Picasso has nothing on LLL

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LovelyLadyLux
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Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

I've come to realize that my talents just abound :P :P :P

We have a Seniors Centre here that is actually spread about the city in various sites. I joined and, as there were openings, I joined a group to play cards - cribbage. Soon came to realize the card players were more like card sharks and took the game to a very high serious level - and Me being serious about cards didn't happen so I gave up playing cards.

I then signed up for Spanish for Tourists. Quite enjoyed it and am actually using it when in Mexico (not using it well but getting better). The Professor was well into his 80ies, a career teacher (and it showed) who spoke something like seven languages fluently.

I briefly tried hand quilting (NOT ME) and then decided upon Pottery. Something about mucking about with clay appealed.

I had to take a formal set of classes first before they'd let me loose into the "Seniors Drop In Pottery" (good pre-cautionary idea).

I found that I excelled in this creative media and can definitively say my "work" is unique among the world of true inspirational Artists :P :P and can see myself challenging Picasso directly!! :P :P

There were 4 classes.

The first we had to produce a garden stake. This introductory class introduced learning how to slap the clay flat, roll it out, cut out a pattern or press out a pattern from a mold and then attach the two pieces together.

My effort :)

8224

Next we had to make coils into a pot. I found I seem to be able to work extremely quickly AND since I'd also learned the week before how to press out a pattern I had sufficient time to do that and affix it to the front of my pot

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Third class was to free form a slab so I opted to cut out maple leaves with the intention of putting them together into a wind chime. So far I've made 1 wind chime BUT I have probably 20 more maple pottery leaves, several butterflies, 3 buttons and a couple hearts.

8223

Last class we had to make a face......so I did and the Instructor told me to stick my tongue back into my head ....... Nooooooooooooooooo

My first foray into the world of SCULPTING. Somehow it looked better sitting on the table but it didn't dawn on me during my first endeavor that a human face is NOT flat (laughing Ok'd - even Picasso had to learn)

8221

Granted during this intro class we were oriented to all things pottery, WHERE it was all to be found in the pottery studio and how to use this or that tool.

THEN I got to be "on my own" during the drop in :)

Since I'd achieved such a high level of success with my first face I decided I'd sculpt another as my first solo venture. In hindsight I'm sticking to the story that my creativity was based on a Neanderthol walking the African plains being stalked by a lion who ran through daisies :P And do please note his face is NOT FLAT! ;)

Creative effort #2

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Creative effort #3 is now, as I speak IN the Kiln being fired. He or she is even better and my natural artistic talents are just creatively flowing :P :P :P

Will share once I'm able to retrieve him or her......8223


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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

Carry on the good work!

I'm obsessed with clouds at the moment as I'm wanting to employ some new techniques I've learned this summer during the dull winter months.

Unfortunately my Art teacher at school made us only use precise brush strokes to put the colour on the paper. Using anything else wasn't Art.

Until my last knee op I had been taking art classes with two teachers. One was particularly keen on perspective and light and shade. The other sometimes made us produce a work without using a brush at all. The other members of the class were very experienced and I was somewhat overawed by them.

I've recorded a complete series of Watercolour Challenge - about 50 or so half hour programmes that were actually made in 1998 and have been showing recently on Sky Arts.

In each programme there are 3 or 4 competitors from a particular region which escalates into a national final. They are given 4 hours to complete their work. The majority of the artists are keen amateurs of all ages and backgrounds and there is a professional on hand who not only judges but gives tips on techniques to the viewer,

It was amazing how the same subject could be viewed by each individual and the techniques that they employed. I shall enjoy trying out the ones that appeal to me.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

I was never very ‘arty’ and could not draw or paint to save my life, but people do say I am ‘creative’ and in some ways I am. I am very good at designing things, but that may come from my working background and I can use software in a creative manner. I can write reasonably in a descriptive way if I put my mind to it and not too bad at being creative with photography and imagery. I have always wished that I could draw or paint really well, but I don’t really have the eye or the skill to do it, but I admire those that can and always fancied throwing a pot.

LLL’s efforts seem pretty good to me and full marks for effort :up and your Neanderthal bird/burglar scarer is :urm: How shall I put it :tk Unique? :D
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

There is a pottery studio at the Seniors Center. It is divided into two groups - those who want to use the potters wheel (have not even tried that yet) and those who want to do handbuilding (me).

