Hotter than a pistol

It's been awhile since I thought my wheel was hotter than a pistol. Fact is I think it may have been at Starworks in 2018 working along side my buddy Dan Finnigan. Dan had to do some repetition throwing to get ready for a big show and knew what he needed to make and take. Me,
I had nothing coming up other than a teaching gig in Italy the following winter. The thing about being a itinerant adjunct prof without tenure and without a school you are really never hot enough. You are only as good as your last kiln load, show, or workshop. Today I sat in the studio wadding some pots I've made over the past few months. The excitement of getting back in the ring was there big time. I thought about my circle of young potter friends. I thought I sure hope they play me Kenny Rogers "The Gambler" when my pots start to stagnate. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and know when to run. Sometimes when I visit my daughter Robin I look at some of my old pots and think holy shit that is really good. That is better than I am making today. Robin has an amazing collection of my work. It is generally work that didn't sell and was probably the pick of the litter. What does that tell you? Looked at a hacksaw decorated jug that I used to do and the current ones that are marks with a brush. Still making marks just differently. Probably 40 years of making a jug. Pinched rim, twisted handle and few other refinements. Progress is slow after the first race up the hill in the first decade of your career. Happiness is a warm gun.

Comments

Anonymous said…
And for many a warm gun is work that sells. Nothing makes us feel better than someone wanting our work and cash in the pocket. So, so much good work out there in the world with all these new potters and us oldsters still making and our buyers going by the wayside, be thankful you can go look at your old pieces that Robyn has and that you are in retirement so can make what you want and don't have to worry about competing. You say hello and I say goodbye. hello hello....
Anonymous said…
Dear Itinerant Adjunct Ceramics Professor:

Are you going to start a clay college commune soon?

signed, willing ceramics student
Anonymous said…
DeviantArt is sort of a dinosaur or living fossil in the internet world.

https://www.deviantart.com/search?q=ceramics

https://www.deviantart.com/search?q=pottery

https://www.deviantart.com/

Is deviant art still relevant for marketing ceramics and pottery?

Caitlyn Flock
Anonymous said…
Etsy is a global online marketplace.
Is Etsy still viable for a potter to make some money selling their work on this site?

Christina and Caitlyn Flock
Anonymous said…
Most commonly used pronouns
Pronoun Sounds like Variations
He/Him You already know this one! His, Himself
She/Her You already know this one! Hers, Herself
They/Them Yes, it’s okay to use this referring to a singular person! Theirs, themself
Ze (or Zie) Zee (like “see” with a “Z”). Can also be spelled as xe
Name Whatever their name is! Some people don’t want to use pronouns at all and will ask you to refer to them by their name alone.
Anonymous said…
Happiness is a warm gun, isn't that what it says in Latin on our money?
Anonymous said…
If you do any more teaching, make sure they have sneeze guards on all the wheels.

QT
Anonymous said…
Why is your website down?

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