Everything you need to know about life can be found in pottery and in the act of making pottery. It’s hard to not get philosophical when talking about pottery because so much of it is in the head and the heart, not just the hands. Here are some of the life lessons in pottery I have discovered so far.
Pottery is, at it’s most basic, earth and water and fire. And you, as the potter are breathing life into it. You’re infusing it with energy and good pots have a vitality to them. Good pots have something of the artist in them. This is why most people who use handmade coffee mugs have a favorite. There is something about the energy and vitality of that mug that resonates with them. The process of making pots are the steps required to transfer that energy; like a magic spell. Those steps have lessons to teach us.
The process of preparing clay to make pottery begins with wedging. Wedging is this rhythmic motion of kneading the clay to remove air bubbles and align the clay particles to make it easier to work with. There are a number of different ways to wedge; spiral wedging, monkey face, wire cut wedging. It doesn’t matter which method you chose, you cannot rush this process. You cannot skip it. You have to do it if you are to throw a good pot.
I normally count out between 70-100 motions for each piece of clay I am going to throw. It is tedious and backbreaking. I don’t know anyone who says, “I love wedging!” However because it is necessary, I suppose the life lesson here is, all jobs have some sort of drudgery.
The next step is to measure and weigh your clay. You don’t have to do this, but if you want to become consistent, or a production potter you have to work with the same amount of clay each time. In fact a lot of production potters keep a tally of how much clay is required for each type of piece and will meter out the clay accordingly for that day’s throwing. consistency is key. If you make something that sells well, you want to be able to reproduce it.
Next comes centering the clay on the wheel. It sounds trite, but you must be centered if you hope to center the clay. It has been my experience that if I am distracted, or upset I am better to off doing something else, cycling or cleaning, or some other physical activity. A clear mind will lead to better pots. If you do not center the clay it becomes much more difficult to throw.
I have a little mantra I like to repeat to myself when I am throwing in the studio, “there is no mercy in this dojo”. Not everything I make will be worth keeping. Knowing when something doesn’t work is almost as important as knowing when it does because you won’t waste energy on something that won’t turn out. Jim Malone, an English potter uses the analogy of being in shape. That if you have a nice body, you’re fit, then it doesn’t really matter what you wear, you look good.
A good looking pot will look good no matter what the glaze is.
I have learned over hundreds of ruined pots that throwing is also something you cannot rush. With experience you learn when the clay has had enough. When trying to force it into something will result in failure. I don’t know where I picked it up but I have this thought that the clay will decide what it wants to be. And you are merely there to coax it into shape. If you try to force it, it will push back. As a result I try not to think too much about the pot, but rather let it come into being. Patience is a key lesson to making pottery.
I used to have kick-wheel back in Canada, and I didn’t realize what a treasure it really was. It had an electric motor to help get the stone wheel moving but once it was, you could turn off the motor and throw as the wheel slowed down. I would like to get back to that process. An electric wheel is relentless. It demands your attention. But a kick wheel is more intimate because you need to provide the energy of motion and the wheel tends to slow down as you move up the piece.
Once you’ve thrown the pot it needs to rest and dry a little until it is leather-hard. Then you can trim the pot. Again, you have to be patient and wait for the right time. Trimming for many people, myself included, this is the most enjoyable part of throwing because the pot reveals it’s true form. Much of the excess clay is removed, so the pot becomes lighter as well. This is also where I tend to lose some pots. After trimming I decide the pot doesn’t make the grade; “there is no mercy in this dojo”. It seems like a waste of effort but better to stop now while I can recycle the clay than wait until further in the process and I can’t. The life lesson, know when to cut your losses and beware the fallacy of sunk costs.
to be continued…