Category Archives: Teaching

Why is art a luxury?

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Carter Gillies

“I forgot armed robbery was illegal!” A joke told by Steve Martin What would it mean to forget armed robbery was illegal? What makes that so funny? Would it be like forgetting where you put your keys? Like forgetting someone’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts advocacy, Creativity, metacognition, Teaching, Wittgenstein | 2 Comments

Repost: Defensive potting

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Carter Gillies

Defensive Potting: The story of Michael Simon’s evolution out of the round Posted on July 31, 2013 by Carter Gillies So I just got back From the Michael Simon gallery talk at the exhibition of his work, “Pick of the Kiln’, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creative industry, Creativity, Pottery, Teaching | 1 Comment

How to parent artists

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Carter Gillies

I’m not going to tell you there’s a right way of doing it, but there are different ways. We each have to answer these questions ourselves. Only, there are values we can hold that lead us in one direction and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts education, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | 2 Comments

Repost: Is the value of art a material object?

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Carter Gillies

First posted August 16th, 2012 as “Is the value of pottery a material object?” (See the comments there for some good discussion. Feel free to add a new thread here 🙂 ) ———————————————————- The funny thing I’ve noticed in my time … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Arts advocacy, Arts education, Beauty, Ceramics, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | 4 Comments

Advice for beginning potters

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Carter Gillies

This morning I received a question from a beginning potter worried about clay coming off as she was thinning the walls. She also revealed that she was learning to trim her pots. What advice do I have for her? This … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ceramics, Clay, Pottery, Teaching | 2 Comments

Repost: The bitter truth about professional standards in pottery (and art)

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Carter Gillies

(From April of last year) “Talk about equality gets off on the wrong foot if we start from the assumption that it expresses an immediate moral demand to treat everyone the same. Of course, there are thousands of legitimate reasons … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Ceramics, Clay, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching, Wittgenstein | Leave a comment

Score one for the teacher

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Carter Gillies

“Oh Carter, looking at this I’m reminded how so grateful I am that you taught me that a shape like this is a beautiful thing (and not a fail).” A recent student made that comment seeing this pitcher posted on … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Beauty, Ceramics, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | Leave a comment

Simon Levin to critique Andrew Linderman’s mug on Monday

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Carter Gillies

Hey all! My forward thinking buddy Simon Levin will kick off a great idea this coming Monday (4/18/16 at 9pm EST) on Periscope (@woodfire). Potter Andrew Linderman has sent him a mug to critique, and Simon will conduct the examination … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ceramics, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | 3 Comments

Of building blocks and blockages

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Carter Gillies

My friend Liz Crain just ran a great post on the creative deep freeze, and in it she throws around a few blocks by asking the question of whether the winterlull was not in fact some different form of creativity. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Teaching | 2 Comments

The doctrine of Yo

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Carter Gillies

While making some bowls this morning I decided I would write a doctrine of Yo, not knowing what others had made of this word, and knowing only what I intended to use it for. Happy coincidence that others’ use seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ceramics, Creative industry, Creativity, Imagination, metacognition, Pottery, Teaching | Leave a comment