Before they let you loose in the studio you have to take a Beginner's class so as to orient you to where everything is. There are two employees who run the studio and give the four classes whilst orienting you to the clays, presses, glazes and ALL (never dreamed there would be so many) tools and equipment.

Once you take the four classes as a Senior I'm allowed into the Studio Thursday mornings for free. Technically there is no instruction or lessons but all the people in there are thrilled to talk about what they're doing, how they did it, the effect it achieved and what you/me need to do to make it better or arrive at the effect you want.

Some of the potters in there are well into their 80ies! The lady who was sculpting the flowers is fantastic, used to instruct herself and has been giving me some excellent pointers about my Neanderthals :) Mostly she was pointing out how to bring out the brow, cheek bones, nose and chin. I'm only on face #3 now and it is in the Kiln so am hoping each improvement will be significant and I'll smooze to a more human face. Eyes are difficult.

It is quite a pleasant group, nobody seems to want to compete nor is anybody critical of anything anybody is turning out. The actual playing with clay is quite enjoyable too. I've decided I want stuff for the garden from faces to hang on the fence to slug houses (where I can put bait under a cute house :o ) to garden stakes and plain old plant pots.

@MD try and get us some photos of your Skies :) Am sure they're lovely and if you could capture a sequence from the start to end we'd see your progression. Always interesting too that sometimes the teachers make you do something out of context so as to learn a technique. (I was, rolling pin in hand, rolling a crocheted doily onto clay to learn how to make a pattern!)

@H your creativity is obvious. You're more than halfway to producing a work of art because you can already "SEE" the contrasts, perspective etc. You're doing that in your photography. You just need to start to experiment with another medium :) Being able to SEE what you're wanting is prime. Learning the technical aspect is what is left and once you have somebody showing you it sometimes just flows :)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Grandad »

Quite an accomplished artist LLL :up

I like your 'Man in the Moon' faces and I am placing an order for a 12" one to hang on my fence......usual professional rates of course ;) :lol:

I remember the art master at school telling us that in the human face the eyes are on a line halfway up the face. Just wouldn't look right on your faces though. :lol:

I am not bad at sketching but as a former draftsman I am more used to using a drafting machine, even to create perspectives.

My main skills have been with hands and hand tools. I have never used the services of a tradesman and built the extension to my home, and have always installed kitchens and bathrooms both for myself and others. (I know Horus and me are similar in that respect) I have also made and recovered furniture but with only one good eye I don't feel safe any more with things like routers running at 20,000 revs :o
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

I'm like you Grandad, I can produce anything using dafting equipment and still have all my old kit somewhere (excluding AO board of course :lol: ), I even have a C & G qualification in using AutoCad hiding in a drawer somewhere, but at artistic drawing I am crap :st
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Grandad »

Horus wrote:I'm like you Grandad, I can produce anything using dafting equipment and still have all my old kit somewhere (excluding AO board of course :lol: ), :st
H, I remember at Tech College we had parallel motion A0 boards. My first drafting job was with Ultra Electronics where we had pantograph drafting machines. That was a real step up.......no more any need for set squares and protractor. :lol:
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

Pantographs certainly made the job easier Grandad, although I still have my large size 30/60 & 45 degree squares somewhere and even an adjustable one, they certainly made using the various projections a lot simpler. :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Ruby Slippers »

I went to pottery for a couple of years and loved the wheel. I used to sulk a lot when I couldn't get on one and had to do hand building! :D my greatest achievement was throwing porcelain, which is extremely difficult, and I actually threw some tiny pots, which I still have. I gave it up because it dried my hands right out and no amount of hand cream took the pain away.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

I've been thinking of investing in a large lump of clay and a rotating cake stand to keep me occupied for the winter. :lol:
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

I LOVE pottery. Pottery mugs, bowls and all things round and glazed have always appealed but they also represent, to me anyway, LOTS of talent, skill and work! When I signed up for pottery I figured that I'd make "outside" stuff. Anything rough that would fit into my garden and being outside look like it belonged and intended to be that way. So far I'm meeting my objective(s) re: rough and fitting better outside than in the house.

I would imagine too that hand throwing would really take a toll on the hands. I've had to cut my fingernails really short when designing my Masterpieces because of the constant fingernail nicks in the clay when I've been smoothing, pushing and pulling the clay about.

