Picasso has nothing on LLL

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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

If its still 'greenware' make sure its kept covered with a damp cloth or it will dry out and crack :o


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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - Once a Masterpiece ;) is created it is put onto a wooden board and covered with plastic and put into a large cabinet to dry slowly so as to preclude cracks and splits. I'd my next face drying for a few weeks and already taken it out of the drying cabinet and had put it into the Kiln room on the shelf for firing which is where it probably/possibly still sits - not sure as the room was locked and I couldn't get in cause of the broken Kiln. It should have been fired by now but ??? (and maybe it IS and they're just not letting me into the room for any reason). There are actually 5 Kilns total so am not quite following the broken Kiln reason but could be that since all was to be shut down come August for a month anyway they just decided it would be prudent to close the entire studio. Dunno. Was hoping it would be fired so that I could get it glazed and the picked up by July 31st just prior to lock down but ???

Am sure Picasso met similar obstacles in his artistic quests too :P :P
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Ruby Slippers »

LLL, one of the reasons (apart from the state of my hands) I gave up on pottery was that things like wheels etc kept breaking down and never got fixed. At the end, the tools for the job just weren't available. The site was eventually sold for house building. Far more lucrative! Adult Education has gone way downhill in my town and the fees are now sky high. There used to be subsidies for unemployed and pensioners but these days, unless you are actually on benefits, no reductions are available. It's a shame because at £100 per 10 week term, it gets too expensive to go. If they offered subsidies to pensioners again, I'm sure the classes would be booming again. After all, retirement is when a lot of folks have the time to try out and learn new skills.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

LLL, so your piece of ware is now in 'biscuit' form ;)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - "bisquit" - ok ;) Haven't heard that term used here yet in the studio but that is probably what my stuff is. There IS a chance it is fired but ?? Dunno where in the process the Kiln broke down and/or IF my piece was already fired or still sitting as greenware. Here nobody is using wet clothes though. Mostly just plastic wrap to let your stuff slowly dry. We're not terribly professional and most things started have to be finished in one sitting as you're really only there once a week for 3 hours. Hard to start something and then work on it the next week.

@RS - Before I could be let loose in the Pottery Studio I had to pay $99 for 4 sessions aka Orientation. And I have to be an active member of the Seniors ($44/yr). These 4 sessions were lessons (sort of) and some techniques were taught but not much. Having taken this once I can now go Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and use the room/kilns/stain/tools free. I do have to purchase the clay and they sell two types - the white type and a real red clay type that apparently stains everything it comes in contact with. So far I've only used the white clay and that is $30 for 20 or 22 pound block (don't remember exactly). There is also a drop in Tuesdays but if I wanted to go to that one I'd have to pay $10/Tuesday which does add up quickly. IF I wanted to use the wheel I'd have to take lessons in how to do that (again prior to being let loose on the wheel) and I might do that this spring but I presently have sufficient I'm making and amusing myself with doing handbuilding.

Far as I can tell this Pottery Studio has been going for a long time. I think the present lady who runs it (she runs the Kilns and loads/unloads them, makes the stains, monitors the room and watches the tools etc) has been there close to 15 yrs. There is a man who teaches & does the wheel classes. They're evenings and I haven't been too bothered about moving ME out and about evenings. Not adverse just usually too lazy to go ;)

Since I've been going to pottery I've been slowly buying my own tools. There are tools IN the studio but they're also everywhere in the studio and nobody rinses them off or cleans them off after using them so lots of time wasted there trying to find whatever you need and then clean it too. To save me time and aggravation I've been noting what I'm using and then buying my own on Ebay and keeping them in a plastic tub there. The tools are actually quite cheap so I'd rather just buy my own and know what and where my stuff is than have to hunt for it each week.

