Gary's Third Pottery Blog

When the going gets tough, dragons gonna get going....

Gary's third pottery blog

WRITE TO ME! garyrith@yahoo.com Come see me! Open studio HERE! November 25-26 (11-4 each day); Aurora Art and Design, daily until 12/24; Cooperstown Art Assoc. daily until 12/24; Ellis Hollow Community Fair, 12/10; December 10, Little Red Wagon at the Space at Greenstar. All material on this blog unless stated otherwise is copyright Gary Edward Rith 2016

Saturday, October 19, 2013

throwing, sculpting, taxi meters

I have the open house last week and people watch me make the shape for a mug on the wheel (speaking of time = money yesterday, right?) and they say "wow, you throw that mug shape on the wheel in just a minute or 2" and I agree
"YES, but I had to prepare the clay, later I trim and finish the mug, glaze it, load it into the kiln etc etc".  Each step of making a mug is pretty quick BUT I tell customers it adds up to about 1/2 hour per mug.  (I have no idea, but it is a convenient number, right?  I mean, I have to go up and buy the clay, load the car, unload the car, feed my cat, walk the dog, make a handle for the mug, you know?)

OK, so I may throw a mug shape quickly, but you know what is NOT quick yet my FAVORITE part of these mugs????? SCULPTING the handles!  I told you last week I was trying to make hippos as handles and it took forever (my mind clicks like a taxi meter on all the time it takes to make them, upping their future price), then trying elephants, now Godzilla and... a CAT!  I was so pleased Friday to suddenly realize the TAIL could become an important part of the handle...

the point?  I LOVE sculpting most of all in pottery, but DANG it takes forever....but it is sooooo sweet....

6 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

I love the animal handles, and cat is just perfect, er Purr-fect. Yes it's a good thing potters aren't paid by the hour, rather by the piece.

bartster said...

And the critters look as happy as perhaps the sculptor is while making them. Ever wonder what it would be like to make little sculptures that are used as part of the process of animating for movies?

Michèle Hastings said...

It's all the background stuff that adds to the cost of pottery. Throwing the pot is only the beginning!

~ Sil in Corea said...

It takes time to develop the hand strength, fine muscle control and skill, too. People don't take experience into account when they see you "magically" produce a graceful shape. You are a master craftsman, Gary! {{{{{Hugs}}}}}

Busy Bee Suz said...

Yes, that does make it sweet!!!!
Wait, you stop working to feed the cat and walk the dog??? LOL. Me too!

smalltownme said...

OMG, I might need a cat mug as well as a hippo. You are making art there.

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I am a full-time studio potter, sculptor, and dog walker, married to superhawt Missus Tastycake.