Sunday, March 2, 2014

The First Rule of Glaze Club

Yesterday was the first meeting at the studio of something that I'm tentatively calling Glaze Club. The whole idea stemmed from a suggestion by a new studio member who asked me how she could acquire more knowledge about glazing. I organized a small meeting and invited everyone in the studio via some signs posted on the door and about a dozen people showed up.

Glazes
Glazing can be complicated.

I had made arrangements for three of us to have short presentations with examples. I presented a sponged glaze technique, another potter talked about how he glazes with squeeze bottles, and Dave showed two examples of one of his favorite glaze combinations. A fourth potter brought some work as well and she spoke about her glazing and post glazing techniques. There were questions and answers and an exchange of information, which was nice.

It was determined that we'll meet about once a month and I took volunteers for the presenters for next month.

Buttons
Test tiles. 
Getting people to make test tiles is like trying to get them to pull out their own teeth.

It's funny but when I was talking to Dave about it, he said, "It'll be good for you to give away some of your secrets." As if that were ever going to happen.

New Work
 (I do not like to give away my secrets.)

No, but really: I am a bit (more than a bit if I'm going to be completely honest about it )of a secret keeper when it comes to my work. It's not that I think other people can do what I do, but nothing irks me more than seeing my work knocked off by people who don't have the knack for it. (I'd probably be more irked by seeing my work knocked off by people who were better at it that I am--although that's probably not going to happen because people who are better at it than I am are doing their own thing. The real problem is people who are just good enough at pottery to adequately steal ideas from other potters. I think imitators should have to stand trial and lose a finger or two. But that will only happen when I run the world.)

(Someday.)

After Glaze Club broke up, we had to run to buy Dave some gloves at REI. He's headed off to Minnesota where temperatures have been consistently below zero for a while. (Unlike here in NM where temperatures have been in the upper 60s for awhile.) I worry about him in the cold, simply because temperatures below zero are unimaginable to this desert-born brown girl.

Today is Sunday and it's not early (10:30-ish as I write this), but I would like to get a little more sleep out of this morning and then get some stuff done at the studio. That's my plan for the day. That, and I need to go out and pick up some bananas.

1 comment:

Ruthy said...

Better to lose 2 fingers tan "Make my day, punk" :))