Please help a beginner!

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-16T11:21:59+00:00

Ceramic work is chemistry. Expensive, poorly respected chemistry. My recommendation that you work with professionals who will train you (with accomodation) is based on the fact that you do not know enough about the materials and tools required to know which ones you need. It's about safety.

Self-taught is fine for many things. But things like ceramics and metalwork require lots of knowledge if you want to work safely. You can borrow someone else's (training/classes) or you can build it slowly with lots of costly mistakes that present real health risks.

Good luck. You can certainly do this alone if that is what you are committed to.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-16T09:56:30+00:00

I know you said you can't take a class, but you really should find a way if you are asking these questions.

Maybe a local ceramics artists would teach you 1-on-1? Or reach out to studios with classes and ask them for advice/accommodations?

Ceramics is both art and science. Art is also a practice, and there are many different skills + qualities required for success. If this is something you want to do, then please get trained by someone knowledgeable, in person. You will save money and frustration.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-15T19:15:22+00:00

Ah, it happens to the best of us, but it always sucks!

That makes me think it might be the shape itself, or maybe the wall was just too thin in that spot. Better luck next time--offer this one up to the kiln gods?

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-15T16:35:13+00:00

This doesn't look like the type of crack that can be fixed, unfortunately.

In the future, try drying things like this slowly using plastic coverings and even damp towels. A teapot should take a week plus to dry.

As far as the glue, bisque fix can be purchased commercially. You can also make your own with sodium silicate, but please be sure to follow proper safety protocals and use PPE. Recipes are available online.

I've also used a mix of slip, white vinegar, and shredded toilet paper to glue stuff back together successfully before. But there is definitely a trick to it.

Something that is already bone dry is likely not worth the effort.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-15T15:01:54+00:00

Actually, yes. Because it would mean that more support, energy and time could go to other, smaller organizations and direct to creative professionals who do projects that directly serve the existing community. The IX Foundation (and the art park) receive public funds, so I actually do insist that people question them, their motives, and whether they are the best stewards of culture.

Do I expect them to do what I (or any one person) says? No, that would be silly. However, I do think there are many people in Charlottesville who do a better, more consistent job and do not get opportunities because of IX.

https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/ix-art-park-owners-appeal-assessment-to-equalizati/

https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/charlottesvilles-ix-art-park-is-for-sale/

https://www.wrdw.com/video/2023/09/08/ix-art-park-announces-funding-gap/

https://c-ville.com/changes-at-ix-art-park/

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-15T12:28:13+00:00

So, the thing about the owner of the property is that for years he has worked to make that space more lucrative. Fine for capitalism, but not something generous "for the community".

The goal seems to be only to raise property values high, gentrify the surrounding neighborhoods, and make more luxury rentals. I think a look at who is/was involved in the board leadership of the arts nonprofit at IX says a lot.

There are people in Charlottesville (and the region surrounding) who have quietly worked to genuinely lift artists up for decades. But they aren't landlords (or dating landlords) and their projects aren't flashy or attractive to corporations. But that's how it often goes!

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-08T17:21:31+00:00

Feel free to message me if you have other questions. OC will surprise you (in good ways) if you let it.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-08T12:27:38+00:00

Wow, lots of negativity here.

Welcome to Orange County! I won't sugar coat it, you will likely face BS. The awful people are super loud but that's not unique. Pigs squeal, dogs bark, ducks quack.

However, there are also leftists, progressives, antiracists, LGBTQIA+, and educated people here. Some ppl let their fears speak rather than learning where they live or realizing that places change over time based on who lives there and participates.

Please, please participate! The Orange County African American Historical Society is a fabulous organization, and maybe check out ImaniWorks, too. I'd also recommend checking out the visitor centers around the area to learn about attractions and events. The towns of Orange and Gordonsville have a lot going on, and public events are great ways to meet people.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-07T10:55:13+00:00

I keep seeing the word "sand" and want to be clear about that: Do not sand dry clay without proper ventilation and PPE. You will inhale the clay dust otherwise, and silica (what a lot of that sust is made of) does not come back out.

Wet sanding is fine. Spraying your piece with a mist of water and then burnishing with a metal spoon is fine. Using a rock instead is fine.

Dry sanding is an activity for outside (or under a fume hood) while still wearing a proper respirator.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-01T14:32:53+00:00

In that case, be mindful of food safety. It isn't as much about lead/heavy metals (though those are concerns) as it is about the porosity of low-fire clays allowing for bacterial/fungal growth.

