Vince Pitelka on sat 19 jun 04
Pardon me for being the curmudgeon here, but I am disturbed by the number of
people who have a "system" for dealing with rehydrating things that have
gotten too dry. For a really good studio exercise that will take you much
farther as a craftsperson, don't let yourself get away with that any more.
If you let a piece get too dry for a particular part of the process, then do
something else with the piece or scrap it. You do that a few times, and
pretty soon you don't let things get too dry any more. Your work will
benefit, and your time will be better spent. Leaving yourself the escape
valve of a way to rehydrate things that have gotten too dry is careless
craftsmanship and poor use of your time.
Please don't take this wrong. I have no wish to offend anyone or hurt
anyone's feelings. But I think that one of the noblest goals of this
discussion list is to raise the bar in design and craftsmanship. After over
three decades in clay I still constantly look for ways to improve the design
and craftsmanship in my work.
And as has been pointed out, what's wrong with tumblers (handle-less mugs)?
Most potters don't make tumblers, and I have never understood that. They
are wonderful drinking vessels, and a tumbler of hot tea on a cold day is
great for warming your insides and your hands.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
John Jensen on sun 20 jun 04
We all make mistakes from time to time, and these mistakes may be taken
as opportunities to learn a lesson. There is not always just one lesson
to be learned. In fact there are often many lessons to be learned, and
we can choose which lessons we prefer to learn...if any.
In the case of the too dry mug, we might throw them out and learn not to
let mugs dry out. We might learn to find uses for unhandled mugs. We
might learn some methods for attaching handles to too dry mugs. We
might try different methods of rehydrating mugs. We might learn not to
bother with any of it. We might even learn all of those lessons. Our
choice....
As far as the danger of getting caught up in a "system" for correcting
mistakes is concerned, I think the danger is slight. All of the
techniques I've read so far are so much extra work that even though
employing the remedy, one would still learn the lesson that it is best
not to let things dry out in the first place.
I've had the experience so many times of being out about town and
suddenly realizing I had to race home and take care of some pots before
a half a days work got ruined by drying. A few times I have gotten back
a bit late and was happy to be able to salvage some work by some
techniques such as those David mentioned (for example).
I don't think a handleless mug is exactly a tumbler, but I bet the
reason not many potters make actual tumblers is that tumblers don't sell
well... Just a guess. I love to use them myself, but haven't sold many,
for some reason.
John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com
Ivor and Olive Lewis on mon 21 jun 04
Dear Vince,
Great advice.
People forget that their most precious resource should be used wisely
and never wasted. Having to rework any product wastes that resource
and prevents it being employed to the best and greatest advantage.
What is this resource. I speak of Time. Seconds are precious. Like
pennies they mount up but unlike pennies, once they are past they are
no longer of use.
Do it. Do it once. Do it right.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
Vince Pitelka on tue 22 jun 04
> However, I disagree with Vince that you are less of a craftsperson because
a
> piece dries out on you. Not everyone is in their studio full time. Even
if
> they are, sometimes life happens. Anything from an illness, to a crying
> baby, to a friend or job that needs you to be somewhere else. I have a
hard
> time agreeing that a person is less of a craftsman because they have lives
> outside their studio that might pull them away at the wrong time.
Cindi -
Wait a minute, let me rephrase my point of view, because I still believe the
same thing in light of your comments. I do understand what you are saying,
but being a serious clay artist requires that you build upon your
craftsmanship constantly. I am not talking about just full-time
professional clay people. I am talking about moms or dads caring for kids,
who squeeze in an hour in the studio here and there as circumstances permit,
and people who work a regular job and get to spend a few hours in the studio
in the evening. No matter the circumstance, one of the things required for
good craftsmanship is the ability to accommodate the exceptions and
anomalies. Given the opportunity, Murphy's Law rears it's ugly head. If
something can go wrong, it will go wrong. So as much as possible, we must
make accommodations for all possible screw-ups. The traditional way of
saying Murphy's Law always sounds so whiny and negative. I prefer a more
positive version: "Chance favors the desired outcome only when you
accommodate all possible alternatives."
That is what I am talking about. No matter the circumstances, ever potter
or sculptor can make accommodations to ensure that their hard work is not
ruined by drying beyond the desired working stage. It really is as simple
as that.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Vince Pitelka on tue 22 jun 04
> this winter i got ahold of 2 old refrigerators and put them in the
studio.
> they make the absolute *best* damp cupboards. takes more space than a
> styrofoam cooler, but will hold a lot more pots too. all you have to do
is
> place a little dish of water inside to keep humidity up.
See, this is what I am talking about. Good for you Anne. That is
resourcefulness of the best kind. At the Craft Center we were lucky to
inherit two huge defunct double-door stainless steel fridges from our dining
facility, and they make fabulous damp boxes. Like Anne says, we just place
a bowl of water in the bottom, but that is only necessary if there are only
a few pots in there. Once the thing gets loaded with pots, they don't
change much at all from one day to the next. That can be a liability for
us, whereas an independent potter could control the level of humidity and
thus the rate of drying.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Cindi Anderson on tue 22 jun 04
I agree one has to consider the effort to salvage something vs just remaking
it. Beginners tend to always want to salvage even when that is not the best
way to go.
