mel jacobson on mon 12 dec 05
one of the most forgotten and misused
areas of ceramics is `get a hand from a professional and
pay the freight. ` if i needed serious help with a glaze i would
hire ron roy to work with me on the project.
if i was having clay problems i would call jon pacini right now.
it is cheap when you consider all the time and effort to research
a glaze...or better yet, just use ron's glazes. that black magic temmoku
is perfection. tom buck did all the research for my article on
`black temmoku`. he did a great job. he got paid. not much, but
i sent him cash to help me. the way it should be done.
how wonderful it has been to be associated with joe koons. he is
a world expert in glaze. i never question him...i just follow him.
what a wonderful collaboration.
my hands and fire, his brain and glazes. `mel, open bag, dump
in a pail, add water. glaze and fire.`
anyone can call laguna clay company with questions. same
for axner, standard and many others.
(of course don't argue with an expert chemist...`well, bob over at the
junior college told me..blah, blah. blah...so` CLICK. listen, pay
attention to the right answer. (it is like doing brain surgery on
your own head..dumb.)
why spend time with chemistry when you do not have a clue
what you are doing? anyone can measure a good glaze out
and dump water on it. then spend your time trying to figure it
out with your clay, your kiln...that will be enough of a task.
clay body is the most ignored of all pottery theory.
often people are searching for a glaze when what they
need is a good clay body. they buy a ready made clay
you know, g/27/river red. and they try and make a white
glaze stay white...then they beat themselves up saying.
`whaaaa, whaaa, i can't get anything right...i am going to
kill the cat.` just get a better clay. one that fits white
glaze. or don't use a white to clear on red river...duh.
remember my interview and article for cm on jt abernathy...`quote/perfect
quote/
i have the tape.
`what the gd hell is wrong with people, don't they know that clay
is the most important thing in pots?...cone 6 means cone 6...you can't fire
that crap to cone 8. gd f'n fools`. and, he is totally correct. clay.
but most are out there looking for some perfect glaze...and they will
never find it....it is the total picture...clay, design, skill, firing and a
decent, well fitted glaze. then you add a bit of art...and bingo.
why do you need 50 glazes when one good one will do? that one glaze
can be made many colors, layers and it goes on and on and on.
one glaze. one clay body. 55,000 variations on that one theme..you cannot
learn it in a lifetime.
then get creative. 5th floor is on the way. so many want to go to the
basement...because bob over at the junior college told them something
in 1966. and by god, they will do that way forever...even if it is wrong.
mel
from mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
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