Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-08

n regular pottery. just as artists go 10
large atelier for special faclltles' WIEN
she had the chance 10 start the hooN-
wood works In Ohio I'm a schooi-house near
her fathers place.
She at once invited all the women VINO
were interested in pottery work 10 MAKE
II their workshop. There they had every
facility for decorating In the clay and
perfect firing conveulences. Inc CRUZ
forms were securable at cost. There Tor
a time Cincinnati women decorated ana
studied. When the establishment branch
ed into business concern, lnstead OF
remaining a great studio Tor dhettantl
and amateurs, the necessities compelled
a new rule. and now Mrs. Storer Is the
only woman allowed on the place.
Last fall she went into tine works ana
was taught the actual mechanical con-
structive portion of pottery working, OF
which she always had more or less know
ledge. Where other women paint plates
and vases and china pieces, Mrs. Stofer
starts with the clay mixture, casts her
own vase, teapot, or whatever she wants
TO make, gives it its first firing, deco
rates it I'm the clay i'm original designs,
and, by methods on which she Is always
experimenting. glaZes and fires to
finish.
FASCINATING.
It's mighty fascinating, for, as Mrs.
Storer said as she took up dipperfui OF
the clay mixture and poured II into The
opening in the top of vase mould,
EVERY woman has within her what
might be called the mud pie instinct
That this lead 10 womans doing eX-
oellent work in the pottery field seems
natural. 1T really would appear SO,
assented Mrs. Storer, and she might
learn the throwing on the wheel ana the
handling of small pieces. The big things
where the lump of clay weighs many
pounds. can only be handled by men.
The worst of that chance Is that pottery
works generally employ only one thrower'
and, necessarily, in order TO handle Dig
pieces that thrower must De IndI'
II did know one little girl who learned
throwing on a Wheel" she went on. Her
father was our thrower, and she insisted
ON playing around the works. lie nnaiiy
taught her so that she became very SIX IL
ful in handling small pieces. she turned
her knowledge to pecuniary benefit ana
travelled and gave exhibitions with the
wheel Then she married, and now,
think. she IS soon To form class IN Clh-
cinnati TO teach throwing. Teaching Is
really the best paying use in pecuniary
sense 10 which such knowledge can be
put"
"Do YOU mean teaching in private
classes or in art schoolsY
In reply Mrs. StOrer gave me the ex-
! perience of a young china worker III en-
cinnatL ,
A CHINA WORKER.
"She was a Norwegian, and had learned
the art of enamelling at great expense at
| Vienna She came 10 this city with an
| idea of enamelling and firing herself. lt
proyed impossible to earn her living, for
| there were many breakages in the course
| of the work, as always happens, 10 IN
crease the cost of production. and con-
sequent selling price. She had nearly
reached the starvation point, when the
! Art School in Cincinnati was persuaded to
| nut her specialties on It's list OF instruc-
| ton. But they would not put classes on
| the regular schedule 6nd give her salary.
! She received pay for the lessons from
her pupils. She proved delightful In
structor and before long everybody want
ed 10 enter her classes. Then the Art
School put her on the regular corps OF
| teachers, and now she's doing we'll"
do you think it would pay a woman
TO establish her own studio for pottery
| workY'
Hardly. unless she was very skilled
| HllnOuHn IL slit liy IL Slt NONAN ~
her prepared clays from regular yellow
ware or stoneware-works. and a very
good grade she could get. too. When
commenced it was difficult 10 get anything
In that line except the most common ma
terials. Now glazes and clays that were
! great secrets ten years ago can be pur'
| chased by any one. | used 10 Work IN
the yellow and red ware before l started
the Rookwood Now, of course, all my
clay and material come from there.
Here is the way, do believe, "A woman
with talent can make profit and reputa
ton In pottery:
I'm the old and large works where ware
that sells cheaply at retail In made sh'
might get a chance 10 work. They wouio
sell her the pieces In the biscuit at
moderate cost and still make more II
that way than on many retail finished
pieces, while she would have all the con
veniences for firing.
"Of course. where very high-grade pot
terry was made and many experiment.
were constantly being made, no potte
would allow any outsider within I'M
shops. Then she should. think. have |
specialty. The secret OF success is
make something people must have. an
to do II better than any one else q
make something everybody uses continu
ally and smashes often and that has q
be replaced.
TEAlPOTS,
"Let her take some common article
Tea-pots, for instance. Every womal
has to have those. and nothing break
| oftener. Let her make especial shape
In tea-pots and decorate them IN orisina
ways. She can have her own moum'
T.hey don't cost more than 81 or - an'
seldom break or course. the yeiiow-wAr
mixture and good glazes could oe had
and with q kiln at home she'd De per
= fsctly indspsndst-S IN nrinS. For wons'