You actually MUST keep all your stuff there and it is the "rule" that you can't take your clay home (and presumably make stuff at home and then bring it back to be fired and stained etc). I get the rule(s) but I do wish there was a longer time for me to be IN the studio - US creative geniuses need time to create!!!! :P :P Three hours once a week isn't sufficient. Ahh the travails of a creative mind (and hands too!! ;) )
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

These are two more of my CREATIONS ;) Right now I have them hanging on a shepherd's hook at the side of the yard pending I find somewhere else to put them. I kinda like the owls - they were quite fast and easy to make. The other plaque was just a free form idea.

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I decided I'd hang up Neanderthal man right at a junction where two different types of wood meet. With this guy hanging there NOBODY is noticing that the two different woods are different! The small hanging below him is cement.

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Need to get the creative juices flowing soon as the pottery studio is re-opening just after the Labour Day weekend in September.

I trucked this guy back from Mexico about 2 months ago. I'd LOVE to be able to make something like this. It is quite large and they're not even making them there like this anymore. I found it in an old old shop up in the attic. I'd asked the owner if he had any Gordos and he kinda pointed to "up there" so I went up. He had a few but I wasn't terribly impressed with them as they had chips and cracks BUT this was under some blankets and just called out to me ;) The clay on the backside is quite rough but the front has been smoothed.

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As an aside - I quite like this type of pottery art that is in Mexico. I don't believe this is REAL Talavera but part of me really like the colour, geometrics and stylized flowers incorporated into it.

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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

Great, I like them all :up was it intentional or is it my imagination, but when I look at the two owls the one on the left looks like Mr. Owl and the one on the right is Mrs Owl. :D
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Grandad »

I agree Horus, they really do look like a Mr and Mrs pair.

I think that was a good find in Mexico LLL. Really like that one. :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Ruby Slippers »

Love, love, love those owls, LLL! :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Thanks! The owls were just inspiration and any resemblance to a Mr & Mrs is just coincidence as that thought never cross my brain :) or fingers at the time of putting them together.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Pottery season is again upon me and this is the Masterpiece creation that the kiln broke down on end of last season. This is the THIRD face I've done. Not sure if I'm improving or just getting more colourful as time goes by ;)

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This was the SECOND FACE

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And this was the first (for comparison purposes)

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I think I'm progressing a bit (maybe but ??) but I think I like the face having more colour that mere white.

Made this too.......although actually forgot it was also IN the kiln at the end of last summer too.

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BTW - I think H was going to give us a write up re: pottery too
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

Beautiful and inspiring LLL. :up

I managed to get into my favourite teacher's class for painting, but only once a week - last time I went on consecutive days which helped me a lot as I worked so slowly. I thought I was getting in early, only to find that the second day was full and only 3 out of 18 places left on the other!

This winter I hope to attend more often as I have the mobility scooter. I paid for, but missed, three lessons a week for a whole term last year. I had a new knee and the pavements are so bad in wet (almost every day) weather, with leaves and big tree roots lifting the pavements being a hazard. I chickened out. I could have gone by taxi but that would have cost twice what I lost on the teaching fees, so decided the money could be put to better use.

Fortunately, I discovered this summer that there were some very interesting Art programmes on the T.V. which I recorded. One in particular was a painting competition which had about 26 episodes - all amateur painters, 3 or 4 contestants each time. The range of styles and techniques was amazing. I've learned a lot and have much more confidence. Now I need to practice!
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

LLL they are all very nice and you seem to have an eye for Butterflies, so why don't you try making some various ones in that shape with different colours to mimic real ones?
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

MD. you will find lots of art teaching videos on YouTube :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - I do like butterflies and manner of garden stuff. Am thinking primarily on making things for the garden as nothing I'm making is finished well enough for inside the house.

Part of the problem or part of what I have to tackle is that when we make something in this pottery class there is no ability to hang it for a glazing so have to make sure your item can set glaze free so it doesn't fuse onto the kiln.

