Delayed
Bags-o-clay
I swung by the guild on Monday to clean. It is a bit cruel that I haven’t been taking advantage of the guild’s studio space, yet since we’re a co-op, I’m still required to clean about every 4 months or so. I know – who’s fault is that? No need to rub it in. Anyway…while I was there, another member was using the electric slab roller (what a luxury) to create slabs to take home where she is going to work at her leisure. She had quite the system in place, boards, plastic wrap, etc. etc. and it got me thinking about whether I might like to do the same. I love hand building, and have hand rolled my slabs in the past – something I actually enjoy doing. At any rate, I decided not to use the electric slab roller, but I did bring home yet another 25# bag of clay – this time a white ^10 stoneware called “Dover” which is now sitting unopened next to the bag of ^6 porcelain. I might as well start working at ^10 for some work since the guild has 2 large gas car kilns.
I do have a plan. It’s just taken me awhile to arrive at a course of action. Making a decision is probably my weakest skill – I tend to deliberate and then deliberate my deliberations before I can move forward. Once I make a decision, I rarely look back. So here’s my dilemma – I need a fairly unobtrusive, comfortable and convenient place to work. Last weekend, my husband asked me when I was finally going to open the clay I brought home a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned using the laundry room in the basement as a quasi temporary/permanent space where I can leave work in progress out and to work during the winter months. It’s warm, has running water, has shelving, counter space and it’s not precious, so it won’t matter if I get clay on the floor/walls etc. I think I might even bring my wheel inside which is going to require a little extra muscle power.
The laundry room isn’t exactly ideal, but it’s a start. I had planned to get it all set up yesterday and then…I got a small job offer that I couldn’t refuse. I’m updating/adding content to a WordPress website this week. Who would have thought that by teaching myself how to use and customize WordPress for my website out of financial necessity a few years ago, that I could actually earn a little extra income on the side? So, clay is going to have to wait for the weekend. But, I had better not wait too long – my last semester of school starts on Tuesday.
Happy New Year!
Happy 2011!
Hello everyone – long time no talk…unless of course you’re on Facebook and then you’ve been subjected to snippets & nonsense that pertains to my life all along. I’ll get to the point of this post:
I’ve been ruminating how best to return to clay while still attending school full time. It’s something that nags at me…but don’t get me wrong – I’m really happy to be in school studying landscape architecture. It feels right and there’s so much potential. Guess what? I’m halfway through the program and have only 3 semesters left until May 2012 – my expected graduation date. Given the current economy, however, I may very well end up toiling (happily) back in the pottery studio upon graduation with a few extra letters behind my name. Let’s face it – I’ve lost momentum in the clay studio after returning to school and now it seems right to start thinking about pottery again since I’m getting better at juggling multiple activities every day. It could also be that I’m currently on winter break and am starting to get bored with 3 weeks remaining till the start of the semester. ;D
The Essential Guide to Mold Making & Slip Casting by Andrew Martin
A couple of days ago, Andrew Martin, author of Mold Making and Slip Casting, “friended” me on Facebook with a note that he had read a past post where I mentioned his book. Nothing really note worthy of clay people befriending clay people – I think 1/2 my friends on FB are fellow potters. But, I had forgotten about the book until the request and have been thinking about the possibility of molds in the past couple of days and how it coincides with a lot of the technology & software applications I’ve been using/learning in school.
Also related – my past hand built work was jumpstarted after taking a workshop with Annie Chrietzberg a couple of summers ago. Annie teaches the use of paper templates to make hand built work – not to mention that her work is fantastic! Lightbulb – ding dong – I have decided to explore the use of technology to try to advance some new work in the clay studio combining molds and templates as the facilitator.
