Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be the new ceramics blogger. Considering we are just getting into the new semester, I haven’t started any new work in the studio to share just yet. That being said, I’ll tell you a bit about the ceramics class I took in July. This past summer I was fortunate enough to attend a class at Peters Valley Craft School. I know a few of our other bloggers wrote about the experience (Hannah and Suzie) , but I figured a different perspective couldn’t hurt! I attended a class regarding Utilitarian pots with an amazing instructor, Robbie Lobell.
Prior to this class, the only ceramics instruction I received was from Matt Povse and from my high school teacher. People from all over the country come to take classes at Peters Valley, so I was a little apprehensive because I figured everyone else would have far more experience in ceramics. To my surprise there were a few other ladies who had just started their ceramics career a few years prior, and haven’t ever attended a class outside of school either. Throughout the class, I learned so many new techniques that I can’t wait to bring into the studio this semester. A really neat technique I learned was to throw a ring on the wheel, and cut it in half. The two pieces could then be adhered to the pot as the handles. Pulling handles the traditional way has always been a nuisance to me, and I prefer throwing to hand building so needless to say, I’ll be using this technique often.
Throughout the class that lasted 5 days I believe, we had 24/7 access to the studio. It was so great being able to stay in the studio as long as we wanted in order to finish our work. That’s another thing I really love about Marywood. As an art student, my ID allows me to access the art building at all hours as well. So some nights when I have nothing going on I go to the ceramics studio and throw at any hour of the night. If you feel a creative pull at anytime, you definitely won’t be held back by not being able to access the tools you need!
