Playing with clay

During my first year at University both Fine Arts and Textile Design students did the same foundation year that combined subjects from both courses. In the student’s second year of study they could choose either to major in Fine Arts or in Textile Design. The readers know already that I chose Textiles and never looked back, nor regretted my decision.  During this foundation year I was introduced to the joys of pottery and working with clay.

Clay was something that children played with, according to me and wheel throwing for some reason was something that did not really capture my attention. That is until I started playing with clay as an adult and actually had to work on the wheel in order to pass the subject. For the next four years I did not really pay much attention to this desire that I had to do pottery again and continued my studies as usual.

At the end of 2013 I decided to do a second take and go for some classes and learn a bit more about pottery. In March 2014 my mother joined me at our first class at Rhoda Henning’s Pottery Studio in Brooklyn, Pretoria.  These classes have become many things; a weekly break from reality, some bonding time with my mother, social interaction (which I sometimes forget to do) and an extremely exciting hobby.

Like dyeing, the outcome of your pottery is always a surprise due to how unpredictable and stubborn clay can be, the high temperatures clay is fired at and the fact that any paints or glazes applied to the object only develop their true colours once it has been fired for a second time. It took a lot of convincing before mommy dearest believed that the pink paint she is using will turn blue during its second firing.

Pottery is another hobby that I would recommend everybody try during their lifetime. This may not be suitable if one is impatient as the process takes quite a bit of time and if one does not like to get your hands dirty. When working on the wheel many are cover up to their eyebrows in clay. Nonetheless it satisfies the need to create, paint and make functional as well as ornamental artworks.

Go forth and play!

Peace and love

Clara