Tony Ferguson on tue 9 apr 02
Here is something I put together quick. Feedback welcomed--especially by
single fire artists who have given workshops.
Thank you, Tony
"Bone Dry"-A "raw" or single firing workshop with Tony Ferguson at Fired Up,
Mpls, MN
In this workshop, Tony Ferguson, Minnesota/Wisconsin traditional single fire
artist will teach you how to successfully create forms, glaze and single
fire pottery in the gas kiln to cone 10+. He will particularly focus on
shino and ash glazes as well as various other glaze combinations. He will
also discuss single firing in the wood kiln, problems & solutions with
bisque and single firing, demonstrate his various forms, & attend to your
questions & concerns.
3 weekend workshop
estimated 12 people, hands on (20 can attend the slide show or demo)
Cost: $299, includes all materials & firing.
Day 1 Saturday, November 8th
9:00 - 12:00 everyone makes pots/I coach & help & make pots
12:00 - 1:00 lunch
1:00 - 6:00 Everyone makes pots
6:00 - 7:00 Dinner on own
7:00 -- 9:00 Continue making pots.
Day 2 Sunday, November 9th (works are setting up or drying)
9:00 - 12:00 I demonstrate (create some room for inspiration)
12:00 - 1:00 lunch on own
1:00 - 9:00 Everyone continue making pots-All works must be trimmed by
9:00p.m.
Pots fully dry over week
Day 3 Saturday, November 15th
9:00 - 12:00 Demo glaze Raw Pots & Everyone glaze together
12:00 - 1:00 lunch
1:00 - 6:00 Finish Glazing: Left to dry/clean bottoms if time
Day 4 Sunday, November 16th
9:00 - 12:00 Clean bottoms/prep kiln & start loading Kiln
12:00 - 1:00 lunch
1:00 - 4:00 Finish Loading/Start firing
4:00 - 5:00 Slides
Day 5, Monday, November 18th-Turn ups/set reduction/Fire off kiln. Anyone
can hangout around kiln during firing.
Day 6, Saturday, November 23rd-Unload kiln, questions/discussion, bye bye.
Jim Shea on thu 11 apr 02
Tony,
I would include some more demonstrations on day 5 if possible. There
will be a lot of waiting around between kiln adjustments and that can get
pretty boring. This might also be a good time for the students to try and
utilize the forming techniques that you demonstrated earlier. (Make sure
they understand AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORKSHOP that none of this work will
be bisque fired at all.) This has caused some confusion and bad feelings at
some of the workshops I've attended when it wasn't clearly stated.
Reasonable people will realize this, but we're not all reasonable. (And
there's usually one in each workshop.)
Jim
Tony Ferguson on thu 11 apr 02
Jim,
Thank you for the advice! How were bad feelings caused? Was it because
people were freaked out that their work would blow up or something? Do you
have any copies of any of your workshop brochures/itineraries?
Thanks!
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Shea"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 9:15 PM
Subject: Re: Ferguson Workshop at Fired Up Suggestions
> Tony,
> I would include some more demonstrations on day 5 if possible.
There
> will be a lot of waiting around between kiln adjustments and that can get
> pretty boring. This might also be a good time for the students to try and
> utilize the forming techniques that you demonstrated earlier. (Make sure
> they understand AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORKSHOP that none of this work
will
> be bisque fired at all.) This has caused some confusion and bad feelings
at
> some of the workshops I've attended when it wasn't clearly stated.
> Reasonable people will realize this, but we're not all reasonable. (And
> there's usually one in each workshop.)
>
> Jim
>
>
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Jim Shea on fri 12 apr 02
Tony,
Given the short period of time in a workshop and the rush to get them
done, it's not unusual for pieces to blow up or crack and people should be
made aware of that. Stress that they will be fired with as much care as
possible, but make sure they understand that it can happen. Also make sure
that they understand why it happens. I've never been to a workshop that
included firings where some of the fresh work didn't crack or blowup.
People
get upset, but mostly it's disappointment, not anger and resentment. People
develop bad feelings when they don't get what they think they are entitled
to.
Workshops should be about learning new techniques, looking at your
own
work in a new way, and just having a great time with interesting people.
Unfortunately, some people have a hard time realizing that the best thing
they get out of a workshop is what they've learned and how it will affect
their future work. Everyone wants some nice pots to take home, but some
people seem to feel that they are entitled to anything they want. And what
they want are pots. Lots of pots. These are the people who need to know up
front what the ground rules are. Others may just not think about the
limited
amount of time and assume that all the pots that they make will be fired.
If everyone is told what they are "entitled to" at the start of the
workshop (phrased far more diplomatically, of course) it will dramatically
lessen the likelihood of problems.