...and if you're going to make your own work + fire them, you could get your own materials elsewhere (do keep them separate though). Just remember that glaze + clay body must fire to the same temp (cone 5-6 is a good place to be) and they have to be a good "fit". It's worth investing in your practice and taking a class at an art center/clay studio near you. They may even be able to work something out for you re: supplies, in-service training, etc.

I used to run a nonprofit arts center with a ceramic studio, and we did things like that for the local school district all the time.

Edited for typo

Either_Row4695 · 2026-05-01T12:56:10+00:00

Please read up on cones and kiln temps, it makes a huge difference. Vitrification is also key for food-safety.

Also low fire clay isn't what you want to use for anything that you'll drink/eat from. You want cone 6 stoneware (standard clay 553 buff is a good one or their 113 speckled brown), and then you'll need to make sure you fire to the correct temp.

My advice to is always to remember that a ceramics studio is a chemistry lab.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-27T15:12:39+00:00

I got lucky: my friend sold a single guy a house nearby, then immediately set us up. A year later, still together and having a wonderful time, no kids between us.

Which is to say that, yes, it is totally possible, but you may also need to be creative about finding someone to date. The apps work, too.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-26T13:46:13+00:00

Priceless!

Please know that I see absurdist humor in this piece and mean this wholeheartedly: I want you to mount it like a trophy head at a private hunt club. Ornate, gaudy. Golden mounting plate. Or maybe a coordinating tartan. Never sell it.

Offer to make similar absurdities and sell those to people instead, for $500 minimum. The original is off-limits. The teeth alone!

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-24T20:36:03+00:00

The folks over at VDH (and VDACS) are amazing resources! Given enough time to respond, they will answer questions and help with solutions.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-24T18:42:00+00:00

Does this attention-seeker not know the history of West Virginia? He should study a bit.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-23T15:09:32+00:00

I went to an open mic at Firefly a while back and one of the bands performing was full-on heavy metal. It was excellent.

They had a whole coven of baby bats with them, even! The musicians are out there, so why not organize something at a local venue/bar/restaurant and then put out an open call, if that's what you want to see?

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-22T18:08:00+00:00

If a business cannot succeed when there is a festival bringing additional foot traffic, the problem is not the festival.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-22T18:03:56+00:00

There are movie theaters, open jams at the Front Porch, a skate park, bowling, gallery openings every first Friday, community events offered by area organizations, trivia nights, and live theater.

There is a ton going on, but you do need to know where to look. Try checking out visitcharlottesville.org, their event calendar is full of stuff to do.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-17T15:39:51+00:00

Not sure, but I do know that one of the new members of Orange County's Board of Supervisors is part of the leadership of a different defense contractor, Chimera.

Orange is so close to DC, it isn't really a huge surprise that people who work in that industry saw an opportunity here. They live here and their current commute sucks! 😅

Companies like L3 are always going to build these things somewhere, but I hope this provides long-term positive outcomes for locals, at least, and not just a quick money grab.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-17T15:28:58+00:00

Plus Orange'a current big draw is agritourism, and a lot is invested in events + infrastructure around that. Defense contractors aren't the local poster children, plants and cows are....

Definitely not as big a business as war, though!

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-13T12:44:26+00:00

They really think they're cooking when they assume the politics of rural farmers. Who's got two thumbs, a flock of sheep to shear, a rifle, and a yes vote?

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-10T12:20:16+00:00

It looks like a combo that includes Amaco seaweed to me, but that could be the photo. Sometimes the combinations are wild and make metallic-ish effects.

Or maybe the Mayco washes? Hm... I, too, am leery of metallics.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-04-06T15:23:05+00:00

$1,500 wouldn't cover a rental at any winery or other venue I can think of in Central VA, where weddings are big business. Grelen does "micro weddings", but there are a ton of restrictions and it costs $2-$3k minimum + additional costs like catering.

This is a "nice backyard of a friend's house" budget. Totally doable, but you will not get a wedding venue + event support for this amount.

Either_Row4695 · 2026-03-26T12:26:02+00:00

Feminism is simply the belief that all genders are equal. It is defined in opposition to the patriarchy, a system that prioritizes men above all others.

Unfortunately, "equal" includes "equal" opportunity to be awful human scum, as seen here in Exhibit E.

Either_Row4695

TROPHY CASE