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Comment by Norm Stuart on May 15, 2015 at 3:24pm

We had a ceramics instructor visit the last sale at our studio and one member asked her what she thought of his thrown work.  She provided some very thoughtful insights on how he could improve his technique and how these would improve each of the pieces he's made.

I don't think he's over the shock of it yet — says the chemist who's never really thrown anything himself on a wheel.

I watch videos like this one below, amazing to me, of a potter in Jingdezhen China trimming a porcelain pot, and wonder how long he's been doing this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o10UBL6oaIQ

A college ceramics professor had previously told me the, sometimes wafer-thin, porcelain from Jingdezhen has historically always been thrown too thick — then trimmed by people who were very specialized in trimming thrown pieces, and I can see that's the case in this video. The cost of recycling clay being insignificant.

The simple tool he uses, which he bends into a new shape with pliers for each new aspect of his trimming job, reminds me of this Chinese Proverb

"A bad workman always blames his tools."

一个坏的工人总是指责他的工具‎

Yīgè huài de gōngrén zǒng shì zhǐzé tā de gōngjù

And to think, virtually all of these porcelain factories in Jingdazhen went bankrupt around 1998 or so in the face of slip-cast work from Viet Nam and other sources.

Comment by Denice E. Demuth on May 15, 2015 at 11:53am

I know giving a critique on a forum can be touchy, but it was so close to being perfect I couldn't help myself.  It's too bad that they can't have an section where you can give critiques.  The problem is that a percentage of the population  isn't mature enough to give a proper critique or accept it.   It's nice to meet a mature person.   Denice

Comment by Trish Eckman on May 15, 2015 at 7:31am

Denice, I actually appreciate the critique! Thanks!

Comment by Denice E. Demuth on May 15, 2015 at 7:22am

I like the break you have just below the neck and also has a foot that helps balance it.  Think about a break or groove below the lip next time and this will tie into your other break.  This type of detail work and thinking in 3's was pounded into my head in college.  The glaze is also nice, I hope you don't mind a small critique.     Denice