However, I disagree with Vince that you are less of a craftsperson because a
piece dries out on you. Not everyone is in their studio full time. Even if
they are, sometimes life happens. Anything from an illness, to a crying
baby, to a friend or job that needs you to be somewhere else. I have a hard
time agreeing that a person is less of a craftsman because they have lives
outside their studio that might pull them away at the wrong time.
Yes, there is some craftsmanship in learning how to obtain the right dryness
at the right time, knowing how tightly to cover, how long a piece can sit
without being covered, what is the right time to attach handles, etc. So I
kind of get your point but I think it is a little extreme.
Cindi
Fremont, CA
Anne Webb on tue 22 jun 04
i've had 2 babies in the last year and a half so needless to say, when i am
in the studio, i have to make optimum use of my time. i dont always get
back to working on pots i've started in as timely a manner as i would like
sometimes.
this winter i got ahold of 2 old refrigerators and put them in the studio.
they make the absolute *best* damp cupboards. takes more space than a
styrofoam cooler, but will hold a lot more pots too. all you have to do is
place a little dish of water inside to keep humidity up.
i used one outside for a while, before i was able to bring it into the
studio. it sat in full sun but because of the added insulation, my pots
remained cool and still perfectly hydrated.
i've also used them to protect clay and freshly thrown pots from freezing as
well. (our winters are mild, dropping below freezing most evenings)
anyhow...an ounce of prevention...
i admit, . at times i have had to rehydrate cylinders to have enough for a
show (can you ever have enough mugs?) or if i have been almost out of clay
and i had a wolesale order pending. i have had some success rehydrating
using my claybody so the number i was able to salvage was well worth it to
me. i dont make it a regular practice however. its stressful and you never
truly know that the pots will make it for sure. when you're trying to make
money at pots, like anything else, you have a tendency to push the limits,
smart or not.
I dont recommend this...rehydrating.. to any of my students, however.
important they can make a good pot before they try to save a bad pot, IMHO.
they are already far too attached to their pots as it is. there is
definitely a point when your time and effort is best spent just chunking
pots when they've gone too far. same goes for repairing bisque, cracked
rims, pots with s-cracks, etc..
i agree with someone else on the list who posted earlier saying something
like most potters dont make tumblers cuz they dont sell. lafff.. true. well
i wont say they dont sell, but they dont sell well. i've called them
tumblers, glasses, handle-less mugs, pen holders, spoon holders, etc.. they
look kind of bland on a display. people usually just turn them around and
look for the handle. have the most luck selling them with a little plant in
them. any other suggestions?
anne
in humid alabama
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Earl Krueger on wed 23 jun 04
Vince,
Pardon me, but I believe part of the definition of a
"good craftsman" is one who has the knowledge and
ability to work with the materials and situation at hand.
Take Mel, for example. At a workshop I attended
last fall he was able to take some pretty crappy, too
wet clay and spin out some most marvelous forms.
He didn't say "This clay is too wet, I can't use it!"
He took what he had at hand and used his abilities
as a craftsman to successfully deal with the situation.
A good craftsman, making a living from pottery, faced
with too dry mug forms will likely weigh the situation,
giving consideration to:
- How far too dry are they?
- How long will it take to make new ones?
- Are the raw materials available to make new ones?
- How long will it take to re-hydrate?
- How much of their time would be involved?
- Can they re-hydrate and still maintain quality?
and such. This will not necessarily be a long conscious
decision making process but may occur almost
instantaneously and be based on "gut feel" derived
from extensive experience.
In other words, a good craftsman knows when it's better
to throw in the towel and when it's better to fight.
Earl K...
Bothell, WA, USA
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on wed 23 jun 04
Hi Vince,
Quite 'so'...
Before I got on our List, I used to suppose the 'Damp Room'
or 'Damp Closet' was as synonimous with Potting, as the Wool
Felt covered 'boards' were for Glass Cutting occupations...
Turns out maybe not...
Curious!
Phil
el ve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vince Pitelka"
(snip)
> That is what I am talking about. No matter the
circumstances, ever potter
> or sculptor can make accommodations to ensure that their
hard work is not
> ruined by drying beyond the desired working stage. It
really is as simple
> as that.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
Rog Coman on wed 23 jun 04
Hi Vince
Even though it pains me, I have to agree with you. If I had planned better,
my mugs would not have dried beyond the "ready to attach the handle stage". I
knew we were going to have house guests for 4 days well in advance of
throwing the mugs. Wet noodle lashes were in order!!
Rog Coman
Fish Hook Pottery
Lee Love on thu 24 jun 04
Everyone should get a grip. Even national living treasures have to
sometimes "rehydrate" their work.
Success depends upon your clay body. Some are more forgiving than
others. A damp towel on the work under plastic works for me and my clay.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://journals.fotki.com/togeika/Mashiko/ Commentary On Pottery
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