I spent approximately eight hours at the festival this year, enjoying talking to other potters. I was happily amazed at how generous they were with their information and would talk to me for 30 minutes or more with a single question. No holds bar, they were helpful, encouraging, supportive and fascinating. I learned that to throw big handles you need a blow torch to harden the clay while you are working. I learned that many of the artist have been experimenting with a single glaze for sometimes as long as 7 years to get it just the right color.
I learned that many artist, especially the women do most of their pieces with hand building instead of using the wheel. I felt so inspired the first night I couldn't sleep, idea after idea ran around my poor tired brain at 1:00 in the morning as I envisioned their wares and thought about ideas I wanted to try. One lifetime isn't anywhere near enough to do all the things I want to try with clay.
I bought my first kiln this week, a major undertaking. I have been taking pottery for about a year and a half now and love every frustrating moment of it. I have make approximately 100 bowls as my teacher likes to tell me, but I still don't have them down right. I make so many mistakes, too thick, too thin, too heavy too light. On and on it goes, there is an endless stream of errors one can make while doing pottery, and even if you get it perfect chances are it will end up being ruined in the firing as glazes are so unpredictable. It is a very non-exact art form.
My brother is a painter, what he paints, stays. No so with clays, temperatures ranging from 1900-2500 degrees can really vary what is being fired. Each kiln is different, each wheel is different, each glaze is different. There is numberless opportunities for error and chances are if something can go wrong it undoubtedly will. That is why when I get a beautiful piece to turn out, I am thrilled! It is a month worth of creative energy.
I was looking at all those artist last weekend, wishing I was one of them. They come from all over the United States, many from Texas, to show their wares and hawk their works of art. Luckily for them there is plenty of Utah Lodging near the show, as 11 hour days would be draining, especially as it has been in the 90's all week.
They say to conquer or really master a trade you need to spend 2000 hours doing it. With the help of all these kind, helpful, supportive potters encouraging me I may be able to master one aspect of pottery in 1500 hours with all their tips and tricks of the trade.
Author Resource:-
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