pots in progress.

I really enjoyed taking my first (ever) pottery class this summer. I made pinch pots, slabs, and worked on a wheel! I think the slabs were my favorite. I ended up making a series of cylindrical pots (vases? vessels?) with imprints of lace and crochet swatches that I found in a bin in the classroom. It was really great to explore a new medium, but apparently I couldn't stray too far from my love of stitches!

The above photo is a pinch pot I made in my first class. I made a bit of a mess with the glaze, but that's ok. I'll probably use this to hold jewelry or safety pins.

Below are some 'in progress' photos of my pieces. A few of them still need to be glazed and none of them have been fired. The piece with the buttons on it was a pot I made on the wheel and had trouble trimming. I made and used the buttons to playfully hide the lumpy, uneven surface. 

The pieces in the last photo have been glazed, but not yet fired. I love how you can still see the texture from the lace imprint, but it's a little faded, like an old dress or foggy day. I can't wait to see what these look like once they come out of the kiln! 

Working in clay, both on the wheel and handbuilding, was really satisfying for me. I can see how it can become addictive and one can roll out an assembly line of dishes, bowls, or pots with subtle variations. It was also really fun to go somewhere and make something, since most of my knitting takes place on my couch at home where I continuously find distractions. Not since my darkroom days have I left the house to pursue a creative project, which is far better than just leaving and going to work ;)

Another thing I realized is that working with in a new medium forced me to slow down! I do everything so fast (which seems shocking because it takes me months to knit something) but learning something new has made me adjust my speed and pay closer attention. With the clay in my hands I had to not only slow down and feel it, but be gentle, consistant, and rhythmic with my motions. Plus I got really messy, which is also something I don't do normally. All in all it's been a great summer activity and I hope to pursue more pottery in the fall. In the meantime, my knitting awaits.