: cstovin - Viewing Profile

Hi all, I am still refining my display as each show passes, but it is a work in progress and is coming along nicely. I do mostly Raku and Horse Hair pottery - items that are non-functional for the most part, and items that perhaps not everyone understands. Oddly enough, some of my venues are at high ranking horse shows (thus custom horse hair work) but I am noticing a lot of people either:

1) do not know what horse hair pottery is (Raku as well)
2) are confused by it
3) don't know what to think about it

I have made short 1/2 page informational blurbs to explain what each one (the horse hair and raku) are; but no one reads them

I have tried making a very short pictorial "story board" of what the horse hair is, and no one reads that



So - my question is - for those of you that display and sell more non-functional/art work - how do you display your work so people understand what it is, are not confused by it, and are attracted to it?

Any ideas?

Charlene

Hi all, I still have a problem with my wheel, and after talking to someone at my art center, and with the people here, I am sure that my wheel head is bent and "not true" ever so slightly. But, since I am fairly new to wheel turning and this has been problematic, I was pretty bummed to find this out! But, after working with it, I decided I had two options, three at best: I could sell it and hope to get my money out of it and advertise it as "not true", I could give up, or I could force myself to learn to use it. It hasn't been an easy two weeks, but things are getting easier and I have managed to turn a few small pots on it, so needless to say, I am learning to use it.


Buying replacement parts aren't an option for me right now, we don't have the funds. BUT - here lies my problem now.....how do you trim a foot on a pot when the wheel is not true? I have tried a few, but if the wheel is not centered, then how do I get my foot "centered"? Or am I making too much out of this? lol
Thank you!

Charlene

I went back and looked at all the sites/information that you all suggested, but there still isn't much information about how to go about this. I am really surprised that there aren't more people trying this, or that there isn't more information about this type of pottery and the process? I tried to find a book maybe on amazon, and no luck there either


What I am looking at doing is something inspiring like (www.palomapottery.com) - I don't want to copy her, but when I was thinking about wanting to add glass to my items, that was kind of the look I was imaging - not marbles, solid large pieces of glass, special glass....she does what I wanted to try - uses recycled glass - so there must be a way? I can't afford to blow up my kiln, and I just need a place to start?

Any ideas or suggestions on how to get started down this road would be appreciated -

Thanks!

Charlene

Hi all,

I just got a new to me wheel this weekend; it is a Brent EX and was used 2 times. I know this is a beginning wheel, but for where I am, that was fine plus I got it for a great price and the lady had only used it twice.

I got it setup today and have tried almost all day to get things centered; I am not an expert yet at centering, however have NEVER had this much trouble getting a small mound of clay centered, let along trying ll day and still not getting nothinganything centered. I finally asked my husband to come down and take a look with me. We took off the ball of clay I had on the bat, and noticed that the bat was slightly "wobbling" a little. I took off the bat and ran my finger along the edge of the wheel while it was turned on high speed, and there is a slight "shimmy". All the wheels at the art center where I have been going don't seem to have this little "shimmy", or if they have, I have never noticed it. Today I coned up, coned down, coned up, coned down, coned up....all I succeeded in was making a mess, and a mess, and a larger mess!


Could I have done this to the wheel when I transported it? If there is a slight shimmy in the wheel, could this be the cause of my centering whoes, or am I making a huge deal out of nothing (my husband things it isn't that bad....lol). If this IS the potential cause of my centering woes, what are my options for finding the cause of it? Or would I be better off parting with the wheel and saving my money for another one? (this one retails I believe for about $550)

Thank you for the help

Charlene

Hi all,

I can't find much information already on glass infused pottery, how to do it, and the like - but I wanted to try using reclaimed bottles (bottle frit from the same manufacturer, same bottle type,etc)... can someone tell me or give me even basic information on how this process is done? I googled it but really didn't find much information on it - which I was kind of surprise.
Very interesting - want to try it!!

Thanks!

Charlene