Ranting...

No good pics this week.

Wrapping up the school year and definately running out of gas. I did a really easy assignment for my installation piece (connecting two points in an ephemeral way)--yarn tied into a spider web shape and coated in slip. I'll hang it outside by the kiln yard. My final project is still greenware, and the lids broke and I never bothered to make new ones. In Sarah's class I still haven't made my crystaline glazes (though I did make pieces) or finish glazing my majolica pieces. I really don't understand it, usually when it comes to pottery I'm in overdrive. I guess I'm just ready to chill a bit. And Marina and I keep having "polite confrontations" about my ware. Last week she was unhappy that I was trimming bowls--ones that I had made for a demo she asked me to volunteer my time for. Then she wouldn't fire any of my stuff in the gas kiln. Yes, ok, I understand she should give priorty to projects of course. And even if it was a project of mine and someone else's I would of course give them the space because my stuff can always be fired later. I don't mind waiting. However the way in which she did it, making it clear that it shouldn't be fired. And then today, me cutting her off before she could tell me that I shouldn't fire it at all! I came out real quick with a "Some of them display glaze techniques for Sarah's class" Which they do. I can understand her not wanting someone who is going to overwhelm all of the kilns. But I'm not! And I'm most certainly not making pieces simply to sell! I'm doing serieses--flower bowls, twisty cups and other forms, large bowls. Yes, these pieces will end up in my store. But if there were no chance of me ever making money from these pieces I'd still be making them! When you do a series you have to do hundreds of them to practice the form. When you are trying to get pieces very very thin and professional you have to make hundreds of pieces. This is a learning process. And boy am I learning! AND a few weeks ago she was telling us to make stuff so we could fill the gas kiln! Now she's unhappy it's there? And again, I'm not making an overwhelming or even unreasonable amount of ware. It's disapointing but I'm going to have to go elsewhere. I'll still take Brian's class this summer. I'm very excited to learn the fundamentals of kiln building, our special topic focus. And hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be able to fire a gas kiln myself.

Well I think I've run out of steam. Again.
Pics next week of the cool cups I've been working on!