I finally understood color application after a workshop in Portland

I was at a small group workshop in Portland about six months ago, and the instructor was making a simple vase. She was using a basic frit, but the way she applied it was totally different from how I'd been taught. Instead of rolling the hot glass in the frit tray once, she did three light, quick dips, turning the pipe each time. She said, 'Think of it like dusting powdered sugar, not dumping a bag of it.' I tried it on my next piece, a small cup, and the color was so much more even and vibrant, without those thick, muddy spots I always got. It was one of those small changes that just clicked. Now I always do multiple light passes for frit. Has anyone else picked up a simple trick like that from watching someone work?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma_west9d ago

My friend Sarah watched a potter in North Carolina adjust his wheel speed while pulling a handle. He slowed it way down for the last inch of the pull, almost to a stop. She tried it and said it completely stopped her handles from getting that wobbly, weak point at the base. Just that tiny change in timing fixed it.

patcoleman9d ago

Wait, she just watched him and he didn't say anything? That feels like finding a secret cheat code. I'm shocked you can pick up a trick that big without a whole workshop. Slowing down at the end makes total sense when you say it, but I would have messed with clay or pressure for years before thinking of the wheel speed.