I'm not holding back, about this. The world doesn't need to hear from another amateur who is passionate about her new interest, but I need to speak.
My intermittent interest in pottery began back in community college, when I took both a beginning drawing class and a ceramics course. I still can't draw a straight line to save my life and I don't remember much from the pottery class.
A few years later, I took a beginning wheel throwing class at a local craft store. That class was so much fun! Our instructor shared his passion for pottery without a hint of condescension. He loved throwing pots and he loved guiding us through creating in clay. Our pots were off center, too thin or to heavy, and sometimes turned into planters in the kiln. Yet, through his lenses, they looked good and only in need of the right glaze. In this class, I found my joy in clay.
Work and grad school interrupted my newly discovered hobby. It is a few years later and I just finished another beginning wheel throwing class at a different location of that same craft store. This instructor was ever patient and serene. She allowed us plenty of time to practice, which is what I needed.
Having rediscovered clay, I didn't want to give it up. After a brief cost-benefit analysis (wherein my desire to keep my hands in clay far outweighed any potential costs), I decided to purchase my own wheel. It is a small countertop wheel that fits perfectly on my kitchen counter, between the rarely used bread maker and my workhorse-- the coffee maker.
The first bowl thrown on my very own wheel had a lovely form, but was off center and too thin at the bottom. It didn't make it to the kiln.
You have to speak but whether others will listen (OR read in this case) is up to them! I say chronicle away and keep throwing! I never had any followers on my blog until recently but I kept plugging away at it anyway -- it is more for me to archive my thoughts, etc. than it is for other people to read. By the way, what is the make and model of your countertop wheel?
ReplyDeleteGood advice, Rice! My hope is that this blog will help me keep focused, which goes right along with how you view your blog as an archive for your thoughts and process. Unfortunately, I'm having a rough time establishing a consistent throwing schedule. Devoting time to one hobby steals time from other pursuits and I am still seeking a good balance.
ReplyDeleteMy wheel is a Speedball Artista wheel. It is the least expensive wheel I could find that still seemed to offer the quality I needed. I felt confident about purchasing it after watching this review on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0CfasLCeuk.