Dupre Mr Marcy M on tue 15 jul 03
With reference to the requirement for "WHITE" porcelain, I would like to add
a tidbit I picked up along the way. Once you have decided on the main
ingredients, add a teensy-weensy, itty bitty pinch of cobalt oxide. Say,
about 1/4 teaspoon for 500 pounds. Maybe less. Imparts a very slight
blue-gray tinge to the body, in much the same way that a healthy person's
eyes have a bluish tinge to them, or the addition of "bluing" to the clothes
wash. Makes the clay appear to be whiter.
Just my farthing or two...
On another subject: Centering and opening: I am teaching a beginning pottery
course, basic wheel throwing. I demonstrate what to do.
"O-o-o-h, you make it look SO easy!"
Just relax. Don't follow the clay, relax and let the clay conform to you.
And they fight with it. And fight with it. And fight with it. Maybe I
ought to bring in a six pack of beer or some incredibly cheap,
liver-splitting, resin-laced grappa to act as a chemical relaxant?
Contributing to the delinquency of a potter...
What to do?
Tig
in summery Springfield, VA
psci_kw on tue 15 jul 03
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dupre Mr Marcy M"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 8:44 AM
Subject: Porcelain body
> With reference to the requirement for "WHITE" porcelain, I would like to
add
> a tidbit I picked up along the way. Once you have decided on the main
> ingredients, add a teensy-weensy, itty bitty pinch of cobalt oxide. Say,
> about 1/4 teaspoon for 500 pounds. Maybe less. Imparts a very slight
> blue-gray tinge to the body, in much the same way that a healthy person's
> eyes have a bluish tinge to them, or the addition of "bluing" to the
clothes
> wash. Makes the clay appear to be whiter.
>
> Just my farthing or two...
>
> On another subject: Centering and opening: I am teaching a beginning
pottery
> course, basic wheel throwing. I demonstrate what to do.
>
> "O-o-o-h, you make it look SO easy!"
>
> Just relax. Don't follow the clay, relax and let the clay conform to you.
> And they fight with it. And fight with it. And fight with it. Maybe I
> ought to bring in a six pack of beer or some incredibly cheap,
> liver-splitting, resin-laced grappa to act as a chemical relaxant?
> Contributing to the delinquency of a potter...
>
> What to do?
>
> Tig
> in summery Springfield, VA
Adding cobalt to the clay as bluing! What a novel concept! Thanks for that
excellent tip, TIG.
Regarding what to do? An instructor with a bent toward Buddhism used to
tell us something when he saw us having problems with the centering and
opening. Tell your students:
"You cannot center anything until you yourself are centered and focused.
Take a few slow deep breaths, with eyes closed, and IMAGINE the clay
centering itself because it wants to be in harmony with YOU." Of course,
when he got frustrated by our lack of progress (maybe the 30th time a lump
went flying off the wheel in one class) the comment (accompanied by a smirk)
invariably was "Oh, so you're telling us that this lump of mud has more will
and intelligence than you?"
I still smile thinking of that, and haven't lost a lump to space since.
Wayne in Key West
Janice M. Boyd on wed 16 jul 03
Careful with the blueing!
I agree a tiny, tiny amount of blue will increase the perceived whiteness.
It's a good idea to have someone with young eyes double check your perceived
"white" color. As we age, and get catacts, there may be a tendancy to
over-blue something because then it will "look white" to our eyes. That's
why old ladies walk around with blue hair...
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