008 – What Question Would You Ask Other Potters and Ceramic Artists?

Resources Pottery Making Info (for new MudTalk Mondays): Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr Transcript You are listening to episode 8 of the MudTalk Podcast. This episode is a little different from other episodes so far. It will be a little shorter than normal but I think it will lead to a lot of discussions in the future. For this topic, I left it up to you to ask the questions. I wanted to know what you would ask other potters or ceramic artists. I thought it would be a great way to get some ideas for future MudTalk Mondays and make sure we’re discussing topics that you REALLY want to discuss. There were a lot of great responses. Everything  from, “how do I get started?” all the way to “how do I price my pots and make a living?”  As usual, when I was reading through the comments some patterns started to emerge. So we are going to start with the beginner questions and then hear some of the more technical questions. After that, we’ll look at some of the questions about the business side of working with clay and then we’ll hear a few miscellaneous questions. At the end I’ll give a preview of upcoming MudTalk topics so you can send in a message that could be on a future podcast or get a response ready for the MudTalk Monday social media posts. So let’s hear some questions that you would love to ask other potters or ceramic artists. Beginners There were a few people that just wanted to know how to get started. Monstriss As someone who only did grade eight art and did a semester in Pottery, where do I start with literally nothing? Shshshelby I’m so interested and have nothing to start with – where do I begin and with what kind of products? I’ll give a brief answer here because I love when people try something new, especially if it’s working with clay. One thing I love about making pottery is that you can start small. All you really need to get started is clay. As you progress you can start adding tools and equipment and try new techniques. The complicated part comes when you are ready to fire and glaze your work. For a longer, in depth answer, I have a new course coming out soon at Expert Clay for complete beginners that want to know how to get started. Technical Questions There were a number of technical questions about specific parts of the process. Mimiepoterie Clay sculpture incorporating a metal rod. What type of metal do you use to avoid melting in kiln? Marianwilliamspottery Use of oxides- how, when, effects, application etc Instalesswespottery How to build a high-fire capable kiln at home, or how to fire functional pots from home efficiently and ideally without spending a fortune. Pamelabarclaysatx Favorite handmade or repurposed pottery tools. Noahkildoo_ceramics How do frequent soda firers get that pitted texture in the soda? Is it a clay high in alumina or some other refractory? Lannieraecreative I want to transfer my photos and art onto my ceramic pieces – I don’t want to do it post glaze firing. I want it to be fired on and remain as functional stoneware. Do I need special paper / printing done? Risabeeseattle Kiln use, maintenance and firing techniques. I’m a new potter, and am buying my first kiln. I have never fired one before and I’m… nervous. ? Forgetful_yogi Finding the right base clear glaze for mason stains in cone 6 oxidation ?. Particularly reds and pinks…. And printing and applying laser printed decals! Theclayrabbit Great idea this thread! I would LOVE to find information on COLD FINISHES FOR SCULPTURES because I’ve tried looking for books on it and online for this topic and there’s nothing much out there … and I’m always searching for lovely MATT finishes firing and non firing with methods of application that are user friendly ? _shandiReynolds_ What’s the best way to pull up walls? I can pull them up to an extent but I can’t seem to get it Jane N what brushes does one use when they want to draw figures onto b