Fidget

A sizable bag of clay (about 25 pounds?) was included in the price of our ceramics class, and I got 14 items made during the Winter term, with some left over!

I knew the potter’s wheel was going to be challenging, but it’s still a real struggle for me, even after a whole term of practice. It’s difficult to get the lump of clay centered on the wheel, spinning it fast and dripping on water… Then you have to punch-in on center to start your pot, and you want to work it as long as you can to make it thin, without working the clay too much and having it collapse on you. Then, you have 2 more challenges - once it’s mostly dry (but don’t wait too long), to trim away enough of the thick base to make a light, balanced piece. THEN, you try to guess from various sample tiles what glazes to use and how they might possibly turn out! It’s always a surprise, it seems - pleasant or not so pleasant. I found that I was very, very happy with some of my pieces while others came out astonishingly ugly. Well, I guess I had a few mildly successful ones, too, that weren’t spectacular. It’s pretty neat, though, to hold the finished piece in your hands and think, I made this! After firing it’s basically glass on stone, so the feeling of making something that solid, permanent, and functional is very satisfying. My bowls came out mostly a good ice-cream size… That’s another thing. The items shrink slightly at each step, so the size you made it on the wheel is not how it’s going to end up.

I was inspired by BN to try some pressed-in designs on some of my pieces. He’s the kind of guy who collects knobs and shot-bead chains and other things that have interesting shapes. So we had a whole assortment of goodies to impress upon our works of clay… One of my favorite bowls, the yellow one, has blue waves that I created using a cast-iron napkin ring. I also had success with painting on designs with a brush. And, I tried drip-application, too. This quarter I am going to take a 2-week glazing workshop, so I’m excited to learn more about the glazes and how they work.

We finished up our ceramics class last weekend. Here are some of our finished projects. Most of these are BN’s - because I missed the class devoted to glazing (that headcold was such a bummer!), I had to catch up a bit and most of my pieces are still in the pre-fired state. Glazing is fun, you have to just experiment and see what you get. There are sample tiles with all the glazes on them but there are so many variables, like how you layer them in different coats, the kind of clay you used for your pot, and even different firings will produce different results. Dad, you would love it - chemistry meets art.

I thought these all looked cool together. Most of them have flaws - rough edges, glaze blisters, or too-thick bottoms giving them an unpleasant weight. But we are already dreaming of making more and better attempts.

We are utilizing the Craft Center on campus and doing some dabbling in pottery. It’s tons of fun. Last Sunday night was our first class and already BN has been unable to resist the temptation to return several times during the week during open studio hours. (Since he’s right there on campus every day.) I went with him on Wednesday, and we were there for 4 hours! I’m not making very much headway, but BN is a natural sculptor. I already knew that, because of all the neat stuff he has created using wood, wire, etc. But he’s already made 2 beautiful pieces in the first week! They look stunning even pre-glazed/fired.

Tonight we learned to throw pots on the wheel. I knew it would be difficult but it was downright impossible, for me, before I realized that I should break a new piece of clay off of my stock rather than using the harder, dryer stuff I’d been working with during the week. Then I was able to get a start.

Our instructor must have an interest in art therapy because he is so positive and supportive. (And full of helpful information about all things ceramics.) He said, during the demo on the potter’s wheel, that we would all certainly pick it up quickly, more quickly than he himself did, because he really had a hard time starting out, etc. He tried out my clay, and instead of chiding me for being so stingy and not breaking off a fresh chunk, said no wonder I’d been having a hard time and helpfully mushed all my hard clay and failed attempts into a big rope for me that I could later work at to knead back into usefulness.

I’m really excited at the prospect that we will be able to make all kinds of functional and beautiful things like mugs, bowls, plant pots and such. And even if we don’t take more classes, it’s only $10 for students (and spouses) to get a term studio pass for unlimited use of the studios during non-class time…

Hey, readers - my dear family and friends - you need to go out and take a studio art class. It is the best thing ever. I’ve done lots of drawing classes, but there are so many choices. Drawing, painting, ceramics, print-making, sculpture, photography - It is so great to get focused instruction in creativity, aesthetics, and technique, making images and/or objects completely from scratch! I’m creative for a living but I’m totally loving this clay thing because it’s something I’ve never done. A new skill, a new way to think - a new way to use your hands, a new way to use your eyes and your brain. You should try it, each and every one of you. And it’s more fun to go with a friend.