An absolute mug

It’s been a while since I wrote anything, mainly because I have been away sunning myself, but also because I’ve kind of just been ploughing on with practise. And…I have managed to make a mug! An actual useable mug! Yes it’s far from perfect and yes I am not totally convinced it will not break and throw hot tea over me at some point, but it is there, it’s done and it’s ready for a glaze fire (pray for me!). It will be black, white and grey if all goes well. I’ve also had a go at making a flower pot for one of my best mates…it’s actually come out OK (so far, needs a glaze fire yet!).

The thing I am finding with pottery is that it really is about practise, practise, practise. Some days I find it super easy to be on the wheel, spinning away and in my own little world – everything works well and my hands seem to glide with the clay…other days I can do exactly the same thing, but I can be too rough or too gentle and the clay just spins away!

For now, my main ambition is that I’d like to be able to make a full set of matching mugs for the house, something special for a Christmas centrepiece and then a dinner set. My sons reminded me it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at something…so I figure I still have a way to go yet :oD

While I was on holiday, I read Florian Gadsby’s book ‘In my hands’. It’s a good read for anyone interested in pottery. It also makes you realise how much there really is to learn and how far you can go with the right attitude and mentoring (I must admit, there was a section in the book that reminded me a bit of the Kill Bill training!).

I’m looking forward to starting a throwing course in January, as I think it will help me to correct some of the mistakes I’m making at the moment. I’m also hoping to do a bit more in the way of videos, at the moment I have one video on Instagram and it’s super pants. It’s just time isn’t it?