I have been working with ceramics since 2012. I started classes after our our daughter took lessons and have been hooked since.
I am a student and community member at Sawmill Pottery in Putnam, CT. It is such a wonderful and supportive community. I had never expressed any artistic inclinations before working with clay. We all learn from and encourage each other.
Many of the individual items I have made have been as part of class projects, and I would like to go back and revisit them and make more.
I really do enjoy throwing bowls, plates and cups though and am happy to spend a few hours at a time on the wheel.
My specialty, however is Humpback Whales. My whales are hand built and usually raku-fired. The raku firing is done outdoors. We do it as a group and it is an amazing community event. However, I only make on average about two whales a year. Not all of them survive the firing process.
My other favorite process is "horsehair" firing. Instead of glaze-firing for the finished product, the second firing is done to about 1200°F and taken out hot. Hair (or feathers) is singed on the hot surface and becomes a permanent part of the art.
I am happy to discuss the art, and processes, and love sharing my work.
I've always loved creating art. I took art lessons when I was younger. I've sewn, made quilts, scrapbooked, and made cards. Matt and our two daughters took pottery lessons at Sawmill Pottery. All the lessons involved throwing clay on the wheel. I know myself, and I know that I'm not coordinated enough to use the wheel. Last year, the studio announced a sculpture and hand-building class with no wheel classes. I tried it and fell in love. I have a whole bunch of ideas in mind to try! Matt and I have also started to collaborate on some pieces. He'll throw a mug or bowl, and I'll paint something on it.
Vin will hang out and supervise us while we make our pieces. Sometimes she tries to help by sitting on the wheel, the hessian, or the board. Her favorite activity is to take our sponges and carry them around in her mouth. She also frequently takes our paint brushes and drags them around the basement. One time, she decided to decorate a leatherhard mug by chewing on the rim and clawing at it. Annette fired and glazed the mug and now uses it to hold her tools.
