John Rodgers on tue 14 nov 06
Ellen, your comments are interesting.
Why make and sell what everybody else has? Why not .....if it sells. I
don't get hung up on "art". The name of the game is money. If every
grandmother and her cat have blue pots, and they are selling well, then
by golly I'm going to make and sell blue pots. That approach can be
problematic, I know, but mostly to any intermediate persons. Example -
From my Alaska shop, we sold the same old things every year, year after
year after year. We did introduce new things all along, but we kept
making the old line. We were plugged into the tourist trade, selling to
shop owners, and they got mighty tired of the same old thing. But guess
what? The stuff sold, and sold, and sold. The trick was to recognize who
the customers were ...Tourons ..... and when those people came to Alaska
they had never seen our things before. To them it was all brand new!!
So, tired as the shop owners were, they grumbled a bit, then ordered.
the same old things.
I think your jury did your friend and themselves a dis-service. Their
view was not as far reaching as perhaps it could have, should have been.
When I first started making pots and selling them, I made all kinds -
many colors of glazes including floating blue. Over time I began to
realize that my collection of stock in multicolors was growing, while my
stock of FB kept shrinking or I couldn't keep up. One day it dawned on
me that all my floating blue was selling and the other colored stuff was
not. So I have not worried about the massive amounts of FB out there or
that I am making.. It sells. It is what the public wants. Floating blue
is a restful color, and the brown tinged edges soften the effect even more,
My take on the issue based on my experience.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
Ellen Currans wrote:
> First, let me say that even tho I have always fired at Cone 10,
> reduction, I do understand the desire for interesting, flowing,
> movable, non-flat Cone 6 electric glazes.
>
> Here is a recent experience I had with Floating blue. A younger
> potter juried for a show I'm involved with (not as a juror this year)
> with her very nice functional ware, all in floating blue, and her pit
> fired pots. Her functional work sold fairly well in an earlier large
> show this Spring and she sold a few of her higher priced, more work
> intensive, pit fired pots. She expected to show the functional in our
> show. Her functional work was juried out ( I think because the
> potters on the jury have seem floating blue until they are sick of it)
> and her pit fired work was juried in. She scrambled to do more pit
> fired work at the last moment and also some high fired tenmoku
> pieces that blended in. She had a very nice display, but sold only a
> few pieces at our show. Our customer base of middle class women
> buying gifts and things for their homes mostly did not understand the
> pitfired work. Her functional work is vey nice and probably would
> have sold, if she could have got it past the jury who saw the glaze as
> dated. It probably would have been juried in with different glazes.
>
> The glaze books are full of formulas for Cone 6 electric glazes. even
> Cone 2 and 3. Why settle for something that everyone else is doing.
> Test, Test, Test, on your clay, on your work, until you find the
> glazes that work for you. Mastering Cone 6 glazes is a good place to
> start because it gives you the fundamentals, but don't stop there.
> There is no easy way to "master" glazes. You just have to do it over
> and over again until you begin to understand cause and effect.
>
> Ellen Currans
> Dundee, Oregon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lpskeen@LIVING-TREE.NET
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Sent: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:37 PM
> Subject: I love Floating Blue, but damn....
>
> Can I just say how tired I am of floating blue? I was at a
> show
> in October with, oh, something like 70 other potters. Another show this
> past weekend. Floating blue EVERYFRIGGINWHERE. It's like a disease!
> I've had the disease, but I think I'm cured now...
>
> Part of the problem is that so many of the potters and wannabes around
> here started out in the same studio downtown and that studio has been
> using the same glazes since the dawn of time. Of course, FB is the
> 'blue' glaze of the studio. Of course, blue is the most popular color
> since the dawn of time. Therefore, FB is the most popular glaze.
>
> When FB is done right, man it is absolutely gorgeous. I find it does
> best on claybodies with high iron content, specifically, Highwater
> Brooklyn Red and Kickwheel Gray Speck and Black Raven claybodies (or
> similar). Don Goodrich uses FB almost exclusively, on white stoneware,
> and loves it. Unfortunately, I keep hearing more and more people having
> trouble with it, both the original Chappell recipe with GB and RR's
> revisions. I'm guessing FB is prolly THE most discussed ^6 glaze on
> this list, ever, because of all the problems. I think maybe all we FB
> addicts need to form a support group.
