clennell on fri 21 jan 05
Too damn cold out to be inspired for clay so I'm thinking. what a concept!
The mug maker is dead is really a thought process that started 2 decades ago
in a conversation with Mick Casson and then was reaffirmed a decade later
with Steve Irvine after his lecture tour in Australia.
Mick warned that British mug makers (production throwers) were falling on
hard times and that the ones doing individual studio work seemed to be doing
OK. Steve in his slide show described Australian potters doing farmers
markets, selling cheap mugs and going to amazing efforts at pedaling their
wares. We in North America had yet to experience this problem. We were
merrily selling everything we could make. Handmade was hot! Perhaps a new
decade has got us caught up with the monarchy and the penal colony.
Because it's handmade is no longer reason enough. We have to be more
creative than industry. Because we are small we can make changes to our work
without tooling up or major investments. The investemnt is in your brain. A
person from the shoulders down is worth a couple a bucks an hour. A person
using from the shoulder up can charge whatever they want!
Cheers,
Tony
Tony and Sheila Clennell
Sour Cherry Pottery
4545 King Street
Beamsville, Ontario
CANADA L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com/current_news/news_letter.html
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