Pinch Pots and Other Ramblings

Textured Pinch Pot

I teach Clay Handbuilding on Monday nights to adults. My class is small right now tho 1 student larger than our first meeting (a late enrollie). So tonight we made pinch pots. I like to start a class building pinch pots because it just seems right to start clay students on the same clay path that primitive man once followed. Pinch pots are one of the oldest ways of working with clay. It doesn’t take any fancier tools than a thumb and a finger to make and you can make them as primitive or finished looking as your skills will let you.

I think my students did rather well, most making more than one in the time allowed. I love to see excitement as they discover that such a simple technique can make useful objects. We had cat bowls, dipping bowls, some plain, some textured, some round, some organic…a nice mix of experimentation.

My own work I have been playing with square plate shapes. I have been pleased with most my results. I am still going to continue experimenting in the square plate direction for a while. This weekend I listed some snowmen ( http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14961263 ) pins on etsy. I don’t know if it is too soon to try selling winter items yet, time will tell. This is my first venture into online selling. I sold my first piece last week, that was exciting, I guess it was too much to hope the sales to just keep rolling on in…I can dream right

Well, Hurricane Ike is out there in the Gulf. I’m not so worried about him. I don’t think he will come and shatter my world tho I am fairly sure he has and will shatter someone elses. I do hate storms out there twirling around. My sinuses go all crazy with all the pressure of a hurricane passing. I am so ready for this hurricane season to wind down, too bad we are smack dab in the middle of the peak.

Well next week class moves on to coil pots. The classroom doesn’t have a clay extruder so we roll by hand. Its always fun to watch those coils thump around and the students get the hang of rolling a smooth coil. Its always the one you least expect that is the best coil roller. Bye til next week.

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