Process, Process, Process

Keith and Celia Rice-Jones responded to June’s Question
of the Month. It asked: Which part of the clay process
makes you happiest?

As makers of objects—and thinking about close to
300 kiln loads from a reasonable sized gas kiln, that’s
a lot of objects—we thought this was an interesting
question to consider. With so much life and pottery
process going on, it has taken a while to put thoughts
onto paper.

The first thing that comes to mind is rhythm. ‘This is
underlined by having a relatively small, shared studio, so
we have to keep things turning over to make that rhythm
work. The sub-cycles of making, glazing, firing and
selling (or storing) overlap and fit into the larger rhythm.
A month or so of work culminates in a firing, which is
some sort of vague equivalent to a monthly paycheque.

What we like about this rhythm is the way things
overlap. When the kiln is loaded and the studio 1s tidied
after the glazing, there are usually glazed pieces that
didn’t fit, ready for the next firing; there 1s bisque waiting
for glaze and work building for the next bisque and there
is always another bag of clay and more ideas. On those
occasions when the rhythm gets interrupted either by
being away from work or the shelves betng bereft of
bisque or greenware, it takes so much more energy to
get things rolling again. The activity of cleaning the
studio is often a way to re-inhabit the space.

For Keith, it is the making that 1s the core of the
process. Form 1s of the essence. The material is the road
to the form. The finish—as simple as possible—is based
largely on oxides unless the work 1s wood or salt fired.
While the firing wraps up the process, when the making
of the piece is finished and the tools put down, his mind
is really on to the next sculpture.

For Celia, it is also in the making. Her primary interest
is striving to maintain the initial t1mpetus of the clay.
The challenge is always to maintain the vitality of the
beginning idea through all the interrupted processes
so that the piece emerges with its vitality intact. It 1s
a transitory process with ephemeral qualities that have

permanent consequence.
Keith and Ceha Ruce-Jones

Pottery and the Internet

No doubt, this is the information and communications
age. My niece and nephew have computers and cell
phones, can send messages and pictures as well as call
any of their friends and are comfortable with creating
their own web pages and shopping online. Being a
potter doesn’t demand that you be computer literate, but
it can sure help. Here are some of the many benefits of
combining clay with computer literacy:

* Glaze chemistry becomes
computerized glaze calculation programs.

much easier with

* Searching for pottery and potters becomes quicker
and simpler with the search engines on the
Internet.

* Learning about pottery techniques, history, tools,
materials, and other pottery topics is at your
fingertips through email, websites and archives.

* Keeping in touch and finding out what’s new

through electronic newsletters, emails, text

messages, images and videos.

* Virtually everything you need can be found and
bought on the Internet, often at very good prices.

It’s not all goodness, as there are unscrupulous people
out there looking to make an easy buck or simply cause
trouble. You need to ask questions and be sceptical of
anything that sounds too good to be true (it usually 1s),
but that’s always been around. Courses on computers
and email are usually free at the public libraries and
community centers.

Potters are constantly learning and computers are
just another technique that will enhance the growth and
development of your clay work. So if you’re not there
already, step on up and join the electronic world of
ceramics. If you have any questions or concerns, we'd be
happy to help.

Don Jung

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