"Steven D. Lee on thu 12 dec 02
I am having trouble taking what I consider some good advice from a
friend of mine. She said that I should get in the habit of creating
four times as much greenware as my kiln will hold and only fire the
best %25 of it. In addition, I should limit myself to onely one
firing a month. This is supposedly to increase the quality of the
work that I do.
I admit that I am having a real problem following this advice. I
find myself looking over the greenware and things that come to mind
include "but this is the first time I attempted this. I have got to
fire it to see how it turns out!" or "Its not that bad. With the
right glaze this will turn out fine" or "if this isn't perfect I can
always keep it for use around the house."
Well, you see how it goes.
I know that I like the sense of accomplishment of being able to fill
my little 3.33 cu ft electric kiln every two weeks. I feel like I am
doing something and people seem to generally be pleased with the work
I turn out, but I do know that I do not want the reputation of
creating just "fairly good" work.
I have trouble getting rid of anything I make. Even the pieces that
collapse or blow out or crack or anything, while I do eventually
throw them out, it is a very difficult thing to do. I find myself
trying to salvage mistakes I make on the wheel. If I pull a little
too hard and get a very thin section of the pull I whip out the heat
gun and try to save that section so I can continue pulling the top of
the piece. I never want to let go.
I even tried to take my best piece that I have thrown and literally
throw it down and crush it. I couldn't do it.
Are there any suggestions on how to overcome this or are any other
potters experiencing the same thing?
*******************************************************
Steven D. Lee
SD Pottery - The Little Texas Pottery
http://www.sdpottery.com
millenial_age@yahoo.com
14341 FM 112
Thrall, TX 76578
512-898-5195
*******************************************************
Catherine White on thu 12 dec 02
If this approach suits your friend's personality, fine. Let her do as she
chooses. However, you do what feels best for you. Initially, I could never
throw out a thing. Didn't matter how ugly- 'twas my creation. As time went
by, less and less of the second-rate survived the culling. The same will
happen for you, but for now you save everything you want to save. You'll
learn from it.
Best wishes,
Catherine in Yuma, AZ
My inability to emulate occasionally results in originality.
=============================================
----- Original Message -----
> I am having trouble taking what I consider some good advice from a
> friend of mine. She said that I should get in the habit of creating
> four times as much greenware as my kiln will hold and only fire the
> best %25 of it. In addition, I should limit myself to onely one
> firing a month. This is supposedly to increase the quality of the
> work that I do.
>
> I admit that I am having a real problem following this advice. I
> find myself looking over the greenware and things that come to mind
> include "but this is the first time I attempted this. I have got to
> fire it to see how it turns out!" or "Its not that bad. With the
> right glaze this will turn out fine" or "if this isn't perfect I can
> always keep it for use around the house."*****
> Steven
Maid O'Mud on thu 12 dec 02
It sounds like you have a bad case of PPS - Precious Pot Syndrome. =20
If you are making a number of the same item (ie. 10 mugs) then make 10, =
keep the best 2, re-wedge the balance, and start another 10. Go on in =
this fashion until you have a total of 10. At the end of the day, =
really look at the 10 you've kept. Perhaps a couple of those need to be =
recycled too.
When I teach and demo, I cut the pots in 1/2 to show the students and/or =
public what the interior looks like, and what the students should be =
working towards (even walls etc.). When you've done this enough times, =
PPS goes away :-) =20
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/
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Steven D. Lee =20
said in part:
......
I have trouble getting rid of anything I make. Even the pieces that
collapse or blow out or crack or anything, while I do eventually
throw them out, it is a very difficult thing to do. I find myself
trying to salvage mistakes I make on the wheel. If I pull a little
too hard and get a very thin section of the pull I whip out the heat
gun and try to save that section so I can continue pulling the top of
the piece. I never want to let go.
I even tried to take my best piece that I have thrown and literally
throw it down and crush it. I couldn't do it.
Are there any suggestions on how to overcome this or are any other
potters experiencing the same thing?
WHC228@AOL.COM on thu 12 dec 02
Steven
I find that the total process of making pots is as important as making the
bodies of pots. Fire them all. Make lots of them.
Look at them when they are glazed, and then learn from them. Some of them
will fail in a lot of ways, and some will succeed in ways that you can't
imagine. Hold on to those that you like so that you can go back to them and
learn what is good about them.
Too many times I have seen potters get good at making the bodies of pots and
still not know how to glaze and fire them. It is a total process that makes a
good pot. Learn to glaze on your "learners," not after the pots get too
precious to take a chance with.
The best thing to do is to make lots of pots and fire them.
Don't fall in love with the losers and not toss them out.
Beware of giving them to friends and relatives. They will keep them forever,
and they will haunt you.
Bill
J. B. Clauson on thu 12 dec 02
What to do with unsuccessful pottery:
When we had Shard, etc. in Mountain View, CA we saved all the cracked,
crawled, slumped, and just plain ugly pots in a box. When we got stressed,
we went out in the parking lot and smashed the pots against the building
wall. The gals in the beading shop across the way thought it was such a
great tension reliever, they came over and helped. Great fun, met new
friends, and relieved tension. I always wanted to make a mosaic out of the
shards but never got round to it.
Jan C.
Elca Branman on thu 12 dec 02
Its hard in the beginning, because everything, EVERYTHING feels
precious..
For me , the problem was solved with lack of storage space..and
eventually my shard pile in the home I left became 5 foot high.
Why not set that as a goal, beat my record and go for a 6 footer...
Seriously it will get easier, particularly when you see some early piece
you didn't hammer and you squirm with embarrassment.
Elca Branman,in Sarasota Florida
elcab1@juno.com
http://www.elcabranman.com
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Cher Gauvin on thu 12 dec 02
In a message dated 12/12/02 8:12:51 AM Pacific Standard Time,
millenial_age@YAHOO.COM writes:
> I have trouble getting rid of anything I make. Even the pieces that
> collapse or blow out or crack or anything, while I do eventually
> throw them out, it is a very difficult thing to do
Steven,
The only way I got over that was running out of room to store the
"crap" and my kids saying "No, ma, we don't need any more dog bowls." I find
that as I improve my skill with particular form or glaze, I am more able to
let go of the prototypes. However, I did keep a few really bad pieces from
my first pottery class...just for perspective on how far I have come.
I heard or read somewhere (on clayart?) the phrase: Pots are not like
children...we don't have to keep the bad ones.
Happy Holidays,
Cher
Kristin on mon 16 dec 02
Someone once described it to me this way: The clay
took thousands of years to form. It's a living thing -
you can shape and change it and keep shaping and
changing it, over and over. But once you fire it, you
kill the clay. Make sure it's worth it before you kill
it.
Well, that's how it was told to me.
Personally, I keep almost everything long enough to
trim it, even if it's hideous. It's practice. And I
probably tear up and recycle about 1/3 of those that
make it through this process. So, 2/3 of them will
make it all of the way through a glaze firing. This
is, of course, because I'm trying to learn this whole
glazing/firing thing, though.
If it weren't for these practicing reasons (just a
beginner), I'd probably be throwing away 75% of what I
throw. Better to stick it back in the bucket and turn
it into something better next time.
__________________________________________________
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Diane Mead on mon 16 dec 02
Gospel truth from Steven--pots follow us...
20+ years ago I made a little clunker
and tested a glaze on it. My friend Kristine
needed a watercolor vessel and borrowed it for good.
20 years later it is still in her living room and
it is NOT at all beautiful--but this is how
she remembers me 20+ years and 500 miles
of distance later....eek! oh well
claybair on mon 16 dec 02
Occasionally I come across a poorly written & illustrated card or handprint
in clay painted in garish colors. I save them because it evokes happy
memories of my children when they were small.
Our friends and family save our early pieces because they experience similar
emotions. So the pieces are crude but it was a piece you toiled & labored
over. The fact that you gave it means more to the recipient than the quality
of the work. If you were like myself you spent much more time and were much
more attached to them than most of your present pieces.
Those pieces are an accounting of your history. You should not be so self
depreciating.... they are the record of your baby steps in clay. Be proud of
where you are now and happy that you are still reaching for better skills.
Some of my earliest pieces are on my family room mantle.... they were crude
but nicely decorated pieces influenced by my love of petroglyphs. My
daughter was responsible for me getting into clay. She recently told me she
considers those pieces her legacy and would be very upset if I were to sell
them.
I do not save pieces that are terrible.... but I do not throw them out
either.... they become mosaics. I get a pretty penny using my mistakes!
Just my 2 sense.......
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Diane Mead
Gospel truth from Steven--pots follow us...
20+ years ago I made a little clunker
and tested a glaze on it. My friend Kristine
needed a watercolor vessel and borrowed it for good.
20 years later it is still in her living room and
it is NOT at all beautiful--but this is how
she remembers me 20+ years and 500 miles
of distance later....eek! oh well
Jennifer F Boyer on mon 16 dec 02
By all means keep a small record of your progress by keeping
some early pots. I have a pot from my first year at Goddard
College. It is thrown with the coarsest clay I've ever seen.
Looks like house type brick clay(HUGE grog: poor poor hands)!
Also I was mourning the fact that I hadn't kept more early pots,
when I happened upon a few at local yard sales....and bought em back.
Jennifer
>
> Those pieces are an accounting of your history. You should not be so self
> depreciating.... they are the record of your baby steps in clay. Be proud of
> where you are now and happy that you are still reaching for better skills.
>
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery Montpelier VT USA
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
Never pass on an email warning without checking out these sites
for web hoaxes and junk:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
http://snopes.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Catherine White on mon 16 dec 02
I had a 20 year hiatus away from potting. How I wish I had a few pieces from
back then.
Best wishes,
Catherine in Yuma, AZ
My inability to emulate occasionally results in originality.
----- Original Message -----
However, I did keep a few really bad pieces from
> my first pottery class...just for perspective on how far I have come.
Dean Walker on thu 19 dec 02
One of the pots that I liked the most was the one that flew off the wheel
while I was trimming the foot. Rats! As I picked it up to throw into the slip
bucket I realized it was actually a better pot for it. I squished a few quick
embellishments on its' newly crushed side.....voila ! I finally learned how
to loosen up!
Dean
Thanking God for happy accidents
Carole Rishel on thu 19 dec 02
When I was taking clay classes, my instructors reminded us that pottery =
is
the one thing that archeologists look for in ancient sites - meaning =
that
pottery will last thousands of years. So ya have to ask yourself what =
kind
of pots of yours do you want someone digging up thousands of years from =
now,
and what do you suppose they will say about them when they find them. =
If
you picture them scratching their heads in bewilderment, ya might want =
to
squish it up now!
Carole Rishel
kallahcee@msn.com
Smithville, TX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristin"
Subject: Re: The Clay Learning Process....What to throw away?
> Someone once described it to me this way: The clay
> took thousands of years to form. It's a living thing -
> you can shape and change it and keep shaping and
> changing it, over and over. But once you fire it, you
> kill the clay. Make sure it's worth it before you kill
> it.
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