Kat Valenzuela on mon 16 dec 02
This is an interesting thread. While I was learning to do pottery I was
also encouraged to get rid of ware that did not meet standard. Even after
glaze firing, one had to take the hammer and smash it into pieces. Some
time it was satisfying but sometimes I was sad to do it.
Does this process make one to critical of there own work?
Does this process make one to be a perfectionist? (to the extreme)
Anyhow I was also tolled to make hundreds of cylinders. Once one can
make a good cylinder one can make anything. I made hundred of pots, cutting
them in half checking the wall thickness.
What did this do? I can make good pots. ( technically specking ) The only
downside
is that you are focusing so much on being technically sound that you
forget to explore
your own personal style. However that does come as well.
But saying 25% is only good and the rest is bad is a little presumptuous.
Who says' it
is not the other way around?
One has to decide what their personal work ethics are and what do you value?
Take Care.
Kat in the Hat.
J. B. Clauson on tue 17 dec 02
Lest anyone think I advocate destroying all sub-standard (whose standard?)
pots, let me clarify. I have saved some of my work from each year. When I
was teaching handbuilding, I would bring out my first pinch pots to let the
students know how far down the scale you could start and still learn to make
good pots. Too often we show only our most successful work to students.
This can be intimidating. I always show some of my failures along with the
successes (what few there are) when I'm teaching.
Jan C.
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