Pottery is an art I have always admired. Seeing videos across social media has made me very interested in trying out pottery as I had previously only had very limited experience working with clay and making ceramics. I think pottery will be a great activity that will allow me to embrace my creative side as I do not take subjects that fall in the arts category, and I also think that it’ll allow me to take my mind off the academic side of school for a few hours.
In the first lesson, we spent our time researching ideas and brainstorming. We were given the freedom to make whatever we want so the research process for inspiration was enjoyable however being able to narrow down ideas was a bit more difficult. I found that there were many categories for pottery works ranging from traditional arts to small decorations and also to very detailed pots. I knew that I wanted to make a small decoration with some function however it was difficult finding a specific picture for inspiration as there were so many ideas available. By the end of the lesson, there were a few designs that inspired me and I decided on a small plant pot with a decorated man.
In the next lesson, I began working on the basic structure for the pot. Moulding clay was definitely more difficult than what I had anticipated as the texture changes so quickly from exposure to air. I experimented with different techniques to shape a small round pot and by the end of the lesson, I had developed a foundation to continue on next week. I’m excited to complete my first piece and to grow a small plant in the pot.