New Pottery March 2014

March

3/10/2014

NEW JOB

STARTED A NEW JOB WORKING FOR A MAC BASED RETAIL POS INSTALL/CONFIGURE/TECH SUPPORT

I have not written here since December.  Been busy looking for a job.  But while I do this I am continuing my pottery work here at the home studio.

Copper Luster Glaze Testing

Am testing three copper luster raku glazes

1. Copper Luster
           gerstley      67
           F3195       18
           silica          10
           EPK            5
           Copper C  10
           Cobalt C   10

2. Red Copper Luster
           Gerstley     60
           F3195       20
           Cornwall    20
           Copper C  10
           Red Iron    5

3. 80/20 (lead bi-silicate)
           Gerstley     60
           F3195       20
           Cornwall    20
           Copper c    15

  

My Resume.. Please leave me some feedback on any correction I may need.. please!

Computer technical support professional with strong communication skills seeking a great position.  Good interpersonal skills and the ability to understand the customer’s problem, solve them with the customer participating in the process. Using customer service skills and using understandable terms and to help the customer understand the reasons, results, and resolution of each support service.

Remote and Field Repair Technician

·         Three years remote call center technical support certification with Geek Squad, Lavasoft, Panda Software, and Microsoft to resolve and support issues by fulfillment of service contracts purchased by these major companies third party.

·         Five years field technical with a local owned private computer support company servicing all of the Macon, Warner Robbins GA areas specializing in small business and private residential calls.

·         Ten years customer service and management skills mastered through a large hard and soft lines distributor.

Technical Skills:

·         OS installation and migration (Windows xp-8.1 & Mac OS), software and hardware installation and set-up.  Peripheral set-up, networking, Lan/Wan, Microsoft Office, recovery, data back-up, diagnostics and troubleshooting. Hijackthis, Cacles method, Twin Fix and manual virus removals.

·         Written track record of excellent communication, customer service and knowledge of the solutions to most technical computer support issues presented through phone to sale services provided.  Proven by a one hundred percent customer feedback rating and one hundred percent client-technician loyalty rating.

·         Written praise and acknowledgement by one visually impaired customer who received little help until I handled his call.  Customer was legally blind and was frustrated with the lack of support.  Spent many hours getting him connected to my remote session and manually removed several viruses.  He was very happy that I had the technical and people skills to not dismiss his issues.

·         Awarded a high end work laptop for my excellence in customer relationships measured by repeat loyalty, attention to policy, and high level of professional detail in documenting case work.

People Skills:

·         Mentored and trained by excellent soft lines distributor.

·         Given lead responsibilities during a functioning remodel of the regional flagship store. Reorganized corporate-set Plan-O-Grams to fit the square footage of the space and achieved a gain of thirty five percent in revenue despite the construction.

·         Promoted to General Area Manager by the Regional Director in recognition of planning, leadership, and a gain in sales.

Job History:

2011-Sept 2013 Remote Technician        Supportspace Inc.         San Francisco, CA

            2009-2010                     Tech Associate Staples Inc.                   Macon, GA

            2007[H1] -2011               Field Technician            Geeks-to-Go                 Macon/Warner Robbins, GA                   2001-2007                        Gen. Area Manager        Linens-n-Things Atlanta, GA

Education:

            Bachelors of Fine Art 3-D Design and Graphics

            Georgia Southern University

            Statesboro, GA  1996

---

 [H1]

Raku Firing is one of my favorite types of firings I have learned because of the many different processes, glaze adjustments and tinkering you can do to obtain a result that can be surprised by.  Since the firing time is short, I fire my Raku pieces multiple times. 

This series was fired with a Copper Matte Stain (80/20). Usually the firing temperature for copper Matte is lower than that of  the average range; I fire the first firing to the latter and quick cool it in a water bath,  Re-glaze the piece in a Copper based Boron fritted glaze and fire it for a second time slightly hotter than the mean Raku range.

My base for the Copper Luster Base mainly consists of two raw materials and a precise copper oxide measurement and variations of added secondary oxides such as iron oxide or cobalt.  When the matured piece is reduced in combustibles, the initial ignition creates degrees of reduction unique to each piece.

These pieces are beautifully flashed with a rainbow of rich metallic lusters.  I especially appreciate the rich deep crimson and a range of blue to blue green hues.  This series is rustic and the textures in places and silky smooth in other rather organic. 

These are purely decorative and are made to be admire to the point you can’t help but to want to pick the piece up so you can feel and look at the many different angles and faces as they change in different sources of light. 

Every piece of Artwork I crate is a unique reflection of a passion for clay Introduced to me by a talented professor; with her  her persistence in seeing the spark she has and passing on her love for the clay that she said is running through her veins.  Passing it to those who appreciated and recognized who had a real talent.  

When I stepped into her classroom i had just learned that my mortality had been determined.  I needed an easy class to get me through one semester to process.  This was it...easy.  Not only was in not easy.. it would teach me the tools I needed to copy and accept and transcend my crisis.
Jane, a graduate of Alfred University took her class very seriously.  I didn't open a single box of wet clay.  I opened a 50 lb bag of silica, Red art, Hawthorn, and EPK and I put about 3" of water in a big blue rotating machine.  And I mask on mouth made the clay body I had help formulating through chemical empirical formula.  What.. I didn't sign up for chemistry. 
Not only did we make out own, we were to test its shrinkage, it;s vitrification and it's plasticity for adjustment.  The we wheel throwers were made to learn how to center and throw and only were to make cylinders and cut then in half vertically until we passed her inspection.. For me that was about 500 lbs for the next three days. 

Of course there were a few people with enough incite to notice that that this was not just a way to thin her class but a way to ignite the same spark that she has for the clay.  if she say that. she would accomplish what she as there for.  To pass to her students her  love and knowledge for it, the techniques of glaze testing, formulation, mistake correction, body fitting, and  I could talk for days about reduction at cone 10. She would see when to let go when she would see a tiny bit of our own unique style emerging.

 I know I was a test to her passion to leave a legacy many times.  Especially after cracking a full kiln firing at 500 degrees when it was also filled with her commissioned show pieces for that weekend.  Or maybe the time I decided to get adventurous with a clay body knot knowing I'd learn the definition of a defloculant the next time she spoke to me.

Its the subtle pushes that make such a huge impact on the rest of my life and my own need to share life through each little detail in my own work.  Not all things in life or pots can be resolved completely.  The rim must fit the foot but sometimes the damn spout just drips after it pours.  But not every unresolved piece lands purposely on pieces on the floor.  I thought you deserved to know and thank you.......Jane.

Introduction

J.Walker Pottery.. When I first was introduced to clay in college, I figured I'd take an easy class because of some unsettling life changes I'd gone through at the time. Little did I know:

At Georgia Southern University One would not expect to find a graduate of Alfred University at the wheel of the curriculum. That semester, I found it was not a crypt course but an avenue to shine.  

Every single task (from formulating a personal clay body,  to throwing techniques, calculating glazes, and firing atmosphere exploration) All I found out were art-forms within themselves.  


It has been 25 years since I put my clay knowledge on the back burner stating "I cant make a career out of this!"  Well... I know have decided I need to make a career out of this.. why?.. Because I love it. 

Here are some pieces I have just recently completed: