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29-Aug-2003
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#1 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
 
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Old Pots...New Pots.. And The Holiday Weekend
Hi all,
Here it is the beginning of the last Holiday Weekend of the summer (in the US it is Labor Day Weekend).. I will be off to the lake for a few days. PLEASE>>> everyone be careful in your cars this weekend. Old Pots- I am very excited, a store in the artist community of Sugarloaf NY has taken in some of my pots. It will be interesting to see if they have any appeal to the masses. It will also be interesting to see if they sell, interesting and profitable I hope!  New Pots- Yesterday I resumed pot making at the studio. I hope to have lots of pots produced in the next few months. With luck they will be of quality, design, size and color to make them desirable by someone other than their 'father'. I am planning on using the red clay body I had tried this spring. This is your chance to give me your thoughts on what you would like me to do....your not ordering a pot... just giving me some thoughts. See ya all after the weekend Jay
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing Last edited by Jay : 29-Aug-2003 at 09:06 AM. |
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Old Pots...New Pots.. And The Holiday Weekend |
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29-Aug-2003
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#2 |
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Perpetual Novice
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Hi, Jay (and others)
You may be interested in Maz Braverman's Pine Gardens Bonsai Site. http://www.poppyware.com/pgb/ He is no longer in business, but there's a wealth of info there on making pottery and bonsai. I have several of his pots, which I love. I'd like to see you try some oval pots. He has an article that sounds as though it isn't all that hard!  |
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31-Aug-2003
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#3 |
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Playin' in the Mudd
 
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Jay,
Congratulations on getting into your first shop! Somebody's mother will love your pots. I threw my first batch of bonsai pots yesterday and rolled out some slabs and will do some hand built ones tomorrow. I'm making this first batch from porcelain and plan to order some stoneware samples next week. I look forward to seeing your new work. Bart, Thanks for the link to the article on throwing oval pots. It does look pretty easy. I'll give it a try tomorrow.  Best, Kevin |
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2-Sep-2003
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#4 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
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Bart and Kevin, interesting that you should mention oval. I actually did one last week, it isn't as easy as it seems. First, doing the oval thing in itself 'is' actually easy, but it does take time and the pot can no longer be trimmed on the wheel. You have to do hand trimming and the oval shape is...welllllll.... hard to get real oval. Hope to get it back in a few weeks.... note to Kevin: doing pottery in a studio takes a long time, doing it at your own place shortens the time frame, but you know that... others do not!
Jay
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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2-Sep-2003
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#5 |
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Tree herder
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Jay,
congratulations! I'm sure your pots will do well. You ask for some thoughts... I will offer a couple  What ever you make, I would love to see more of that grainy clay. I can't remember what you call it, is it the one you call the red clay body? I think you said it was hard on your skin. Also I would really like to see a shallower pot. I think all your pots are wonderful, it's just that if they were a tad shallower I would like them even more! You would definitely have a trans-atlantic buyer then. My final thought is - what about some little mame pinch pots?? Lots of people collect little pots just for show, and not for planting in. I do. Whenever I see a nice one I buy it. I am fast running out of space on the bookcase for them, time to commission a bespoke stand... Anyway, best of luck to you. Regards, TB
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"Do not be hasty, that is my motto" -JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers. ----------------------------------- christopherguise.co.uk |
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2-Sep-2003
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#6 |
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Playin' in the Mudd
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Hi Jay,
I did some ovals today and wound up tossing the first four. That's to be expected whenever trying a new method, I guess. I threw some more and wound up with four I like. When throwing something you’re going to alter before it’s “trimmable”, you can use a wooden knife and ribs to trim the sides while it’s still on the bat. Then it won’t need much trimming later. I've had a blast the past few days making bonsai pots all day. I should have them finished in a week or so. I hope to share them here and get some constructive criticism. You're right, it is challenging to make pots in someone else's studio and it really limits you. Of course, when you have your own kiln, you have to fill it all yourself. Keeping in mind how all the pieces will fit in the kiln for best efficiency, and so forth. When I first started, I’d hand built at my kitchen table, later I set up a makeshift studio with a used $100 wheel in the spare room. It’s taken me quite a few years to collect the equipment to set up a “real” studio….. and I’ll always need more and better stuff. Happy potting. Best, Kevin |
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2-Sep-2003
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#7 | |
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Perpetual Novice
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Quote:
Gee, Jay. It would seem that an engineer ought to be able to make a wheel that would allow you to do ovals  Yeah, it would involve cams and the like and probably look like a Rube Goldberg creation, but, hey!! Regards, Bart |
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3-Sep-2003
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#8 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
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Chris- I have started throwing more pots. I will be making them out of the 'red clay body' you are talking about. I will be making semi- cascade, bunjin, and low sided round pots. Of course I am going to try and make some interesting shapes altered from round also. As for pinch pots, I have not gone there yet, but have started to make small wheel thrown pots for accent plants. I appreciate your input and only hope that my ability allows me to make pots worthy of your trees.
Kevin- I know what you mean about the tossing of pots. Most people think that maybe it is hard to learn, but then you just turn them out one after the other. I for one do not see that. Perhaps if you are a pro, you can make cookie cutter (there is that term again) pots in mass but even then there is many that will get tossed before being fired, others that will not bisk correctly and of course there are those that just do not work after the glaze fire. Bonsai pots are not cheap for many reasons... the loss to keep ratio being one. I am very interested in seeing what a pro potter can do with bonsai pots. Bart- Thanks for the good words, I will have to look into the oval wheel idea.... please stand by your phone for the call it will come shortly. Lets see... take a standard wheel, remove the upper section, add a few cams and belts and we will have it...... can you imagine the guy/gal sitting at this wheel trying not to get sea sick throwing an oval pot........ Stay tuned.... pots will follow in a few weeks......... Jay
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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4-Sep-2003
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#9 |
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Playin' in the Mudd
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Hi Jay,
When you've made a certain pot (shape) enough, your losses are usually minimal, (baring major accidents. You can get to the point where you can turn pots out “one after the other” but when learning and trying new techniques, there's bound to be some extra loss. Your overall loss ratio will greatly improve over time. I did some more ovals today and didn’t loose any (yet). I’ve learned a few tricks too. Let me know if you’d like me to share them. I may be a “pro” by the technical definition of the term, but I’m still a way from being a master. I hope my pots live up to your anticipation. I’ve certainly had fun making them. Now it’s back to the bread n’ butter items to fill the rest of the kiln. Should be ready to bisque sometime next week. Treebeard’s suggestion that you make some “little mame pinch pots” is an excellent one. Whenever I teach someone, I always try to start him or her out with pinch pots before they get addicted to the wheel. It’s very good way to teach your hands what clay can and can’t do. Learning all hand building techniques will help greatly in your overall understanding of the clay working process. Plus, you can make pinch pots at home any time with no expensive equipment. Best, Kevin |
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