One of my favorite jobs when I was a kid was with the Ohio Light Opera. For two summers, I helped run the spotlights and assisted with scene changes for each dress rehearsal and show. The hours were horrible and it was a lot of work, but I had an absolute blast.

I was fascinated with the dichotomy between the audiences' experience and the perspectives of the actors and crew. The audience saw the final product, not the difficult and often tedious work that went into each production. For example, they had no idea that every person involved in putting the show together held their breath every time a certain actress reached a certain point in the play, worried she wouldn't hit the note. The audience just got to sit back and enjoy themselves, as they should.

Similarly, Joe and JoAnn Public are probably not particularly interested in how their dinnerware was decorated or how their perfume bottle achieved that cool metallic effect. That's the manufacturers' job, after all. It's our hope that the information contained in this issue will be helpful as you put in all of the exhaustive time and effort needed to achieve the final decorated product.

PPP Sourcebook

Select subscribers will also receive our fifth annual Pottery Production Practices Sourcebook with this issue. In addition to inspiration-, information- and tip-packed feature articles, the Sourcebook includes a Supplier Index that details contact information for companies that sell into the pottery and art glass markets. The accompanying Ceramic Supplier Directory and Glass Supplier Directory include additional information regarding each supplier's product offerings in an easy-to-read chart format.*

*Supplier listings indicate paid advertising.
Contact Ginny Reisinger at reisingerg@bnpmedia.com