method for the more
introverted . We have lots of introverts in Ireland - although I hear they
are drowned at birth in Australia.
The technic is to not worry about the customer not understanding what you
are saying because the understanding of what you are saying is not the
point. The customer usually does not let on that he does not understand if
he does it means he wishes to, which means a sure sale . However the
complement you pay to all customers by supposing that they are sophisticated
enough to know what you are on about helps generate confidence in a sale.
Also it displays an enthusiasm from the potter which justifies the
extra cost and lets the customer feel he has bought into set of
knowledgeable craftsmanship with an ancient tradition. I usually try to put
some of the info in terms that can be relayed to any body else that may be
admiring the pot in the customers house. This is the reselling point the
customer can show off his knowledge and confidence in the purchase Just by
remembering the fancy name or something I may have said about the technology
- I adjust the Yin sales pitch according to the customers interest - which
sells more of my pottery to the guest who calls in to buy a piece of art
pottery on recommendation.
The technique works well with the bored husband and the interested wife
if you show the husband the kiln and start talking about the burners or take
as a clue his interest in any part of the business If you can get some sort
of opinion or advise out of the husband all the better while he is talking
the wife is buying and when the time comes to tot up the bad news the
husband is happy if not reluctant to pay for a perches he feels he has had
some input into at a level he can show competence in.
I keep a few of the best pots in the back If the customer shows any sense
of design I will show them what I may consider a better pot of the same
order this can clinch a sale the customer feels complemented that you have
discovered a talent for design in them and therefor you by association must
also be talented making the purchase worth while.
I know this all looks like duplicity of sorts I would like to sell pots
just if you like it buy it if you dont sod off. but we live in times when
the public are scared of an art world that they neither much like or
understand all I am giving is the confidence for them to make the decision
they want to make.
I will add that a more robust attitude will sell more pots and run a
better business but this method of selling has given me the confidence to
the develop a more out going attitude towards customers .
No shortage at the water pump here it has rained every day for three and a
half months.
Regards from Paul Taylor
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery
> From: clennell
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 12:51:29 -0500
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Aussie Roughage- shino
>
> Ian Currie wrote:
> You will notice I do not have a shino, a celedon or a temmoku. I have
> lustre, green and black/rust. A customer walks in the shop and says I like
> this glaze. You then say that is my temmoku or shino glaze. They think you
> "no speaka da English". then you have to start in with a history lesson
> and their eyes glaze over.
> Have a Fosters for me.
> Cheers,
> Tony
>
>
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