When I was 4 I informed my parents that I wanted to be a potter, to which I was told that there was no money in it, and if I was sensible I'd do something else. Well I've tried various other things, and yesterday I got to play in my pottery studio, and it was great!
My studio, is still short on electricity, something I will sort out in a couple of weeks time, and, There is still a box of bits that need to go to the tip, but its my pottery.
I had a fabulous time playing, I created a sign for my pottery door, using lots of fun techniques, it's not a classy piece of art, but I had fun doing it, and presuming it doesn't blow up during firing, will accurately tell people which door leads to my pottery. I also had to make up some coloured slip, all I had to go on was a memory from art college, when I was 16, a bag of powdered clay, and various oxides. I spent ages adding small amounts of oxide to my washing up container of liquid clay, and shaking vigorously, but it all seemed to be going wrong. The Colbolt, that should be blue went dark grey, and the Copper Oxide, that should be green went light grey. I was very disgruntled, and if I hadn't had so much fun making the pots I may have been tearful. However I was distracted by a thunder storm, an 2 dogs indoors that would be scared, so I shut up thee pottery and came inside.
Once dry I resorted to You tube, and found a 'how to', which showed my a Colbolt slip mix that was a significantly mucky colour, and would change during firing.
My studio, is still short on electricity, something I will sort out in a couple of weeks time, and, There is still a box of bits that need to go to the tip, but its my pottery.
I had a fabulous time playing, I created a sign for my pottery door, using lots of fun techniques, it's not a classy piece of art, but I had fun doing it, and presuming it doesn't blow up during firing, will accurately tell people which door leads to my pottery. I also had to make up some coloured slip, all I had to go on was a memory from art college, when I was 16, a bag of powdered clay, and various oxides. I spent ages adding small amounts of oxide to my washing up container of liquid clay, and shaking vigorously, but it all seemed to be going wrong. The Colbolt, that should be blue went dark grey, and the Copper Oxide, that should be green went light grey. I was very disgruntled, and if I hadn't had so much fun making the pots I may have been tearful. However I was distracted by a thunder storm, an 2 dogs indoors that would be scared, so I shut up thee pottery and came inside.
Once dry I resorted to You tube, and found a 'how to', which showed my a Colbolt slip mix that was a significantly mucky colour, and would change during firing.
So I'm happy again, and can go ahead painting coloured slip on my sign, and keep my fingers crossed that when it's fired it turns Blue, green, Purple, and Yellow in the appropriate places.
BTW
Mum and Dad were right, there is no money in it, but it's lots of fun!