..:: potters wheel ::..

My friend Virginia invited me and a few friends out to the studio where she works this evening for a complimentary home-coked meal and to try our hand at throwing some pottery on the potters wheel.

First off, let me give props to Virginia... the dinner was T-A-S-T-Y! Homemade stew and fresh baked croissants made from scratch. Delicious.

After the tasty dinner we got to try our hand at throwing some pottery on the wheel. This was a blast. It is really a very relaxing, and therapeutic exercise. A bit more complex then what Virginia, (the seasoned pro), makes it look, but I picked up on the strategy pretty quick.



You have to walk a fine line between forceful power and gentle caress. Figuring out the right balance is the key. Also, it kind of reminded me of snowboarding a bit. - I know that sounds weird, but before you write me off as a weirdo, hear me out.

When I was learning to snowboard, my friends told me, "The best way to learn is to just head straight to the top where the slopes are steep and the powder is deep." And you know what, they were right.

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I happened to get lost in a fog cloud at the summit of Big Mountain that day on my first trip down the mountain, and took a wrong turn into a black diamond moguls slope where I almost broke my tail bone and got a concussion, but that is another story.
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My point is the concept is true. In snowboarding, you just gotta go for it, find a slope that gives you a decent amount of speed, and just drop in. Things go a lot better for you when you have some momentum at your back.



That's kind of how it is with the potters wheel. When you are getting started you are afraid to let the wheel spin too fast. Afraid that your little ball of clay will break away from the wheel and fly off and kill someone, or poke someones eye out. But the truth is, it is infinitely harder to get the clay balanced in the center of the wheel, much less actually work it into a beautiful shape if you are holding back and trying to work too slowly and too cautiously. You just gotta go for it. A valuable lesson in pottery and in life.

Thanks Virginia for a great evening!