the first. second. third.
Summer starts late for me, unlike most educators. I wasn't privileged to enjoy my summer until the end of June due to prior engagements. But when summer officially starts, I am able to enjoy my day on my wheel and create stuff. My ceramic goals is consistent repetition and mugs (ugh).
But before my summer began, I decided to hold summer pottery lessons where students, both adult and teen, will learn how to throw on a potters wheel. This was first for me, so determining class price and materials was indeed a learning experience. Students would meet twice a week for a duration of three weeks.
Needless to say I was exhausted as the days progressed.
I think in the future I will hold night classes two times a week, one for beginners and the second for intermediate throwers. My classes are small, five students at most due to limited number of wheels. But they all were able to learn how to throw on a potters wheel.
I'm excited because there were many other people outside of my class that expressed interest in learning or relearning how to throw on a potters wheel. So this has prompted me into holding more wheel throwing lessons in the future.
As my classes winded down, I allowed myself time to go on vacation and set up a small pottery studio at home. My new potters wheel arrived a day after I came back from vacation. So that was an exciting surprise.
I currently own two Laguna Pacifica GT400 potters wheels, which are great beginner and hobby wheels. Eventually I would like to trade my first wheel for a Brent C pottery wheel. But until I have an established body of work, have an online shop, and have been to a variety of venues selling my wares. I am content with my new GT400. I even spent the extra money and got the leg extensions, which has greatly saved my back and neck. Sadly, my butt or hips are not exactly happy with me.
I generally spend half my day throwing and trimming. Currently, I am using up my Cone 6 White Salmon porcelain from Georgie's Clay Company. The porcelain is smooth and very soft even out of the bag. I'm used to some porcelain clays being a little stiffer when right out of the bag, so this was a new change for me. Porcelain is a wonderful clay to throw; however, it's a tricky bitch. Ha.
Porcelain takes less water than a grogged clay. A gorged clay has organic particles within the clay like sand which allows for a more structural sturdy clay that can be pushed more in terms of width and height. Since its summer, I have to pay close attention to how long my porcelain pieces sit and dry before I cut them off their bats. Cutting a dry vessel off a bat is painful and waste of time and energy.
But the end results are beautiful.
As I continue to work out of my studio, I'm learning how to be more consistent with my vessels. That a small wine tumbler takes three pulls, while a small soup bowl can take five pulls. This is what I have discovered, this may not pertain to other ceramic potters. But it does for me currently.
I'm hoping to get a small collection of work finished, photographed, and up for sale online and at small functions like a farmers market. Quality control is a thing for ceramic potters, my students sometimes don't understand that yet.
The vessels I make, need to have balance, weight, and an aesthetic that is appealing to a consumer. If I wouldn't use it, than a potential buyer won't. This goes as far as to how heavy a bowl feels, what the outside curve or shape a tumbler is, and color.
I'm quick to destroying a ceramic piece if I think its not to par with my standards. That's okay, I destroy to create again.