AutoCAD or any cad (computer aided design) software for that matter, is a tool used by those in the architecture/engineer/industrial design field (and more) to “draw” precisely using real time dimensions that can be scaled in paper space. Some days, it’s the bane of my existence in school – it’s dry and unforgiving. But, the software has its place in the world so that people know how to build something – be it a building, a park or a toilet. Potters build stuff too – I’m sure this insight in using a software like AutoCAD in art isn’t revolutionary by any means, but I have never thought about using it as a tool in pottery before.
So…I design something in AutoCAD – then what? I can print out the design on a large format printer (or size appropriate) and then either cut out a template old school using scissors, or could take the design to the laser printer at school and make the template in a more durable material such as chipboard, wood, plastic, etc. Templates are fantastic for making multiples. AutoCAD renders in 2d or 3d making it really valuable to making a 3 dimensional mold. Which leads me to another wonderful opportunity that I have at school – access to the wood working shop for those tasks that a laser printer can’t handle. Though I confess that I’m still skittish around power tools. 
I’m excited about the possibility of combining newer technology with clay, which is such an ancient art, as a means to get back in the studio.
This seems like a bit of kismet in making this revelation the eve before New Year’s Eve – opportunity, possibility, and it feels good! So much better than the doom and gloom in the news every day about the economy, politics, etc. I’m going to forgo a resolution this year in favor of thinking forward instead of something that I need to change about myself.
Hope you do too – Happy New Year everyone!
Cynthia
P.S. Andrew is teaching a workshop at Anderson Ranch this summer if you’re interested in mold making.
Wax On – Wax Off
New Squared Mugs
Err, um…ahem, I seem to be having some issues – not the personal sort either, though I do have a few of those as well. But, this post is not about THOSE kinds of issues, although if I wax poetic all scholarly like, both could be related.
I find that I’m really rusty and out of practice as I begin the process of becoming reacquainted with clay. This is not a happy state of being for me since I want to exit the shoot hootin’ and a hollerin’ whipping out pottery left and right, filling my shelves to capacity with fluid ease. Instead, I’m ending up with some wonky ware with ugly handles. Sure, I’d love to just write about my success stories and make it look as though I live in pottery nirvana, but it doesn’t always work like that.
Anyone seen the new Karate Kid movie – or remember the original? I’ve decided that I need my own “wax on, wax off” (original) or “jacket off, jacket on the peg, drop jacket, jacket on” (new) kind of moment. Muscle memory is important when it comes to many different physical tasks including crafting pottery efficiently and with as little frustration possible.
I think I need to devote a day (or at least a couple 25 pound bags of clay) to repetitively throwing the same object/shape on the wheel till they begin to look fairly uniform. Then, I want to use the same approach to pulling handles, ‘cuz frankly mine stink! Maybe then I’ll have my aha moment…similar to Daniel san and I can stop fighting the clay. In all honesty, I should recycle the mugs in the photo above – they’re not worth keeping. It’s a good lesson to learn that everything we make is not precious and should be returned to the state from whence it began.
AND – really, square mugs? Not really practical when I think about the mechanics of drinking.
Guess What Ma?
No hands…just kidding.
I Can Still Center
And Throw
Although it did take me forever to select a clay body, wedge, collect my tools, a wheel and finally settle down to attempt to throw something – anything on Monday morning’s visit to the Colorado Potters Guild.
I decided to start with a bowl shape since it is fairly straight forward – and I wanted go easy on myself. No major expectations…just the desire to sit down at the wheel and throw some clay. I messed around with my first bowl for way too long and eventually it slumped into a big gob of gook. But, it felt so good to get back into clay and to just make time to do whatever it is that I wanted – with no pressure.
Did you know that potters use muscles that others might not? I can say this confidently because there are muscles on my back and arms that are sore from my mere 3 hours in the studio after a long absence. My wrists and forearms feel better though after suffering through a bit of carpal tunnel from intensive computer use the past 2 semesters in school. Must be the simple act of using them differently….
I will not likely return to the studio full time, but I do hope to find some balance between life, school and the studio the next couple of years I anticipate that it will take to earn a degree in landscape architecture.
Any tips on achieving and maintaining balance?
