The Well Dressed Potter

When considering what to wear to the studio, comfort and function are the only real guidelines for the lonely potter. This is especially important for him, as he tends to forget about time when his is creating, often for hours on end,  and usually pays a painful price the next day.

 The first thing we bought for the lonely potter was a comfortable pair of shoes. The studio floor is heated, but it is concrete, and he needed something that would protect his feet, ankles, and knees from that unforgiving surface. The shoes were good, but not great, so the next thing was a set of new fangled inserts for the shoes, that would, they said, correct his incorrect gate and posture. Walking, despite what you may think, is not as easy as it looks. Standing is even more problematic. Despite the fancy shoes and inserts,  a long day in the studio can still produce painful results, but it does help, so it is worth the expense and the effort.  As you can see, these are well used. I still don't have a deal with the manufacturers of these items, so I won't give the names here. If you want to know what these products are, drop me a line.

The next thing was an apron. Playing with mud is a messy business, and washing clothes every night goes against the economically and environmentally minded lonely potter's values. So, with size and design provided by the lonely potter, two aprons were produced. They're not perfect (nothing ever is) but  good enough to get covered in clay and glaze and protect his other clothes from permanent damage.

The final essential item is the face mask, used when the lonely potter is mixing glazes. I don't have a picture of his mask, but let me assure you  it was not inexpensive, and it took some serious shopping to find the right one. The mask has to fit right and it has to be able to filter out very fine particulate. Even "safe"glazes are made of many minerals and chemicals that you just don't want to breath in, at least in the powder form. Once they are mixed with water they are easier to handle, but then if the glaze is sprayed on, it's time to use a mask again! If you want to know which mask the lonely potter uses, just ask.

No matter what goes on underneath, a sturdy apron is a must for the lonely potter. Who knows, if it gets really hot this summer, that may be all he wears.  Along with his shoes and mask, of course
(Note to potters who do not have a wife to sew their apron - I could be convinced to sew one like the lonely potter's for you - but it'll cost about $40.00!  Love is not cheap.)