[Clayart] b mix 2

[Kathi Koester]

Hi Mel,

This week, the clay company was out of readymade stock and waiting for raw
materials to make their Raku clay; I thus could not make my own either.
I did pick up several hundred pounds of B-clay, ironically the same day as
this post.
I love reading everyone’s view and experience!
I’ve got more projects & firing plans going than my hubby agrees with, but
as you say “We’re having more fun than others too!”

Best wishes to all on <clayart>
Kathi

On Tue, Sep 7, 2021 at 2:42 PM mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com> wrote:

> 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
>
> --
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"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his
eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood
from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20
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