Looking back on the past few months of my ceramics class, I can’t help but smile at how much I’ve learned and how much I’ve grown. It all started in March with a simple coil pot, something I hadn’t done since high school when I worked at a pottery bisque studio. Back then, I mostly painted ceramics, so I was excited to start learning the actual fundamentals of clay. I had no idea how much I’d come to love it.
Starting Simple
My first piece was a coil pot—classic, straightforward, and oddly calming to make. It was the perfect reintroduction to working with clay. That pot set the stage for what’s been a fun and messy adventure ever since.
Array of J’s
One of my first pinch pots was all about experimenting. I carved different designs of the letter “J” into four sections of the pot, and I love how the contrast in the colors makes the patterns pop. It wasn’t perfect, but it was such a fun way to dive into carving and let myself just play around with the clay.
Learning to Embrace Imperfections
When I made my first hand-thrown pot, I was so proud—until I noticed two small cracks in the greenware stage. At first, I was disappointed, but I decided to work with the imperfections instead of against them. I sanded the pot down to give it a rustic texture, filled it with black paint, and wiped it back to highlight the cracks. I didn’t even glaze it because I wanted it to stay raw and real. It’s not flawless, but it’s one of my favorite pieces because it tells a story.
A Bright Sunny Day
One of my more ambitious pieces was a sun-inspired candle holder. I designed it to be functional and decorative, even adding a little plant for extra detail. It can sit on a table or hang on the wall, which I think is pretty cool. That said, I learned a lesson with this one—I should’ve made the base flatter for better stability. It’s not perfect, but it’s bright and cheerful, and I love how it turned out overall.
Scrap Ghost
Sometimes the best pieces come from leftovers. I had some slab clay scraps that were headed for the slip bucket, so I played around and ended up making a little ghost. A few scrunches here, some rounded edges there, and two tiny eyes with a needle tool—suddenly I had a Halloween decoration! It’s simple, but I love that it came from something that would’ve been thrown away.
Little Houses
This decorative plate is one of the pieces that feels the most "me." It has a row of tiny white houses and a lone house on its own island, inspired by Malvina Reynolds' song Little Boxes. I tried a new technique with textured blue paint to represent water, and I love the dimension it added. Experimenting with texture has opened up so many ideas for future projects.
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