>
> Anyway, I think I'm over Floating Blue. Gotta go find something to take
> its place tho. (No mel, not Mother In Law blue...)
>
> L
> http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________________
> _____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
> security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
> across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
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> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
L. P. Skeen on tue 14 nov 06
Can I just say how tired I am of floating blue? I was at a show
in October with, oh, something like 70 other potters. Another show this
past weekend. Floating blue EVERYFRIGGINWHERE. It's like a disease!
I've had the disease, but I think I'm cured now...
Part of the problem is that so many of the potters and wannabes around
here started out in the same studio downtown and that studio has been
using the same glazes since the dawn of time. Of course, FB is the
'blue' glaze of the studio. Of course, blue is the most popular color
since the dawn of time. Therefore, FB is the most popular glaze.
When FB is done right, man it is absolutely gorgeous. I find it does
best on claybodies with high iron content, specifically, Highwater
Brooklyn Red and Kickwheel Gray Speck and Black Raven claybodies (or
similar). Don Goodrich uses FB almost exclusively, on white stoneware,
and loves it. Unfortunately, I keep hearing more and more people having
trouble with it, both the original Chappell recipe with GB and RR's
revisions. I'm guessing FB is prolly THE most discussed ^6 glaze on
this list, ever, because of all the problems. I think maybe all we FB
addicts need to form a support group.
Anyway, I think I'm over Floating Blue. Gotta go find something to take
its place tho. (No mel, not Mother In Law blue...)
L
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
Don Goodrich on tue 14 nov 06
Very true, LP, but let's at least acknowledge that it was you
who introduced me to the stuff back around 1996.
Part of the problem with Floating Blue is that once customers
know you have it, they keep asking for more. This isn't limited
to FB, but seems to happen with the most troublesome glazes
that I haven't quite worked out how to use yet. Kemp 17 chrome-tin
is a good example: unless it's thick enough and fired right it can
look pretty unappealing. Show someone a nice-looking sample and
they'll want a dozen 14" platters or vases in it. This makes for
some interesting learning experiences, and improves one's skill at
excuse-making. One also learns a lot about the tradeoffs between
refiring and hammering.
A safe glaze that can make you money is worth trying. It's worth
some experiments to learn how to use it reliably. Best to keep a
variety of options before the public though, so we're not driven
mad with monotony.
If it'll help with your recovery and satisfy your blue needs,
try wedging some cobalt into porcelain and don't even glaze;
go for the Wedgwood look. Your mother-in-law might like it!
Cheers,
Don Goodrich still waiting for my calendar...
http://dongoodrichpottery.com/
On Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:37:28 -0500, L. P. Skeen
wrote:
> Can I just say how tired I am of floating blue? I was at a show
>in October with, oh, something like 70 other potters. Another show this
>past weekend. Floating blue EVERYFRIGGINWHERE. It's like a disease!
>I've had the disease, but I think I'm cured now...
>
>Part of the problem is that so many of the potters and wannabes around
>here started out in the same studio downtown and that studio has been
>using the same glazes since the dawn of time. Of course, FB is the
>'blue' glaze of the studio. Of course, blue is the most popular color
>since the dawn of time. Therefore, FB is the most popular glaze.
>
>When FB is done right, man it is absolutely gorgeous. I find it does
>best on claybodies with high iron content, specifically, Highwater
>Brooklyn Red and Kickwheel Gray Speck and Black Raven claybodies (or
>similar). Don Goodrich uses FB almost exclusively, on white stoneware,
>and loves it. Unfortunately, I keep hearing more and more people having
>trouble with it, both the original Chappell recipe with GB and RR's
>revisions. I'm guessing FB is prolly THE most discussed ^6 glaze on
>this list, ever, because of all the problems. I think maybe all we FB
>addicts need to form a support group.
>
>Anyway, I think I'm over Floating Blue. Gotta go find something to take
>its place tho. (No mel, not Mother In Law blue...)
