mel jacobson on tue 6 jul 04
one of the most difficult concepts to convey
in our modern art/talk/bs world of training
potters is....`the numbers game`.
how many pots can one person make, in how long,
at what cost, and still have a good time.
???
we have given folks an idea that making three
pots a day, or two in an evening is a big deal.
not. total disservice to folks. make precious
objects...worship them. mostly junk anyway.
i say, get after it. get some work done.
my apprentice and me just got finished with
the first 150 teabowls for our next big project.
all going to be sacrificed in the special firings.
two days work. all trimmed and drying. ( i will put
a pix on the website/clayart page.)
we figure about 400 or more will get fired.
we are looking for one pot...just one that has
a perfect glaze.
just one.
so, why 400? need at least that many. and then
may make another 400. in four different clay bodies...
six glazes. then entire kiln for a glaze test.
no whimpy crap tiles...pots.
it is a numbers game, the more you make, the more
you do, the better you get. or, at least the more
you understand about what you are doing...better
is a relative idea.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
Laurie Kneppel on tue 6 jul 04
> it is a numbers game, the more you make, the more
> you do, the better you get. or, at least the more
> you understand about what you are doing...better
> is a relative idea.
> mel
>
I like that. As a part-time potter I was finding that I was getting too
hung up on saving everything. That every pot was a "keeper", when most
deserved to be hammered. I have begun working my way past that. If it's
not up to snuff, keep making more until you improve. Chop a few in half
once in awhile. Check your progress or you will never know if you are
improving or not. But don't stop if you get one "right", keep going and
more will be "right". Pretty soon most all of them will be "right".
Then you will look at your old pots with a hammer in your hand.
Laurie
Sacramento, CA
http://rockyraku.com
Potters Council, member
Sacramento Potters Group, member
sdr on tue 6 jul 04
Mel, this is a remarkable project, and the results,
whatever they turn out to be, will be fascinating.
It IS a numbers game for this research. So get
those next four hundred going.....
regards
Dannon Rhudy
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 5:37 PM
Subject: tony's post/japan
> one of the most difficult concepts to convey
> in our modern art/talk/bs world of training
> potters is....`the numbers game`.
>
> how many pots can one person make, in how long,
> at what cost, and still have a good time.
>
> ???
>
> we have given folks an idea that making three
> pots a day, or two in an evening is a big deal.
> not. total disservice to folks. make precious
> objects...worship them. mostly junk anyway.
>
> i say, get after it. get some work done.
> my apprentice and me just got finished with
> the first 150 teabowls for our next big project.
> all going to be sacrificed in the special firings.
> two days work. all trimmed and drying. ( i will put
> a pix on the website/clayart page.)
> we figure about 400 or more will get fired.
> we are looking for one pot...just one that has
> a perfect glaze.
> just one.
> so, why 400? need at least that many. and then
> may make another 400. in four different clay bodies...
> six glazes. then entire kiln for a glaze test.
> no whimpy crap tiles...pots.
>
> it is a numbers game, the more you make, the more
> you do, the better you get. or, at least the more
> you understand about what you are doing...better
> is a relative idea.
> mel
>
>
>
>
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
> or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
> new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
>
>
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