Saturday, August 25, 2012

Waiting in its various forms

 I have been hand-building and decorating more and more....
(bottoms of cups)
 partly this is because i continue to have some problems with my left hand, which might be carpal tunnel related.  But, the other reason is that I find it quite interesting. 
cups that are firming up before attaching the bases
In the past I made pots primarily by throwing on the wheel.  I find that handbuilding is quite a different experience: 
1. less wedging
2. different type of scraps
3. different shapes are possible
4. different rhythm to the work

 In particular, there is a different type of time-line involved.  In handbuilding, or more specifically, using slab construction, I find that there is a lot of waiting time between each step. 
I throw and roll out slabs, then wait for them to stiffen up before being able to cut shapes from them.
Some shapes are partially constructed, and then have to firm up more before continuing to work on them.  Even when the pot has been assembled, there is still quite a lot of fine-tuning to be done: lots of wiping down of rough edges, or scraping away with a rasp or a trimming tool, or smoothing with a smooth piece of wood or a rubber rib. 
 I also notice that it is quite a lot of fun to press designs into the slabs as I construct the pots.
 It's a form of mishima, I suppose, to paint the impressions with slip and then to wipe away the extra with a damp sponge,
 I've been using a dark grey slip up until this point. 
 On the vases,  I intend to add a colored glaze on the inside of the pot.  The mugs, I painted the insides with underglaze. 
I also am thinking of adding decals to some of them later, although I find it tricky to do long term planning like that.  It is easier for me to do as much to the pot at one time as possible to make it close to being finished.  It seems that there is too long of a gap between starting and finishing a pot to remember what I had planned.

 I am still doing a lot of underglaze decoration.  It too can be a waiting game.  I tend to apply three coats of underglaze to prevent it from looking streaky or translucent when glazed.  Each coat has to set up between applications.  So that means that I am working on several pots at the same time-- maybe 5 or 6.
 And, on another note, I am still waiting on firing all this stuff, since the electrician I found that is willing to come out here to hook up the plug won't be able to come until the second week of september.  : (
Yeah, that's quite a wait. 

 There will be hundreds of pieces by then.......

5 comments:

  1. well! those are looking lovely already and they aren't fired yet... I look forward to seeing them finished:) creative endeavours do seem to take awhile... they require is to appreciate silence and patience among other things...

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  2. appreciating 'waiting time' is a forgotten joy, i think. sometimes we get so busy we can't take in the rhythm of waiting, letting an idea develop at its own pace, letting ourselves be surprised by what has grown from a seed of an idea. i found 'waiting with an idea' was easier when the children were small and i really HAD no time! it's a gentler approach to the world, don't you think?
    cheers
    molly

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  3. Thank you Laurie and Mitzi! Encouragement comes at a good time, because I am starting to get a bit discouraged The waiting thing does develop patience and observation, up to a point. But then it would be nice to get some feedback from a finished piece, The glazing will change the colors of the underglaze, and I'm not quite sure what the co ours will actually look like. I've been mixing colors, and even using an untested slip! Usually I like to test things before using them too much on real pieces, just in case something odd happens. Also, I am pretty new to hand building and I am wondering if they will warp much in the firing, or if seams will break open or something, good thing that I am enjoying the process, cause there doesn't seem to be a product!

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    Replies
    1. ... well process with few products is what we see alot of at the moment... which reminds me, I need to talk with you about your saw for cutting tiles.

      Actually, we have a few finished products so far this week: The garage roof is finished and today I grouted the backsplash in the washroom!!!:)

      Still looking forward - with anticipation:) - to your finished works.

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