Joyce Lee on tue 4 sep 01
Took a long time to arrive at this point .... but I'm finally not only =
"getting" Mel's advice about the necessity of throwing or handbuilding =
hundreds .... if not thousands ..... of a difficult form before genuine =
understanding can occur...... at least, for some of us...... but I'm =
experiencing the reality.
I have resisted this recommendation so many times in so many ways that =
even I came to appreciate my creative ability to forge Denial =
Strategies. Teapots..... this deranged person was bound and determined =
to throw 200 .... managed maybe 30 total with most winding up =
recycled... the few that made it through the glaze firings were later =
hammered...... and I quit. Damn teapots. Who needs them? Pretentious =
exercise for an aging desert potter, anyhow ... keep it simple suits my =
Budding Pottery Person's Style of Her Own ... absolutely.
Then the owls....... loved them...... slabs mostly ... clever ..... =
ahhh, I'd found my niche. I'd be a Slab
Potter, yes? With Owls as my Special Project.
.... will do as the mayor advised and line the walls, tables and desert =
scrub acreage with My Creations ...... ok.... I've proven that 200 is =
too many, discourages me to be faced with such a daunting task ... I'll =
make 100. Well, the first 5 were quite nice ..... survived all =
firings... The Fall came, of course. No way I wanted to make 100 =
owls.... not in this lifetime. I want to make pots! So I quit.
After numerous such malpractice events, last week I discovered that I =
couldn't throw a decent dinner plate ... because I couldn't throw a =
decent luncheon plate .... because I couldn't throw a decent dessert =
plate .... only micro-mini-plates
seemed to be my strength and anybody could do that.... besides the =
demand is rather small even in my own house. Sooooooo I .... without =
making grandiose plans nor predictions nor announcing it to Clayart =
.... started throwing a few dessert plates every time I sat at the =
wheel...... then threw
two lidded jars (as Tony the Clennell suggested) ..... It's working!!! =
Hallelujah and amen! Can't believe it. Have 52 plates now .... lookin' =
better... not every time but enough to encourage me. Must be 16 of the =
lidded jars that have survived.... better..... long way to go there...
Point: to my like-minded and similar-experienced
claybuds........ don't give up. And listen to the mayor...... and, for =
goodness sake, quit hopping about .... (how pure we who are newly born =
can be, eh?)....
Joyce
In the Mojave
Khaimraj Seepersad on tue 4 sep 01
Hello to All ,
Joyce ,
fear not , you have company . For as Fine Artists in
training we face the Cast , the Model [ 3 hours daily ,
1 to 2 weeks , sometimes up to 4 ---- 5 days a week
---- before anyone asks again , we rest the model after
20 minutes of posing , for 15 minutes ] , Still Life and
Portraiture.
You are expected to work at home privately as well .
Practice , practice , practice ------ it's the Fine Art of
Craft long before it becomes Fine Art .
When we leave the studio , all we try to do is our best .
The - Is it Art ?, part ---- is for the observer or history to
decide.
Find me in good spirits , standing at your side ,
encouraging you onwards .
Khaimraj
-----Original Message-----
From: Joyce Lee
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: 04 September 2001 16:52
Subject: Mayor's Advice
Took a long time to arrive at this point .... but I'm finally not only
"getting" Mel's advice about the necessity of throwing or handbuilding
hundreds .... if not thousands ..... of a difficult form before genuine
understanding can occur...... at least, for some of us...... but I'm
experiencing the reality.
I have resisted this recommendation so many times in so many ways that even
I came to appreciate my creative ability to forge Denial Strategies.
Teapots..... this deranged person was bound and determined to throw 200 ....
managed maybe 30 total with most winding up recycled... the few that made it
through the glaze firings were later hammered...... and I quit. Damn
teapots. Who needs them? Pretentious exercise for an aging desert potter,
anyhow ... keep it simple suits my Budding Pottery Person's Style of Her Own
.. absolutely.
Then the owls....... loved them...... slabs mostly ... clever ..... ahhh,
I'd found my niche. I'd be a Slab
Potter, yes? With Owls as my Special Project.
.... will do as the mayor advised and line the walls, tables and desert
scrub acreage with My Creations ...... ok.... I've proven that 200 is too
many, discourages me to be faced with such a daunting task ... I'll make
100. Well, the first 5 were quite nice ..... survived all firings... The
Fall came, of course. No way I wanted to make 100 owls.... not in this
lifetime. I want to make pots! So I quit.
After numerous such malpractice events, last week I discovered that I
couldn't throw a decent dinner plate ... because I couldn't throw a decent
luncheon plate .... because I couldn't throw a decent dessert plate ....
only micro-mini-plates
seemed to be my strength and anybody could do that.... besides the demand is
rather small even in my own house. Sooooooo I .... without making
grandiose plans nor predictions nor announcing it to Clayart ..... started
throwing a few dessert plates every time I sat at the wheel...... then threw
two lidded jars (as Tony the Clennell suggested) ..... It's working!!!
Hallelujah and amen! Can't believe it. Have 52 plates now .... lookin'
better... not every time but enough to encourage me. Must be 16 of the
lidded jars that have survived.... better..... long way to go there...
Point: to my like-minded and similar-experienced
claybuds........ don't give up. And listen to the mayor...... and, for
goodness sake, quit hopping about .... (how pure we who are newly born can
be, eh?)....
Joyce
In the Mojave
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