Monday, January 12, 2009

A Potter's Blog

My aim in this is to offer a glimpse into the studio process, providing regular updates on life in the studio. Hopefully there will be plenty of photos along the way.

A pottery story:

I had the opportunity to throw pottery as part of a worship service last December. We had a camera zoomed in tight on my hands and the wheel, and as I threw, the entire process was projected big-screen in the front of the church. Considering I hadn't touched clay or wheel for nearly 8 months, I was pretty pleased with the end results. I sat behind the wheel for 5 hours - several small warm-up pieces, and then one piece to each of the two services - two decent sized vases. Well centered, good height, clean lines. I was pretty pleased with myself, to be honest.

After each service a good number of people came up to talk with me as I finished up the pots. Some complimented me on how lovely the pieces had turned out, but more overwhelming was the response from people who had always admired pottery, but honestly had not even the slightest idea where it came from or how it was done.

The experience of watching a lump of clay transformed to a jar right in front of them was a new and exciting experience. And it doesn't get any less exciting just because you know how it's done. I'm always amazed by the process and the result - sometimes the clay doesn't cooperate or behave the way I want it to, or maybe it performs even better than I thought it would. The result can be disappointing, or just different from expected, or an exciting step in a new direction.

I'd like this space to be a forum for sharing that process - life in the studio. Success, failure, and everything in between.

No comments: