My First Pot

firstpot

I got to bring home my first pot, which I threw last week. I had made the bottom too thin and it cracked while drying, so we gave it up as a lost cause and didn’t even trim, let alone fire it. But it was fun to bring it home to show Amie, who said:

– Wow! It has a crack!

Yes, well…

I threw three pots this week. The third one was noticeably better than the first, perhaps because I discovered that while centering (*) it helps to look away, to un-focus the gaze, and just feel the clay under your hands.

(*) centering = getting all the clay to be in the exact middle of the wheel; only then can you proceed to shape it.

I also got to trim the second pot I made last week, and I can’t wait to see it glazed and fired.

You know, I tried yoga for a while, with a lovely instructor and a bunch of really nice people one of whom is one of my best friends.  But it didn’t do anything for me. I need to do something. Wheelthrown pottery is perfect for me: it gets me out of the house, into a great community, it gets me out of my head, working with my hands, it relaxes and grounds me, concentrates me, and it satisfies my desire to build my practical skills. And I get to bring pots home, some cracked, some not…

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2 Comments

  1. Hey Katrien
    I took some pottery classes a couple of years ago and it was the most relaxing thing I ever did. And I made some very ugly pots. Yours looks great! Have fun! xx

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