[Clayart] Handmade

[vpitelka at dtccom.net]

Hi Lis - 
You didn't waste anyone's time, because this is a very important subject that NEEDS to be brought up again and again.  This group is constantly evolving and as Mel said, we have added a lot of new members.  It is important for them to be involved in these discussions or to at least read them.  If I were you, I would print some simple information about "handmade" that tactfully advises buyers to seek work that is truly handmade in order to support the continuity of handmade fine craft.
- Vince 

Vince Pitelka
Potter, Writer, Teacher
Chapel Hill, NC
vpitelka at dtccom.net
www.vincepitelka.com 
https://chathamartistsguild.org/ 

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart <clayart-bounces at lists.clayartworld.com> On Behalf Of Lis
Sent: Friday, August 5, 2022 2:55 PM
To: kathi at lesueurclaywork.com; lis at pine-ridge.ca; Clayart international pottery discussion forum <clayart at lists.clayartworld.com>
Subject: Re: [Clayart] Handmade

The reason I brought it up, not knowing that it had been answered about
2793 times already according to Mel, is that I find myself in a situation where such a potter was juried in, and is now charging very high prices for what I consider inferior work. Some customers think it must be better than mine, after all, it's more expensive. Sort of a double whammy for me!

Anyway, I guess there is no answer and I'm sorry to waste everyone's time.

Lis

On 2022-08-05 3:23 p.m., kathi at lesueurclaywork.com wrote:
> This is especially a problem at juried art fairs. Even if there is a potter on the jury they often have no idea of what is available to potters today. I was once on a jury where the other jurors were impressed with the artist’s decorating on pieces. I pointed out that the meticulous brush work they were seeing was actually commercially made decals that the potter just fired on the pots. What looks like unique glazing is just following instructions from the glaze manufacturer on which jarred glazes to combine for special looks. I once asked on another pottery forum why anyone would pay $290 for a five gallon bucket of shiny blue “dipping glaze” when that same bucket could be made with less than $20 in materials. Many, many potters today evidently have so much spare money that they have no interest in learning how to make glazes and will gladly pay $16 for an 8 ounce jar of glaze.
>
> Kathi LeSueur
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Aug 5, 2022, at 11:52 AM, Lis <lis.allison at primus.ca> wrote:
>>
>> Well, I certainly agree with what you wrote, David. What gets me these days is all the potters switching to underglaze transfers and calling their work hand made. I had someone come to my booth at a sale and ask me to make her a large number of a certain item, and to decorate them using the underglaze transfer she had purchased. Needless to say, I refused. My work is made by hand (your definition) and hand painted. If I wanted to machine-make pottery, I might as well go work in an office instead. At least then I'd make real money.
>>
>
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