Posted by Kath on August 31, 2008, at 21:55:02
In reply to Re: photos......... » Kath, posted by Nadezda on August 31, 2008, at 18:48:51
> It must be hard to detach at all from your son's issues when he's going through a crisis or transition-- there's so much at stake for both of you. But maybe it's better if you do have a enough of your own life to keep you amused and feeling effective and creatively satisfied-- without of course at all abandoning him. He must worry about you, too-- and not want you to lose too much in trying to help him?*****You're absolutely right, of course. I know that's true. It is almost like an obsession with me. I can tell how "well I'm doing" by how much of a 'life' I actually have! When I'm doing well, I do my pottery & am not having son-thoughts/worries going around in my head all the time.
I guess I don't let him know how messed up I get. I would LOVE to truly think of him as an independent competent 24-year-old. I try to not let him know how much I worry, etc, because what would that be saying - that I think he's not capable; can't take care of himself, etc.
> Id' love to hear more about your pottery, the methods you use, as well as the photos. I've never done pottery, but it sounds awfully interesting to me.
>
> Nadezda****I don't use the wheel. Most of the time, I use a device called a 'slab roller' - almost like the old-fashioned washing machines that had the 2 rollers that you put the clothes through to press out the water. I put a patted-down lump of clay through & end up with a slat piece of clay (like a rolled out piece of dough for pie crust). I usually make it at the studio of the Guild I belong to & put it on a board, bring it home & sit on the living room floor to make the pottery.
I love little things, so some of the stuff I make is miniatures. Teeny-weeny's.
You put the item on a flat surface & put plastic over it so it doesn't dry too fast & crack. At that point, it's called "greenware". Very fragile. It is then 'fired' in the kiln to make it firm & porous. (First firing is called Bisque-firing.) Then you dip it in liquid glaze. The porous quality makes the item absorb the water out of the glaze & the glaze sticks to it. You can also spray glaze on, & use other methods to decorate. I sometimes paint on the miniatures & some jewellry with tiny brushes. I paint butterflies & dragonflies on quite a few things (I love both). Then the item is 'fired' a second time at a higher temperature. The glaze actually goes liquid & turns to a glass-like finish.
Then Raku-firing is another matter. It's done outside. Bisque work is glazed with special glaze. It's fired until the items are orange-hot & the air around them is SO HOT that you can see the orange heat-waves - my friend & I call it 'atomic'. You turn off the propane that fires the kiln & use long tongs to carefully take an item out, carry it to a prepared bed of sawdust. As it hits the sawdust it bursts into flame & you quickly put a metal lid with some newspaper in it (I like using a turkey-roasting pan or lid) over it & quickly pack sand around it to seal it. The flame burns up all the oxygen & then affects the glaze, sort of 'pulling' out various metals in the glaze to create all sorts of amazing colours.
Raku isn't great for the health, as it's hard not to breathe ANY of the toxic smoke that's created. One has to be as careful as possible.
In making my jewellry, sometimes I roll the clay into a spaghetti shape & play with it until it looks interesting.
Our Guild provides classes for the public & I usually teach 2 of the 8 classes in any given session of classes. I do what's called 'handbuilding' (as opposed to wheel). I enjoy teaching it because people have such fun & generally really enjoy the classes!
SO - there's some pottery info & it makes me realize how much I enjoy it!! :-)
The picture thing does sound pretty straight-forward. I hope to get some off my camera onto the computer when we're at the cottage & then onto here so people can have a look.
Thx for your support.
hugs, Kath
poster:Kath
thread:848803
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080816/msgs/849570.html