About 6 or 7 years ago, I decided to act on my urge to try something besides woodworking in my free time. I have a friend who takes my sawdust and scrap wood for a raku class he teaches every summer at Bennington College. In return, he sometimes leaves me a little bowl. Good deal for me ... So, I thought, wouldn't it be great if I could give my really good clients a piece of my pottery in appreciation for their patronage? There are a lot of crafty people in Vermont, some offering how-to courses. It took a couple classes before I had anything I wasn't too embarassed by, and I think I only gave away 4 or 5 pieces before the shop where I was working closed down. Three years later, I've got a new place to work and I'm back at it. It's not exactly like riding a bicycle .. I had to smush a few of my first efforts but now it's going much better. I was originally aiming for Christmas gifts, but I don't think my pots will be done in time ... we'll see.
The pottery process is different ... no drawings, no plans, no dust, almost no noise, nice colors ... it's very peaceful. It makes you think that sometimes maybe a plan isn't necessary to get a good result. I certainly couldn't make a pot that I drew at this point anyway, but I can see what they might look like as I'm working on them ...
These are the pots in the picture above, trimmed and ready for the slip
Today's job .. trim these
Previous efforts ... white clay, celadon and black
Red clay with various slips and clear glaze
1 comment:
I love it! I've always wanted to dive in to try pottery after witnessing the talented ceramic artists I went to school with. Imagine the lessons that are hidden in these vessels that you can apply to your furniture! I think you'll begin to discover them soon.
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