Pottery

Since attending a pottery camp in 7th grade, I've wanted to get back on the wheel. I've honestly never been a fan of ceramics, only because clay has a mind of its own and is hard to make smooth and perfect. Unless, of course, it is on the wheel. I love the feeling of working with clay as it spins and finishing with a smooth, (mostly) uniform product. Over the course of my independent study, I became more and more in tune with how clay moves and feels-how much water to use, what hand motion will create what shape, etc. I was able to create 5 or 6 pieces that I am relatively happy with, and I would love to continue doing pottery in the future!

My biggest challenge was finding the balance between keeping the clay the perfect degree of both wet and dry. As seen in the two top right images, there were multiple times when I overworked the clay and it became too saturated to mold. Through experimentation (and the help of Mr. A) I was able to eventually figure out some techniques that would prevent the clay from getting too wet, like repeatedly running over it with a sponge or moving more quickley. Aside from specific techniques, my biggest takeaway was figuring out what the clay should feel like at certain stages. When I was getting near the end of a pot, I could tell if it was going to be a success or if it was going to collapse on me. I learned that when the latter happened to not become frustrated or overwork the clay even more trying to save it, but to lean into it and have fun.