The inability to hang stuff in the kiln so that glaze will go all around does mean lots of things have to one sided only. Not a biggie if you're going to nail whatever to a wall but if you want to hang something where you'd see both sides (wind chime idea) - hmmm not going to happen. Am working on this way of thinking but doubt I'll be re-creating the wheel.

I'd also like to figure out how to mount something onto a stick so I could shove it into the ground but so far my creativity has not extended as to how to mount (like a handle) onto the back of something.

As for classes this year - the pottery classes were cancelled (or something). The City puts out the Activity book on August 23 and Pottery Classes were slated to start Sept 5th. I tried to sign up August 30th but the class code couldn't be found when I looked online. Ended up phoning and asking only to be told the class was cancelled due to no interest!

I said "I" was interested and there was still time prior to the class to sign up but ? First day of 'drop in' where you can go and make stuff but no class or instruction I asked the Pottery Lady about the class. She'd been gone on holidays and had only been advised her class was cancelled. I told her my experience of not being able to find ONLINE the class code. Anyway long story short there was apparently NO INTEREST in the class (which is hard when the online class code doesn't work) so it was cancelled.

The wheel classes however filled up within minutes of Registration opening.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

Thank you Horus, I'll have a look. :up

What I liked about the competitions especially was that it just showed ordinary people excelling at what they most enjoyed doing - there was no Right Way. The style or effect that one enjoys may not be the same as enjoyable for someone else. But in achieving these effects there were a multitude of different techniques. For example some were beautifully detailed but others Impressionist. I am a great admirer of any and everything involving colour and form.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

LLL, do you not have any sort of Kiln Furniture such as ‘stilts’ or other shapes to support your glazed ware off the kiln as it is being fired?
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

Don't tease us, Horus! :lol:

You are obviously very knowledgeable about "clay craft" - please show us some of your work, pretty please? :D
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - in the pottery studio there are 3 or 4 kilns (I think 4) and I can see that there are shelves and stilts (if that is the right name) that pottery can be placed on - BUT - only the Instructor is allowed to do that

I think what it comes down to is that for me as a person over 55 I am a Senior. I pay $41 or $43/year to belong to Harbour City Seniors and so can use their facilities as a Senior. There are some classes where there is a small cost for Seniors (i.e. $15 to go for 1 day and learn to make earrings or $15 to take 5 weeks of Tai Chi) but for me I'm going to "Seniors Drop In Pottery."

I pay $30 for a bag of clay but absolutely everything else is provided - tools, forms, presses, proper tables to work on, drying cupboards, 4 or 5 pottery wheels, about 16 different glazes (only 1 underglaze) and 4 kilns. Not sure why but the City refuses to allow anybody to bring in their own glazes and you can only use the ones they provide. Same with the kiln - once your stuff is glazed it is only Staff who fire it and they only have shelves they can use. Not sure at all why we couldn't make beads and fire them on a wire but ?? Just the rules of the road I guess.

Same they only sell two types of clay. Mine is a white clay (dries white) and then there is a real icky red clay. Icky in the sense that I love the finished fired product but it seems a real messy, staining everything it touches red clay that even requires special boards to work on. These are the only two clays that are allowed.

Another "rule" is that you have to buy their clay and it MUST stay there. You can't make something, fire it to bisque and then take it home to finish glazing it and bring it back. You must do everything there and only there (so only being allowed in for 3 hours a week is a bit limiting. Not nearly enough time for me to be totally creative!)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

You are really inspiring me LLL. I've always wanted to work with clay, but haven't had the opportunity.

When my grandson was younger in the evening we would all sit round the table with lots of plastacine and each of us make an example of a topic - for example one of the dogs. We had half an hour to do it while we chatted and joked. My daughter has quite a collection of them, I love the idea of hands on. Mmm. I'll see if there are any classes available ..........

After-thought! My daughter is coming to visit this weekend. Usually we go to a garden centre and have lunch, but I have discovered on the internet there is a huge hobby shop the other side of Cardiff. That might make a nice change if it's teeming with rain. ;)
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