Getting started again
Jan. 9th, 2018 09:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrI've been slacking since Christmas, production-wise. Not that I haven't done anything--we took the end-of-year inventory, packed and shipped nine Christmas boxes and a special order, and I spent the better part of a week on the computer, designing poster and postcards for OPA's Ceramic Showcase. But I also read a bunch of books, caught up on a couple of movies we'd missed in the holiday crunch (Thor: Ragnarok and The Last Jedi), spent some time in the kitchen cooking slow food instead of throwing together 30-minute meals.
Yesterday, I finally went back into the studio.
I actually started the night before, setting out some clay to stiffen up. My clay comes from the manufacturer too soft to make anything but plates; sometimes it's even too squishy for that. Fortunately, I've found a solution.
Overnights in Oregon are damp, even in summer. Damp enough that I can debag 25 lb. blocks of clay, cut them in quarters vertically and leave them uncovered overnight in a cold studio to firm up to a nice throwing consistency by morning. I started two bags on Sunday, planning to throw painted and tall mugs Monday morning. Start gradually, with the easy stuff.
Only it wasn't a cold studio.
I'd been packing boxes to ship, and forgot I left the space heater on. Not far--a quarter turn, probably added about 10 degrees to the temperature--but enough that the clay was much stiffer than I expected Monday morning. Enough so that throwing mugs would be a struggle. Which I really didn't need, just getting started again.
Fortunately, there are somethings that need stiffer clay. Big things. Eight-pound serving bowls, six-pound cookie jars. Both of which I need. So, instead of starting with the easiest pots, I got to start with the hardest.
It can only get easier from here, right?
Yesterday, I finally went back into the studio.
I actually started the night before, setting out some clay to stiffen up. My clay comes from the manufacturer too soft to make anything but plates; sometimes it's even too squishy for that. Fortunately, I've found a solution.
Overnights in Oregon are damp, even in summer. Damp enough that I can debag 25 lb. blocks of clay, cut them in quarters vertically and leave them uncovered overnight in a cold studio to firm up to a nice throwing consistency by morning. I started two bags on Sunday, planning to throw painted and tall mugs Monday morning. Start gradually, with the easy stuff.
Only it wasn't a cold studio.
I'd been packing boxes to ship, and forgot I left the space heater on. Not far--a quarter turn, probably added about 10 degrees to the temperature--but enough that the clay was much stiffer than I expected Monday morning. Enough so that throwing mugs would be a struggle. Which I really didn't need, just getting started again.
Fortunately, there are somethings that need stiffer clay. Big things. Eight-pound serving bowls, six-pound cookie jars. Both of which I need. So, instead of starting with the easiest pots, I got to start with the hardest.
It can only get easier from here, right?