It's a zen-like experience, working with clay. Your hands bond with the material, measuring the elasticity and the moisture level almost unconsciously, while stretching or pressing the clay into the image in your mind.Students began the year with pinch pot gestures, creating clay images in a matter of seconds, instead of hours. They practiced making pinch pots, then closed their eyes and made them again, feeling the clay into shape rather than visualizing their progress. They made pots that represented sounds, visualized explosions or held secrets.
Our second project requires more planning than feeling. Students are designing coil pots that curl in and out of space, allowing for a vast variety of shapes and forms. Students are experimenting with ornamentation, using coils to create designs as part of the walls of their pots or for decorating the outside of them. Forms vary from mugs and candleholders to decorative bowls and vases.
