This past December, Ethan surprised me with a 4-week wheel throwing class for my birthday/Christmas present! I've been dying to learn the art of pottery and this was the perfect introduction. Each class was about three hours long and half the time the two other students missed class so I felt like I like basically had a private tutor the whole time.I had no previous experience with wheel throwing so this was definitely uncharted territory. The night before class I started watching Youtube videos and was amazed at how different the process was than what I had imagined. I'm usually pretty good at picking up anything creative-related but this art form was a huge struggle for me initially. The spinning clay was an unforgiving medium to work with and I was constantly asking my instructor for help. It was humbling to say the least.
I ended up making a lot of bowls. I wanted to become good at one thing but I quickly realized how hard it is to be consistent. Each bowl is shaped completely different than the other and different hand movements can really change things. I also attempted coffee mugs. Those were difficult...especially pulling the handle on them. My favorite pieces to make were the tiny vases you see pictured later on. They probably serve the least purpose out of all the objects but I'm excited to fill them with something.
Thankfully, by week 4 I really improved. You could see the progress in my pieces from week to week. I'm still by no means a pottery expert but I do hope to continue the art where we live now. Oh, how I've gained such a respect for potters.
I found that painting the pieces was actually quite difficult too. I had 5 hours of studio time to paint 13 pieces (not all are pictured because a few were just plain ugly, ha!) I took Kaiden in for an hour and he helped me paint a bowl and mug. The second time I went it I just tried to knock them all out at once. It was time consuming and tedious and by the end I was quite over it. But I'm happy with the way they turned out.
I also felt like I gained a deeper understanding of the handful of Bible verses that reference clay and potters.What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, "Stop, you're doing it wrong!" Does the pot exclaim, "How clumsy can you be?" - Isaiah 45:9 (NLT)But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. - Isaiah 64:8 (ESV)
Wheel throwing is definitely not an instant gratification art. The process takes time from beginning to end but it's a beautiful thing seeing what results. These pieces will be treasured in our home for a very long time.Thank you so much, Ethan. This was one of the best gifts I've ever received. You know me all too well. <3For a behind the scenes look at some of my classes, click here, here, and here.