Mud, sweat and beers!
Tradition after a firing is to gather for a crit of the work
and talk about what we did right and what went wrong. What work sings and what
work groans. Our group is shrinking in
numbers because it has called for such a large commitment. Each firing takes the better part of a week
outta your life and all eyes are on you and your work. I’ve always said “ You
can shit the fans but ya can’t shit the players!” Players know the game, the
rules and what is a walk and what is a home run. It is
one thing to sell a pot but to sell a pot to a potter is a whole other very
discriminating audience. Ya, that may well be the home run.
We are getting a steady diet of looking at and discussing
each others work. It is easy to make something and have your Aunt Harriet buy
it or have the neighbours think you are soooooo talented and clever. Trouble with an honest critique is
ya gotta be able to handle the truth.
From the movie “ A Few Good Men” with Jack Nicholson and Tom
Cruise-
Kaffee: I want the truth!”
Col: Jessop: “You can’t handle the truth!”
Does it look like a good critique is all that painful? It’s
not, if you can handle the truth! It also so depends on trusting the source of the truth. We have gotten to know each other pretty well over the past year and there is trust. A year ago I couldn't sleep at night. Now, I sleep longer. I always thought that the key to good teaching is honesty and trust. It is in place and
Photos are by our Wall of Flame photographer- Richard Rowe
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