Smashed Sculptures

What's the fluffing point? You carefully craft something, taking time and effort, then it goes and blows up in the kiln. All that time agonising over glazes was unnecessary. The hours spent making them was a waste of time. And from now on, now that it's happened, the only thing you'll ever be able to think of whenever you're sculpting is....is this going to blow up as well? Is it worth ever spending more than an hour on anything ever again? Is it worth even making anything ever again?

Of course it is. But let's just say that after going back to the drawing board and constructing something even better than the first attempt, that blows up as well. At what point do you say forget this bullshit and stay as far away from the kiln as possible so you don't have the stuffing kicked out of you again? How does any other sane potter apply passion and patience into something that might go pop?

Above: Dropping something which has been painted is even worse.

Elephant Tree and Alien Dagger will never sit on display alongside other ornaments. They can be remade from photographs, sure, but they won't be the same. They might be better, yeah, but they also might be worse. They might turn out so different that they require different names.

This is only the second time this has happened. It puts one right off, truth be told. It was the last thing to be expected, a real and true sour rotten surprise. Once a form has come about and dried for a week in your kitchen, it's existence is not only born, but cherished and taken for granted. This has made the whole ceramic game look like a series of gambles from start to finish now.

Positives:

a. During the remake, at least one knows what to do.

b. Always use the best clay possible: Your creations are worth it.

c. Think about slower drying procedures more.

d. Think about careful positioning in the kiln more.

e. Never put your heart and soul into anything so fragile that can shatter in an heartbeat (already knew that)

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The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.

~Anon

When the world says, "Give up,"

Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

~Anon

Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.

~Anon

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

~Franklin D. Roosevelt