So far I've used white clay vs red clay. The red clay is mushier than the white but the finished effect is nicer. Going to wait until I get better to tackle the red stuff.

What I've also found a bit difficult - some of the underglazes are wetter than water. I can dip something into water and know how long to hold it prior to a drip forming. I know how wet and elastic water is but some of the glazes (chemical compounds put together) are wetter than water hence way more drippy. Hard to use because they're slipping off my brush faster than I can get brush to pottery. Still learning how to get a grip on that.
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Grandad »

LLL, not that I know anything about pottery but isn't white clay porcelain or china clay? I would have thought that would be more delicate to work with but what do I know :lol:

@Mad Dilys Now MD, you might construct a pot on your rotating cake stand but I doubt if your oven will fire your artwork ;) :lol:
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@Grandad - I don't think the stuff we're working with is porcelain. It looks kinda greyish pre-firing in a kiln but it does fire out white. Could be porcelain but I've really never queried it. The Instructor lady basically said that it was easier and lots less messy to work with than the red clay so almost everybody uses this grey clay. It costs $30 for a 22 pound bag (and I think the red costs the same). I know from the bottom of some of my pottery mugs there is brownish clay with what looks like small particles of sand in it and another type of clay that is reddish brown (not the red red) and it also has lots of small grit bits in it. I know they're distinctly different from what I'm using.

AND, thinking on it I don't know if what I'm using re: handbuilding is what the potters in the next room on the wheels are using. Not sure if it is the same thing.

First time I've ever had the thought that not all clays are created equal!!!
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Mad Dilys »

Grandad wrote:LLL, not that I know anything about pottery but isn't white clay porcelain or china clay? I would have thought that would be more delicate to work with but what do I know :lol:

@Mad Dilys Now MD, you might construct a pot on your rotating cake stand but I doubt if your oven will fire your artwork ;) :lol:
But I think (but I'll make sure) that I've got that arranged! :up

Actually I appreciate other people's artistry with pots but don't have any ambitions in that medium. I have done a lot in the self hardening fake clay, but it's only available in small amounts. I'd like to do a head if possible. :oops:
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@MD - I can't say during my life I've ever aspire to sculpting out or re-creating a human head. Wasn't 'til the class of how to make a face that I made one and then had a thought I'd make a better one and then started to think about the actual planes & contours & levels of the face......and.......how to exaggerate it into a fun looking face to hang outside. It was a fun with a bit of serious thinking thrown in i.e. how to ensure the nose has a bridge, the ridge lines over the eyes AND how to make the EYES both look in one direction at the same time! ;) THAT seems to be an art in and of itself.

I also have a sense that it would be very frustrating to try and produce a good reproduction of a human face but the faces I'm doing are to be looking rather like the first face looks.

I also used what is called Bernards wash on it. It is a wetter than water underglaze you put on and then wipe off with a cloth. The wiping away is what is creating both light and dark areas which is also an interesting part of the process to do. I also used that same underglaze on the pot as when fired it give a dull mat look which I almost prefer to having a shiny glaze. It also went underneath the light green glaze on the maples leaves I made and then made into a small wind chime hanging. Definitely lots to think about re: pottery and all that it entails to turn out something ;)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

As it is local to me, when I get back I will tell you all about Pottery work if you like and no, Porcelain and Bone China are not the same, the latter is our attempt to rip it off. ;)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - Since Pottery has been my latest interest that has lasted over time with plans to continue (unlike some other really temporary fads I start and then quickly leave) I'd love to hear about Pottery work :)
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Grandad »

Yes H, that could open up an interesting discussion. :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by Horus »

Remind me after next week :up
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Re: Picasso has nothing on LLL

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Yesterday I went to the Pottery drop in studio to pick up and stain my latest masterpiece only to find out the Kiln broke down and the part or parts needed to fix it are 'on order' and coming.

Each August most of the Public swimming pools, gymnasiums, workshops, meeting places are closed down for cleaning and maintenance anyway so the decision has now been made to close the Pottery workshop until September. They have to have it fixed for the next sessions of classes that will start Sept 5th but for now they're closing the studio.

My Masterpiece is still greenware. :cry: Until it gets fired there is nothing I can do other than wait sooooo the next rare unique masterpiece of all time will just have to wait ;) ;)

I guess all WONDERFUL THINGS come in time ;) ;)
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