The time while you are firing can be a really creative time for the
students if properly presented. It's a time to experiment and be wildly
creative. There's no pressure to create a finished, beautiful piece. It's
the time to work on ideas and skills, not pots. The fact that they are
using
clay to flesh out these ideas isn't important. If you've shown them some
new
techniques, that's the perfect time to work on them. They can try to make
pots that are taller, smaller, rounder, skinnier, whatever, than they ever
have before. Give them an assignment that requires them to work in teams
and
produce work that is a collaboration. The tangible results of the workshop
are already in the kiln firing. It's the perfect time to work on intangible
ideas, not finished product.
If an idea turns into a nice pot, these pots can generally be safely
taken home leatherhard, if the people are local.
I've never been to a workshop where the potter had an actual written
schedule. Having one would be helpful, especially given the tight timeline
that you will be working under. You sound like you're well prepared and
I've
probably just wasted your time telling you things you already know. I've
attended some great workshops and have given a lot of thought about what
made
them great. Maybe that's because I've also been to some duds. The best
ones
have sent me home thinking about my work and where it's going, not the
presenter's work.
Jim
The best workshops I've been to (in no particular order) :
Linda Christianson
Matthew Metz/Linda Sikora
Bob Briscoe
Jeff Oestreich
Susan Beecher
Tony Ferguson on fri 12 apr 02
Jim,
No,you did not waste my time. Your ideas seem great and will incorporate
them into the workshop. Thank you very much for sharing your ideas and
experiences. I like the idea of the workshop attendee leaving the workshop
thinking about their pots and not the workshop presenter. I also like the
idea of when the kiln is firing, it is time play and experiment with out any
pressure on anyone's end--never thought of it that way. The workshop idea I
shared here is a weekend schedule for folks who may also have another job
during the week. I was thinking flexibility. There are other types of
workshop format I am working on as well. It is possible to do a 3-4 day
single fire workshop--just haven't tried it yet. See what happens. Thanks
again. BTW, Briscoe is one of my favorite potters. He is quite a character
and has inspired me more than he knows.
Thank you!
Tony Ferguson
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku
www.aquariusartgallery.com
Web Site, Marketing & Photographic Services for Artists
Workshops available
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 312
Duluth, MN 55806
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Shea"
To:
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 11:38 PM
Subject: Re: Ferguson Workshop at Fired Up Suggestions
> Tony,
>
> Given the short period of time in a workshop and the rush to get
them
> done, it's not unusual for pieces to blow up or crack and people should be
> made aware of that. Stress that they will be fired with as much care as
> possible, but make sure they understand that it can happen. Also make
sure
> that they understand why it happens. I've never been to a workshop that
> included firings where some of the fresh work didn't crack or blowup.
People
> get upset, but mostly it's disappointment, not anger and resentment.
People
> develop bad feelings when they don't get what they think they are entitled
> to.
>
> Workshops should be about learning new techniques, looking at your
own
> work in a new way, and just having a great time with interesting people.
> Unfortunately, some people have a hard time realizing that the best thing
> they get out of a workshop is what they've learned and how it will affect
> their future work. Everyone wants some nice pots to take home, but some
> people seem to feel that they are entitled to anything they want. And
what
> they want are pots. Lots of pots. These are the people who need to know
up
> front what the ground rules are. Others may just not think about the
limited
> amount of time and assume that all the pots that they make will be fired.
> If everyone is told what they are "entitled to" at the start of the
> workshop (phrased far more diplomatically, of course) it will dramatically
> lessen the likelihood of problems.
>
> The time while you are firing can be a really creative time for the
> students if properly presented. It's a time to experiment and be wildly
> creative. There's no pressure to create a finished, beautiful piece.
It's
> the time to work on ideas and skills, not pots. The fact that they are
using
> clay to flesh out these ideas isn't important. If you've shown them some
new
> techniques, that's the perfect time to work on them. They can try to make
> pots that are taller, smaller, rounder, skinnier, whatever, than they ever
> have before. Give them an assignment that requires them to work in teams
and
> produce work that is a collaboration. The tangible results of the
workshop
> are already in the kiln firing. It's the perfect time to work on
intangible
> ideas, not finished product.
> If an idea turns into a nice pot, these pots can generally be
safely
> taken home leatherhard, if the people are local.
>
> I've never been to a workshop where the potter had an actual
written
> schedule. Having one would be helpful, especially given the tight
timeline
> that you will be working under. You sound like you're well prepared and
I've
> probably just wasted your time telling you things you already know. I've
> attended some great workshops and have given a lot of thought about what
made
> them great. Maybe that's because I've also been to some duds. The best
ones
> have sent me home thinking about my work and where it's going, not the
> presenter's work.
>
> Jim
>
> The best workshops I've been to (in no particular order) :
> Linda Christianson
> Matthew Metz/Linda Sikora
> Bob Briscoe
> Jeff Oestreich
> Susan Beecher
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> 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.
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