Cat Yassin on fri 25 oct 02
In a message dated 10/23/2002 8:39:43 PM Central Daylight Time,
Melron@CONEXION.COM.GT writes:
Melinda Collins writes:
> 1. Make your own clay. You do not need equipment. The clay can and
> possibly will be superior to what you can buy. If you are considering
> buying such small amounts, it makes no sense to order it. Even if you need
> larger amounts, unless you are Bill Campbell, you can make yours the old
> fashioned way, and it's good, good stuff.
>
This may be a little off topic since the discussion initially was shipping
expense for getting clay. But I just wanted to add a bit of reality to
Melinda's suggestion of making your own clay... it is extremely labor
intensive! If one has the time and muscles then I think making ones own clay
is a good way to get great clay. I certainly made my own clay in college and
got some "good stuff", really got in shape, and had more control over the
what the consistency of the clay was like so I could actually throw with it.
If there is a good clay source available and one doesn't have the energy and
time to make their own clay then I say buy the clay already made. However I
think everyone should make their own clay at least once. I liken it to
driving. I learned on a stick shift, but now drive an automatic. But if I had
to I could certainly drive a shift stick vehicle if necessary.
Thanks for an informative disussion Melinda!
-Cat
S. Texas (Lord we have enough rain!!! Please let us enjoy the Clay Festival
in Gruene this weekend...)
Bob Pulley on fri 25 oct 02
I have almost always mixed my own clay. (I buy a little porcelain and
once bought a batch of stoneware). Besides being a skin flint there is
something I like about mixing my own clay. I have a studio size Soldner
now, but for many years I mixed it dry in a barrel with a clamp on lid
that I rolled back and forth eventually emptying the contents into a
barrel of water and drying the slip. It was a lot of work, but I liked
being responsible for "my clay". It was what I wanted, maybe I could
have gotten better. Certainly I am no technician. Its more of a zen
thing.
Bob Pulley
>>> CatBY@AOL.COM 10/25/02 10:35AM >>>
In a message dated 10/23/2002 8:39:43 PM Central Daylight Time,
Melron@CONEXION.COM.GT writes:
Melinda Collins writes:
> 1. Make your own clay. You do not need equipment. The clay can
and
> possibly will be superior to what you can buy. If you are
considering
> buying such small amounts, it makes no sense to order it. Even if
you need
> larger amounts, unless you are Bill Campbell, you can make yours the
old
> fashioned way, and it's good, good stuff.
>
This may be a little off topic since the discussion initially was
shipping
expense for getting clay. But I just wanted to add a bit of reality to
Melinda's suggestion of making your own clay... it is extremely labor
intensive! If one has the time and muscles then I think making ones own
clay
is a good way to get great clay. I certainly made my own clay in
college and
got some "good stuff", really got in shape, and had more control over
the
what the consistency of the clay was like so I could actually throw
with it.
If there is a good clay source available and one doesn't have the
energy and
time to make their own clay then I say buy the clay already made.
However I
think everyone should make their own clay at least once. I liken it to
driving. I learned on a stick shift, but now drive an automatic. But if
I had
to I could certainly drive a shift stick vehicle if necessary.
Thanks for an informative disussion Melinda!
-Cat
S. Texas (Lord we have enough rain!!! Please let us enjoy the Clay
Festival
in Gruene this weekend...)
______________________________________________________________________________
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.
| |
|
