Something that I desperately wanted,
enrollment in a pottery class.
A chance to learn something completely new,
and perhaps even more importantly,
2.5 hours of bliss away from the house creating something
with people that I had never met.
It was such a great outlet for me for 10 weeks.
I LOVE learning new things,
especially new ways to create.
So, I thought I would share with you some of my wares.
They're not great.
I can pick out imperfections in every single piece.
A thumbprint here, a chip in the glaze there...
There are those that I hate,
those that I like,
those that I did hate but now like,
those that I thought I would like, but now I'm not sure....
blah blah blah.
The point, though, was not to master pottery.
I knew ahead of time that it would take much more than several weeks, several years even to feel accomplished in this field.
Being familiar with other forms of art didn't help me much either.
It was like learning to speak a different language.
I guess I could liken it to someone being a fabulous pianist
and then trying to learn how to play the oboe.
There are similarities, for sure,
but when it comes down to it,
you're probably better off just having no preconceived notions,
no firm expectations.
What you throw on the wheel,
takes on a completely different personality when it is trimmed,
and then takes on another when it is glazed.
Unlike other crafts and art forms, it is almost impossible, as a beginner, to know at the start what your creation will look like in the end.
This was both frustrating for me and liberating (once I placed my OCD neatly in my back pocket).
For those of you in the Pittsburgh area,
you should definitely check out the Union Project Ceramics Co Op.
They have a multitude of classes,
including classes for beginners, classes for kids, for the whole family, and more.
They also have community classes around holidays like carving ceramic pumpkins at halloween and this Saturday a Mother's Day wind chime making class. I mean, come on... how cute is that?
The members of the co op are all super laid back and great teachers.
They also each have a different style and something completely different to add to the craft.
Plus, it's a great studio space (lots of natural light) and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is included in the prices and available to you.
Plus, their pieces (the professionals', I mean) are available for purchase at the Union Project and also at the Three Rivers Arts Festival coming up in June.
It's great to learn something new, right?
