Surprise Dad! Merry Christmas!

Well, I made it...all the way to Christmas day and dad knew NOTHING of my “mud-slinging” exploits! I think it was a big hit!

Dad opening his gift!

He was surprised & excited to see that I have taken an intrest in turning...boy, now the pressure is really on! Ha!


It was really nice to have the family together to share in the surprise, and we had a white Christmas! (first one in 28 years!) My next class starts on Jan 1oth, wish me luck...


I’ll keep you updated on the progress...not ready to quit my day job just yet...

Last class of the session!

Class #8 and I am so sad it’s over! I think I will continue this endeavor though...it’s in my blood, and I can’t give up just yet. The next session starts in January, sign me up!

Now if I can only keep this secret for 3 more weeks! It’s been so hard not to talk about it to dad, but I want him to be surprised on Christmas Day with the first piece of pottery I made.

I made a few more pieces today, but nothing special, just a few crooked little pots.

Who names these glazes?

Class #7 & just as I suspected, Randy (of the Randy’s Red glaze) is, in fact, color blind...

  ...I refuse to believe that it was the application of the glaze...ha!

Randy clearly has no concept of color...

  I did have a few pieces make it out of the kiln. One of which is dad’s pot (appropriately glazed in “Bob’s Blue” of course) although Bob appears to be color blind as well...I guess Bob’s teal didn’t sound as good?

Bob's Blue (which really means teal...)

  I also made this little pot with handles that I am pretty excited about so far...fingers crossed!

how cute is that?

The wonderful world of glazing...

Just when I thought the hard part was over...I discover the world of glazing!

  I glazed my very first bowl tonight the glaze is called “Randy’s Red” but I believe this “Randy” is color blind, based on the sample of his glaze. I hope it turns out more rust than red...

Randy's Red...why not Randy's Rust?

  I showed mom the fat little vase from last week, so she put in an order for a coffee mug. (I am sooooo not in a place to take orders, ha!) I made it and a few other pieces.

  Only 2 classes left! Hope it all comes out of the kiln OK!

The Kiln is the enemy!

I DID IT!!! I finally managed to actually turn the wad of clay into something that looks like pottery!

  Ok, well it looks like a fat little vase, but nevertheless it is something that I made all by myself with no assistance!

Fat little Vase

  WOOO HOOOO! (Still not planning on taking up pottery as a profession, and I have to say this “peaceful hobby” is so much more stressful than my job!)

  You have to wedge it, turn it, dry it, fire it, glaze it, fire it again, and all could be for nothing! The kiln is the enemy...

whew...first firing done!

So Tam dropped me off tonight and got to see my one little crooked bowl...thank goodness it made it through the bisque firing, I was worried I may never be able to make anything else!

bowl-ish things

  I did manage to create a few more crooked little “bowl-ish” looking wads of clay tonight...it is getting better, although I doubt there will ever be a need for my own propaganda! Ha!

  Now if I can figure out how to trim these things without breaking them, I guess glazing comes next!

 

3rd time's a charm, right?

Okay 3rd time’s a charm right? WRONG! Tonight was pretty rough. I have managed to make exactly two things...

    1. A big mess on me & the immediate surrounding area.

    2. a wet ball of mud  spin around in a wobbly circle.

  Just when I thought there was NO hope of me creating anything that even remotely looked like pottery, I managed (with a good deal of help) to turn a bowl...



...please oh please let it survive bisque firing! 



Class #2

Class #2 and I am beginning to have a whole new appreciation for that “crooked little potter” father of mine...I am so bad at this!
 
  I keep getting bubbles in my wedges and Leon had to hold an empty bat in front of me so I couldn’t see my hands while I tried to do my first pull. (a trick he explained that has not been necessary in the last 25 years of teaching)

  With 2 down, and 6 more classes to go...this is shaping up to be quite an adventure!

Leon & the "blinding bat"



Let the Journey Begin...

So...tonight was my first night of pottery class, and boy do I suck at this...ha! Wedging and Balling the clay proved to be more of a challenge than one might have first thought!

  Guess I haven’t made enough biscuits from scratch in my life to be very good at this part.

  Centering proved to be quite a challenge as well...but hopefully the girl sitting beside me who I kept throwing clay at will forgive me...



The scene of the crime