Alan Harrell on thu 13 sep 01
Wanted 11x13
Hello everyone,
I am new to potting and have been a lurker on the group for about a month.
I found the group through a friend who is a fellow potter at the studio
where I throw. I must say I have enjoyed reading all the postings and have
learned a lot from the group about throwing techniques, glazing, as well as
some of the things to be careful of when starting to sell my work.
To tell my story a little bit before getting into my posting. Pottery has
been a life goal for me and I have never found the time to stop and learn
to throw on a wheel. I can remember always loving pottery and always being
hypnotized by watching someone perform their magic of throwing on a wheel
and the clay rising up from this mound into a beautiful form.
Over the years I have longed to learn the craft of throwing on the wheel
but never found the time. My job never permitts me to have many hobbies
due to traveling 100 percent of the time. I fly out on Mondays, return
home on Fridays only to find myself so exhausted that I didn=92t want to
start any projects that I couldn=92t finish over the weekend. I love my job=
and enjoy the type of work I do, (managing large computer system
implementations on the West Coast of the united states) but it just never
permitted me to have much of a social life or many hobbies. Finally,
reaching maximum burnout from traveling, I decided to take the summer off.
I left my job back the middle of March. After two weeks of panic, I don=92t=
have cash coming in, watching Martha Stewart and HGTV, and not knowing what
to do with my time, I picked up a local rag and started reading the
classifieds. I found an advertisement for pottery classes, my heart skipped
and the yearning to learn to throw rose up again. I called the number in
the advertisement that morning and by the end of the afternoon I had had my
first lesson at throwing on the wheel. Coming home excited, covered in
clay, and finding that inner child again within myself, and allowing him to
come out play, I fell in love with the wheel and the clay. I never
expected to accomplish this life goal until I retired. I have felt
privileged to start trying to accomplish it at my age (41), it's been a
wonderful experience for me this summer and become such an intricate part
of my life that I have no intentions of letting it go. My love is now an
addiction as friends have told me. I rent space in the studio where I have
learned to throw. I go there 3 to 4 days a week to throw or volunteer to
work, I drive my teacher/mentor crazy with questions where I have read
something here on the group, read a book, or checked out tapes from the
library about pottery. I follow my teacher around the studio like a puppy
asking why?, why?, why? and trying to learn as much as I can about working
in and running a studio.
The big day came when I was allowed to load the kiln and fire it by
myself. It was like Christmas for me when I opened the kiln after it's
firing. The little kid in me was nervous, excited, and worried all at the
same time, not only was my work in the kiln, but other potters work was in
the kiln as well and here was the little boy allowed to wake up the dragon
to fire these wonderful pieces of work. Thank goodness, no pieces were
broken, or cracked in the firing, but being able to fire the kiln alone
made my love for pottery grow even stronger.
As I now have to think about work again and having to start the job search,
one of my requirements is to keep me home more so that I can continue to
pot/sculpt/throw. The clay is to deep in my heart to allow it to slip away
because of not having the time anymore. Life is too short.
So, after all that, the reason for my posting.
I am looking for a small 120-volt electric kiln for sale. The interior
dimensions I am wanting are 11x13 either square or octagon shape. The kiln
must fire to at least cone 8 if not cone 10.
I live in Victoria BC, so if you are on Vancouver island, in Vancouver or
the lower mainland and wanting to sell your small kiln, please email me
with details about the kiln (age, manufacturer, usage, and condition of
kiln). If you have a picture of the kiln that would be appreciated as well.=
Sincerely,
Alan Harrell
PS..Sorry that was a little long winded, but I hope you enjoyed it.
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