>
>L
>http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
Sue Cline on tue 14 nov 06
Unfortunately, I'm not "over" FB yet. I use the recipe from John Hesselberth's website. When I fire to ^5 and "fast" cool it is stunning and I have few problems with it. I often double-dip the top edge and it is very nice. Yes, it's runny.
If I "slow" cool from ^5, the glaze is glossy gray-blue; some like it - some don't. If I fire to ^6 and slow cool a la MC6G, it is glossy and snot green.
I have found that several of my glazes mature well at ^5 "fast" cool, so I don't have to plan for an entire kiln load of FB (but that's fairly easy with a mere 3.5 cu. ft. kiln....)
So -- the saga continues.
Sue Cline
Cincinnati, OH
-----Original Message-----
>From: "L. P. Skeen"
>Sent: Nov 14, 2006 1:37 AM
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: I love Floating Blue, but damn....
>
> Can I just say how tired I am of floating blue? I was at a show
>in October with, oh, something like 70 other potters. Another show this
>past weekend. Floating blue EVERYFRIGGINWHERE. It's like a disease!
>I've had the disease, but I think I'm cured now...
>
>Part of the problem is that so many of the potters and wannabes around
>here started out in the same studio downtown and that studio has been
>using the same glazes since the dawn of time. Of course, FB is the
>'blue' glaze of the studio. Of course, blue is the most popular color
>since the dawn of time. Therefore, FB is the most popular glaze.
>
>When FB is done right, man it is absolutely gorgeous. I find it does
>best on claybodies with high iron content, specifically, Highwater
>Brooklyn Red and Kickwheel Gray Speck and Black Raven claybodies (or
>similar). Don Goodrich uses FB almost exclusively, on white stoneware,
>and loves it. Unfortunately, I keep hearing more and more people having
>trouble with it, both the original Chappell recipe with GB and RR's
>revisions. I'm guessing FB is prolly THE most discussed ^6 glaze on
>this list, ever, because of all the problems. I think maybe all we FB
>addicts need to form a support group.
>
>Anyway, I think I'm over Floating Blue. Gotta go find something to take
>its place tho. (No mel, not Mother In Law blue...)
>
>L
>http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
L. P. Skeen on tue 14 nov 06
Ok, I saw that last line, and now am cussing the post office. I hate
them. No, hate is NOT too strong a word. GDit.
Er....am I being given credit or being blamed for introducing you to
Floating Blue? LOL. I didn't realize it had been me that did it. ;)
You're right about customers asking for more. And more. Blech. I had
a customer - really GOOD customer - come back like 3 years after buying
what was, by that time, a really horrible example of one of my lidded
cookie jars, brooklyn red clay and FB glaze. Of course, her wife had
broken the lid and they wanted a new one. I ended up making her
a whole new cookie jar.
L
Don Goodrich wrote:
> Very true, LP, but let's at least acknowledge that it was you
> who introduced me to the stuff back around 1996.
>
> Part of the problem with Floating Blue is that once customers
> know you have it, they keep asking for more.
>
Don Goodrich still waiting for my calendar...
> http://dongoodrichpottery.com/
>
>
Ellen Currans on tue 14 nov 06
First, let me say that even tho I have always fired at Cone 10,=20
reduction, I do understand the desire for interesting, flowing,=20
movable, non-flat Cone 6 electric glazes.
Here is a recent experience I had with Floating blue. A younger=20
potter juried for a show I'm involved with (not as a juror this year)=20
with her very nice functional ware, all in floating blue, and her pit=20
fired pots. Her functional work sold fairly well in an earlier large=20
show this Spring and she sold a few of her higher priced, more work=20
intensive, pit fired pots. She expected to show the functional in our=20
show. Her functional work was juried out ( I think because the potters=20
on the jury have seem floating blue until they are sick of it) and her=20
pit fired work was juried in. She scrambled to do more pit fired=20
work at the last moment and also some high fired tenmoku pieces that=20
blended in. She had a very nice display, but sold only a few pieces at=20
our show. Our customer base of middle class women buying gifts and=20
things for their homes mostly did not understand the pitfired work. =20
Her functional work is vey nice and probably would have sold, if she=20
could have got it past the jury who saw the glaze as dated. It probably=20
would have been juried in with different glazes.
