Alisa Liskin Clausen on wed 19 jul 06
>
>As a start, that is all I would ask for--just some descriptive text
>telling people what you think is important to know about successfully
>mixing, applying and firing that glaze. Now is that really so hard to
>do?
>
>Fred, I have shied away from trying to develop a specific format for
>people to use. One thing I have learned since becoming a full time
>potter a decade ago is that quite a few potters rebel and dig their
>heels in against anything that smacks of "formality" or "systems".
>You saw some evidence of that in the initial outbursts to my note.
>True there are others who would appreciate having a format to work
>with so I could just say "screw it", let the rebels rebel. The rest
>of us have work to do. And the time may come when I try that
>approach, but I'd rather win by seduction if I can.
>
>And I think I can. Potters as a class are a group of very
>intelligent, observant people. Furthermore we are a sharing group--we
>enjoy helping each other. >
>I have gone on long enough so I will just end by saying that it has
>been a useful discussion for me and I have more hope that I will
>begin to see more descriptive sentences or paragraphs accompany the
>recipes that are posted from time to time.
>
>And yes, I'll probably poke a stick at this subject sometime again in
>the future. I try to be predictable!
>
>Regards,
>
>John
Dear John, Ivor, Lili, Fred, May, and the others who have commented on
this thread,
Now I have had good time to read and re read, but most of all, to become
more organized in my thoughts with a goal in mind: That we communicate
our glaze recipes in the most constructive way we can.
I realize that in an area where I thought staying as widely open as
possible, led to a backfire, or obstacle, to enable best educational
result.
In ways, I still feel rather staunch about a stamped and approved glaze
reporting format. By nature of our varied ceramic community, I think
everyone should be encourage to share, not to hide because they cannot
grasp or have the ability to convert to unity. I suppose my plea for
tolerance is based on inclusion, not exclusion,based on one's details of a
glaze report.
That said, my reflection on this subject in general has been helped and
nudged of course by reading all of the responses. John calls it seducing,
however, I prefer to call it raising level of interest. Anyone who knows
my glaze testing, I do not call anything delicious or give lipstick names
to glazes I like.
My bucking up against a format is not because I think it a bad idea, but
because I do wish to make anyone anywhere feel invalidated because they
cannot fill in all of the blanks on "our form".
That said, John as urged me to use more time on the computer and run the
tests I can (I have a tendency to scrape up ochre, follow telephone
repair trucks for red clay and run out on the fjord when the winter storms
pushes away the water, for mussel shells). I want to make the efforts of
my time, interests and costs, as "usable" as possible to anyone who is
interested. I can use some of John's ideas to further my own, and instead
of being a stick in the mud on principle, I am bending. But just so
much. I do not want to see a format. I wish to see more people reporting
details (sparing the delicious) because they are understanding more about
what they are looking at in their testing.
I can agree with John, that it does require any special set up or more
software or anything, to write a few words about a glaze. How does it
look? We can all do that! Let's go! Tell your studio friends!!
In fact, Gay and I have been working on a list I would call a glaze
vocabulary. This is something intended to, but not binding, help us
report glazes visually in a way that is concise and consistent. When we
are done, perhaps we should post it to nudge anyone along to describe
their work.
I was struck by May's comment that a glaze recipe is an end, where I see
it as a beginning. Both of these school's thoughts are accurate in my
thoughts, as glaze making is a continous loop of starting, ending and
using the end for a new start.
Where you choose to pause is where you find yourself at the beginning or
the end. No broken bones there.
In conclusion, until we talk about this again, I think I have learned
something from this discussion. Although I went into it thinking here we
go again John, I think this discussion has a rubbery, flexible frame work
and we can push a lot more into it. I did pull the plug on it for now,
and I came through the drain with more open mindness, but in a way where I
am not throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Hooray for dialogue.
Best regards from Alisa in Denmark
Still in NJ 8mm kidney stone kept me grounded.
I am smiling (now) thinking about those glaze
experiments with sediments, etc. I would like
to fire that stone up. But it will soon be powder.
Alas.
Ron Roy on thu 20 jul 06
Hi Alisa,
First I have to say - that of all the people who post recipes to ClayArt -
you are the best at including the most information - I have always admired
that.
I also understand some of your objections - what use would it be to require
a molecular formula to those who have no use of it - and I agree - it
should not be required.
The problem as I see it - there is a lot of useful information that can be
included with a recipe - and that is more what I think this is about.
So how to persuade everyone to include what they can - a list - to incude
what you want to include.
For instance - cone drop would be a very useful bit of information - almost
every one would know that.
Glad to hear you are feeling better - RR
>In conclusion, until we talk about this again, I think I have learned
>something from this discussion. Although I went into it thinking here we
>go again John, I think this discussion has a rubbery, flexible frame work
>and we can push a lot more into it. I did pull the plug on it for now,
>and I came through the drain with more open mindness, but in a way where I
>am not throwing out the baby with the bath water.
>
>Hooray for dialogue.
>
>Best regards from Alisa in Denmark
>Still in NJ 8mm kidney stone kept me grounded.
>I am smiling (now) thinking about those glaze
>experiments with sediments, etc. I would like
>to fire that stone up. But it will soon be powder.
>Alas.
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
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