The more you know about pottery…the less you know.

*Please note there are profanities on the mugs below*

It’s been ages since I have put anything on here, mainly because life has got busier and I’ve been getting into a bit of a rhythm of when I can enjoy pottery – and when I can’t! This has meant that I’ve probably been doing a bit less, but have been enjoying it more. When I first started pottery, I’d imagined that I would eventually start a pottery business, making hundreds of pots a day in a nice studio. I’m starting to realise though that I actually enjoy pottery as more of a hobby – I’ve taken the pressure off myself and am really enjoying the process as a result.

I have also been fortunate enough to take part in classes locally again, this time with a focus on throwing. My tutor has shown me new ways to manipulate the clay and is slowly getting me to be braver with my attempts. I definitely feel at the moment that the more you know, the less you know. There is a huge difference between a thrown item and a good thrown item, and once you know the difference it’s hard to go back!

There’s definite progression between the first few pieces I made and more recent pieces, from the size of the bowls to the finesse of the handles – and I’m starting to make bits and pieces that friends and family have requested over time. Next on the hit list of things I want is:

A table with a wooden top. At the moment I am wedging reclaimed claim (this is fast becoming the bit I hate most about pottery!) on a canvas board on a trestle table (which rocks pretty badly). I am longing for a sturdy wooden table where I can wedge till my heart’s content.

A shed/studio. In my 20’s I would have laughed my head off if you said one day my next focus would be getting a shed! But that’s the next thing on my hit list…I want a shed where I can make as much mess as I like! I appreciate having the space inside, but it would be lovely to be able to open the doors on a nice day, and not have to faff about moving the kiln in and out constantly. So watch this space, hopefully the next blog will be about setting up a little studio space!

My skills are definitely improving now, I wince slightly when I look at some of my first pots now, but you can’t improve without a starting point can you?! So on we go…and here are a few pics of some mugs I’ve thrown recently for my workmates…the majority need to be glazed still, but we’re getting there!