29.2.08

my first ceramics class



first of all i was up to my wrists in clay, and wrestling with the wet ball in the middle of the wheel to try to make it do my bidding. mistake number one. wrestling with the clay will not make it do your bidding. rather a firm, steady encircling of hands and the clay just follows the shape without fighting. there is a lesson here, the first of many to be sure. i did manage to make two proud little pots, not at all perfect, i must confess i wanted them to be perfect even though i knew they wouldn't be. the insight i gained while i was struggling through the process had a depth and a width i wish i could show you. hence the image quilt.
1. 365 Day 12, 2. Untitled, 3. The practice dress, 4. Six Edges and Six Vertices, 5. nesting, 6. _DSC0886

4 comments:

Gerry Gomez Pearlberg said...

wet clay spinning in/around the hands—you're bringing back happy memories here from sleep-away camp! I love gardening b/c it's a good excuse for playing in the mud. I think our earth-bound bodies need and want this kind of fundamental contact.

Julie R said...

you are right. it sounds like such an intuitive and obvious thing, and yet i never sought it out until now...

thanks for leading me to the wonderful honeycomb image. i do aspire to be able to build like the bees.

Anne said...

Oooh! I won't put my order in yet, because I know that's a lot of pressure.

Julie R said...

don't worry. i'm liable to have piles of sweetly lopsided vessels soon.