Joyce LEE on sun 24 oct 04
well, being exposed to them anyway. Odd thing is that these
involve the identical information that I pass on to mentees on
a daily basis. The one that keeps banging me in the forehead
is "practice, practice, practice"...... meaning "do, do, do" which
isn't used as often since it smacks of an ancient dowap group.
Today, for instance, I reminded mentee #1.... then #2..... that
no, she hadn't made too many bowls...... that she doesn't need
to begin a new form unless that is her absolute choice.... that
sixteen bowls is only a drop in the old glaze bucket ...... and that
few of us are proficient with a form as novices when we've made
so few..... actually heard myself saying, "make 200 - then you'll
BEGIN to understand what a bowl is and does. It matters not
that your friends&family tell you they're great, said with meaning,=20
they are NOT great. They reflect some creativity, true; you'll likely
become a fine potter... but you are not even close to there yet."
Shades of the mayor and Tony the Moany (not really, but I like
the sound.) =20
Both mentees figured that they were "getting nowhere" after having
worked so
hard. Hard! I assigned them to mixing glazes .... not measuring
or adding water etc...... simply holding the mixing device as it
did all the work. How long, they said? Twenty minutes each, I
replied. (Might as well have been transporting my kids where
the refrain, "are we there yet?" began as soon as we left the
driveway.) Does it HAVE to be 20 minutes? I need a book .....
this is boring.... where's the creativity? Pottery is not easy!
What happened next? We were discussing..... I was enumerating....
different styles of glazing.... advantages of each ... mentioned
that we'd skip spraying glazes for now because, in spite of my
best efforts, I don't have the hang of it.... that I'd tried and
every time the glaze was either too thin, too thick, well-sprayed
lids were forever attached to the scantily clad pot. Then the
light bulb came on. Was there a correlation here? I've tried
spraying glazes three times..... all three failed..... since that
time two years ago, my top-of-the-line sprayer used by
none other than Tom Coleman sits on the shelf. =20
The teacher really does learn more than the student.... drat it.
Gonna haul out that sucker tomorrow.
Joyce
In the Mojave working with a wealth of glazes from Britt's book,
Brian's textural glazes, Bonnie's suggestions..... I am absolutely
in hog heaven.... I keep piling up the glazed work..... two
kiln loads this week.... son transports them to the former
woodshop out of my sight so that I don't think of myself as
having completed
so much work...... can only quickly review the work waiting to
be finished ... it helps...... everything helps.... especially the
decision to do the show in April and then No More Shows Ever
Again....... for me at this time of my life (which is the only real
time, is it not?) shows aren't it .... hampers me big time to
think about deadlines and what might sell ..... I'm hoping to
make pots that I like or that teach me something ..... when I
get too many.... then offer them for sale or giveaway. Time
to go read before sleeping...... The Devil and the White City.
Engrossing.
wjskw@BELLSOUTH.NET on mon 25 oct 04
Hey Joyce!
You can take one of your "perfected" forms, glazed and fired, and
use that as
a practice "canvas" over and over again to practice spraying on.
When I learned to spray paint (with a commercial spray rig), my
"instructor" had me use a car fender, and spray milk. Then hose it
off, dry it, and do it again....and again...and again (begin echoes
here . I recall setting up a dropcloth under the fender to catch
the milk, which got recycled and used again...and again...and
again...
His reasoning was that if I could learn to spray something as thin
as milk, I would have no trouble with paint. He was right, and I
did. But ohmigod was that some smelly milk by the end of the day!
Just a thought. Give the westie a cookie for me!
Wayne
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Joyce
LEE
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 1:56 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Learning same lessons over again.....
Was there a correlation here? I've tried
spraying glazes three times..... all three failed..... since that
time two years ago, my top-of-the-line sprayer used by
none other than Tom Coleman sits on the shelf. =20
The teacher really does learn more than the student.... drat it.
Gonna haul out that sucker tomorrow.
Joyce
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