the hens + potting adventures

For the past few months I have been taking a beginner ceramics class at Northern Clay Center. I have slowly learned how to throw on the wheel and trim bowls and cylinders. Class is coming to a close much too fast. Just when I'm really getting a hang of it the clock is running out. It has been fun to try something new and meet new people. I will miss spunky Kate and Manhattan Kim and lots of other peeps who made the class the mix that it was. Everyone has been so friendly and kind.



These are two of the first pieces I threw and glazed, which husband sweetly named 'the hens'.

I started out by making little cylinders, but the tops were dreadful, so at the last minute I created little spouts. The shiny white glaze pulled iron oxides(I think) out of the clay during firing and left tiny green speckles here and there. There are little indents in the glaze from my fingerprints and the bottom is ever so slightly indented, with a heart carved in it, but not trimmed, as I didn't yet know how to trim when I made them and the bottom wasn't really thick enough to remove clay anyhow. Now they are wonderful little creamer or maple syrup pitchers and I love the imperfections and the story that accompanies it.

My fabulous teacher Kate looked at the hens and told me that in some cultures imperfections in ceramics, and lots of other art, are highly prized. The imperfections show the handicraft that went into each object and tell a story. They are regarded as life's little miracles to be cherished. So true.