Jennifer F Boyer on thu 31 jan 02
Has anyone ever switched to a different color clay after having
a line of production work for a long time?
I'm considering switching to a white stoneware from a light
stoneware....I'm sick of random big spots in my pots that create
seconds, and also my gas kiln seems to want to lightly reduce to
stay even and my white glaze needs to stay white, not go gray.
Sorry if I'm making you reduction potters nauseous ;-). I just
got stuck making a vary popular blue and white years ago and
live in a small community where people have collected it for 25
years and want to keep at it. Boomers giving it to their nesting
kids now too!
So, will my customers be pissed if the bottom of the pots change
from tan to white? I've seen my glazes on white and they look
the same as on light stoneware....I'm thinking I might need to
keep the old clay around for making orders where people have my
stuff already....but would rather not.
Just wondering if anyone else has taken this step.
Jennifer
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
95 Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602 USA
802-223-8926
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
Never pass on an email warning without checking out this site
for web hoaxes and junk:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
KLeSueur@AOL.COM on thu 31 jan 02
In a message dated 1/31/02 2:07:09 PM, jboyer@ADELPHIA.NET writes:
<< I'm considering switching to a white stoneware from a light
stoneware....I'm sick of random big spots in my pots that create
seconds, >>
I don't know where you live so this option may not be economical. I get my
clay from Armadillo in Austin, TX. I've used both Balcones (which has some
iron added for color) and Balcones White (no iron). They are both very clean
clays. I fire cone 10 reduction. There some potters who've tried them and
don't like them because they don't speck. I like this feature.
I ship 5000 pounds at a time to Michigan and find that the cost is just
slightly higher to have it delivered to my door than to buy the same amount
of clay locally and pick it up in several different trips.
Kathi LeSueur
Maid O'Mud on thu 31 jan 02
I did - after over 10 years.
I switched from ^10 light (beige) stoneware to not only a different colour -
but to ^6 at the same time. Thanks to Tuckers and Ron Roy, the switch went
quickly and was relatively painless.
I am currently using a white ^6 stoneware that is lighter than my old ^10.
White slip no longer contrasts - and it was my biggest seller for about a
decade (white on beige - only in boring London, Ontario).
I am ALSO using a mid brown ^6 and bright glazes - bright blue, green and
satin clear over both the white and the mid-brown clays. My wholesale
clients took the change in good stride, and my sales have stayed pretty
consistent. I lost some customers, but gained a bunch too (retail level).
My best advise is to work closely with your clay supplier when doing the
switch. As I purchase clay from Tuckers, my glazes were changed from ^10 to
^6 by none other than our own Ron Roy. I still use the colours I used to
use at ^10.
If you are firing in oxidation (as I was) you might consider dropping to ^6.
I fired at ^10 for years because when I started in clay (84) the ^6 clay at
the guild I was working at was horrible. It broke easily and often. I took
a course outside the guild, fired at ^10 and was impressed by the strength
of the ware, so I purchased my own wheel and kiln and worked outside the
guild environment. It took years for me to trust that current ^6 clays are
as durable as my old ^10 clay was.
I say - take the plunge! Try the lighter clay body - or better yet, try a
lighter clay body at ^6 and purchase Mastering ^6 glazes and enjoy the
change.
Sam - Maid O'Mud Pottery
Melbourne, Ontario CANADA
"First, the clay told me what to do.
Then, I told the clay what to do.
Now, we co-operate."
sam 1994
http://www.ody.ca/~scuttell/
From: "Jennifer F Boyer"
Subject: switching clays after years of production
> Has anyone ever switched to a different color clay after having
> a line of production work for a long time?
>
> I'm considering switching to a white stoneware from a light
> stoneware....I'm sick of random big spots in my pots that create
> seconds, and also my gas kiln seems to want to lightly reduce to
> stay even and my white glaze needs to stay white, not go gray.
> Sorry if I'm making you reduction potters nauseous ;-). I just
> got stuck making a vary popular blue and white years ago and
> live in a small community where people have collected it for 25
> years and want to keep at it. Boomers giving it to their nesting
> kids now too!
>
> So, will my customers be pissed if the bottom of the pots change
> from tan to white? I've seen my glazes on white and they look
> the same as on light stoneware....I'm thinking I might need to
> keep the old clay around for making orders where people have my
> stuff already....but would rather not.
>
> Just wondering if anyone else has taken this step.
> Jennifer
>
>
Rikki Gill on thu 31 jan 02
Hi Jennifer, No one seemed to even notice when I switched from B-mix to a 6
tile porcelain. The bottoms do look different, and my glazes are a bit
brighter, too. If your work looks better, nobody minds at all. Rikki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifer F Boyer"
To:
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 8:19 AM
Subject: switching clays after years of production
> Has anyone ever switched to a different color clay after having
> a line of production work for a long time?
>
> I'm considering switching to a white stoneware from a light
> stoneware....I'm sick of random big spots in my pots that create
> seconds, and also my gas kiln seems to want to lightly reduce to
> stay even and my white glaze needs to stay white, not go gray.
> Sorry if I'm making you reduction potters nauseous ;-). I just
> got stuck making a vary popular blue and white years ago and
> live in a small community where people have collected it for 25
> years and want to keep at it. Boomers giving it to their nesting
> kids now too!
>
> So, will my customers be pissed if the bottom of the pots change
> from tan to white? I've seen my glazes on white and they look
> the same as on light stoneware....I'm thinking I might need to
> keep the old clay around for making orders where people have my
> stuff already....but would rather not.
>
> Just wondering if anyone else has taken this step.
> Jennifer
>
>
> --
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
> Thistle Hill Pottery
> 95 Powder Horn Glen Rd
> Montpelier, VT 05602 USA
> 802-223-8926
> http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
>
> Never pass on an email warning without checking out this site
> for web hoaxes and junk:
> http://urbanlegends.about.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.
>
| |
|
