[Clayart] b mix 2

[mel jacobson]

If someone sent me 2000 pounds of Bmix I would
run it all through my pug mill, add fine grog and
a pure silica sand and probably some black iron
sand. opps, it is no longer Bmix. I can fire anyway
I wish. I now control the clay, it does not control me.

If you buy any ready made product, you are tied to it.
it controls you. it must be fired a certain way, it has
limits.  I do not want my pottery, work and art starting
with limits.

Laquna makes millions of tons of Bmix.  It is all the same,
and carefully controlled.  It means that thousands of potters
are using the same clay.  MN clay No1 stoneware is used be
many potters. It all fires the same.  Only daring potters alter
the mix. It is exciting. try it sometime.

My clay body is mine, the glaze is mine, I built the kiln. That too
is controlled by me. I like that thought.  I like my new speckled
shino with black soda ash painting.  When my stamp goes on those
pots it means "Melpots"...not sorta mels.

The story about the Northern Clay Center buying a  "BLoW" so that
new young genius' can fire as they don't know how...has me meditating
in technicolor.

I smile when I think of David Woof altering everything he does...smart as a
whip and he can also be snotty.  Good for David. smart fellow and does it all.

David Hendley making his own cones. He is a brilliant well educated potter, artist
and singer.

I remember when joe koons came to me with the "Haresfur" project and the first
day I said..."Joe, think kiln shelves and what happens inside a sagger?"
It was the "Key to the city".

How many people are using rotten, bad to work with cone 6 clay?  thousands. They
are tied to it.  I just added 30percent earthenware, got rid of the nasty talc.
wow, that was really hard...went back in my notes and found that 5x20 glaze.
fired to cone 6 in under five hours.

I am now making stoneware clay with black and red iron that fires a deep black/purple.
How hard to do is that????

I am altering my cone 11 clay with 5 percent redart, and black iron. it even throws better.

All I am talking about is "Taking Charge of your Life".  The joy of being a clay directed person
is the challenge, the making new, trying and making a success. Be you.
If you have to have ready made clay and `blow` kiln at $60,000, go back to bed.
. I think of Robin Hopper as a "symphony of clay, not a one note song".
mel



website: www.melpots.com
www.melpots.com/CLAYART.HTML