Elizabeth Priddy on sat 23 jul 05
I would recommend that you take the ten that you like
the best, pure personal preference, and put them into
their use environment and evaluate them again. If it is
for food service, but the logical thing to put in it looks
unappetizing in it, the color choice is bad. For instance,
I see a lot of salsa service sets in oranges and purple,
fiesta colors. When you put red salsa in them, it disappears,
so that you cannot appreciate the tomatoes. In my opinion,
this is a bad fit of form, function, and aesthetic.
If it is decorative, consider the contemporary style choices
of buyers, not you. What colors are people with money to
buy pots using that you can deal with? Are any contemporary
palettes to your liking? Would you be able to introduce the
work into other markets if it isn't?
Bottom line, until you have made a niche for yourself, note that
I did not say find-but made, you will have to deal with the market
that exists. Go to a few homes shows if it is stuff for homes.
If it is for food, use the tests from the archives. Anything that
can't pass the food safe, throw it out and keep moving. Leave
adapting and tinkering with glaze recipes for when you have steady
income and time on your hands. There are enough food safe
recipes extant to get to it.
If it flips your triggers and make food look like waste, throw it out.
They may buy it one time, but never again, if they are foodies.
Otherwise, no one can help you with this part. And there is no
formula. This is aesthetics. You can't even really learn it in my
experience. This is the artist side of being a potter. just look at
it and have the guts to be judgmental. I like this. I do not like that.
And then temper this instinct with the superego pragmatism to say,
"I sure do love the lime green bottles, but I think I can sell the
purple wave pattern platters."
If you know a gallery owner with brisk sales, ask them to come see
the work. They know the current market. They will tell you honestly
what they think will sell. Listen to what price point they indicate and then
decide for yourself if you can make it for that. Be dispassionate about it.
That is the heart of professionalism.
Having had the baby out of the blue, I was derailed for about two years, now.
I am having to do it all over again. I have one hundred pots/items made this
week while he sleeps. I like about half of it. That will not determine what I
choose to make. It is a matter of simple economics at this point and
getting back to it.
So take heart, even people who have already done this sometimes find
themselves back ar square one.
Gets easier every time.
gjudson wrote:
I have read with great interest the responses to "Mary/Adams" query about
finding her way in the world of glazes and clays. I am interested because I
find myself in a similar position trying to get myself grounded in the
incredible variety/choices of possibilities in the clay world.
I have done 3 glazes firings of about 6 to 8 glaze recipes on 2 or 3 clays.
I am now trying to establish a formula for evaluating the results of the
tests for future reference. And I've searched my "40 books", the web, the
archives and can not find a list of characteristics to describe or evaluate
the results. I am thinking about surface in relation to color and texture;
light; flow; and what else? Any help out there?
TIA, Gay Judson in San Antonio, TX
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gjudson on sat 23 jul 05
I have read with great interest the responses to "Mary/Adams" query =
about
finding her way in the world of glazes and clays. I am interested =
because I
find myself in a similar position trying to get myself grounded in the
incredible variety/choices of possibilities in the clay world. =20
=20
I have done 3 glazes firings of about 6 to 8 glaze recipes on 2 or 3 =
clays.
I am now trying to establish a formula for evaluating the results of the
tests for future reference. And I've searched my "40 books", the web, =
the
archives and can not find a list of characteristics to describe or =
evaluate
the results. I am thinking about surface in relation to color and =
texture;
light; flow; and what else? Any help out there?
=20
TIA, Gay Judson in San Antonio, TX
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