The glaze books are full of formulas for Cone 6 electric glazes. even=20
Cone 2 and 3. Why settle for something that everyone else is doing. =20
Test, Test, Test, on your clay, on your work, until you find the glazes=20
that work for you. Mastering Cone 6 glazes is a good place to start=20
because it gives you the fundamentals, but don't stop there. There is=20
no easy way to "master" glazes. You just have to do it over and over=20
again until you begin to understand cause and effect.
Ellen Currans
Dundee, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: lpskeen@LIVING-TREE.NET
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:37 PM
Subject: I love Floating Blue, but damn....
Can I just say how tired I am of floating blue? I was at a=20
show=C2=A0
in October with, oh, something like 70 other potters. Another show=20
this=C2=A0
past weekend. Floating blue EVERYFRIGGINWHERE. It's like a disease!=C2=A0
I've had the disease, but I think I'm cured now...=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Part of the problem is that so many of the potters and wannabes around=C2=
=A0
here started out in the same studio downtown and that studio has been=C2=
=A0
using the same glazes since the dawn of time. Of course, FB is the=C2=A0
'blue' glaze of the studio. Of course, blue is the most popular color=C2=
=A0
since the dawn of time. Therefore, FB is the most popular glaze.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
When FB is done right, man it is absolutely gorgeous. I find it does=C2=A0
best on claybodies with high iron content, specifically, Highwater=C2=A0
Brooklyn Red and Kickwheel Gray Speck and Black Raven claybodies (or=C2=A0
similar). Don Goodrich uses FB almost exclusively, on white stoneware,=C2=
=A0
and loves it. Unfortunately, I keep hearing more and more people=20
having=C2=A0
trouble with it, both the original Chappell recipe with GB and RR's=C2=A0
revisions. I'm guessing FB is prolly THE most discussed ^6 glaze on=C2=A0
this list, ever, because of all the problems. I think maybe all we FB=C2=
=A0
addicts need to form a support group.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Anyway, I think I'm over Floating Blue. Gotta go find something to=20
take=C2=A0
its place tho. (No mel, not Mother In Law blue...)=C2=A0
=C2=A0
L=C2=A0
http://www.living-tree.net/calendar.htm=C2=A0
=C2=A0
=20
_________________________________________________________________________
_____=C2=A0
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org=C2=A0
=C2=A0
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription=C2=
=A0
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at=20
melpots@pclink.com.=C2=A0
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and=20
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from=20
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
Neal on wed 15 nov 06
The Triangle Potters Guild (N.C.) made bowls for
our local Urban Ministries' Stone Soup Supper.
As I helped at the table where people were
picking out bowls last night, a lot of folks
reached over some gorgeous shinos, yellow salt,
various glazes in other shades of brown to get
to the blue bowls.
As I was glazing this morning to prepare for
one more kiln firing before Saturday's show
(N.C. State University's Craft Center, in case
anyone is nearby and doesn't know about it), I
had to stir up my version of a variegated blue
to glaze a few pieces. Gotta have what people
want. I also glazed pieces in Cathy Harris'
cone 6 temoku and in white.
Neal O'Briant
Raleigh, N.C.
____________________________________________________________________________________
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$420k for $1,399/mo. Calculate new payment!
www.LowerMyBills.com/lre
L. P. Skeen on wed 15 nov 06
Good luck on that Tenmoku Neal; I couldn't sell it for love nor money. :(
L
Neal wrote:
> As I was glazing this morning to prepare for
> one more kiln firing before Saturday's show
> (N.C. State University's Craft Center, in case
> anyone is nearby and doesn't know about it), I
> had to stir up my version of a variegated blue
> to glaze a few pieces. Gotta have what people
> want. I also glazed pieces in Cathy Harris'
> cone 6 temoku and in white.
>
> Neal O'Briant
> Raleigh, N.C.
>
>
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