Unbelievably, I had my first pottery exhibition 40 years ago on the 31st October 1979! My friend, Gillian Werner, and I teamed up and exhibited our work in the Benoni Library.
It was the late seventies so, of course, the dominant colour was brown and shades of brown. It was the early days of my love affair with pottery. I hadn’t even opened my own studio yet – that would come a few years later.
Now, here I am posting blogs on my new website and Facebook. I never could have foreseen that development forty years ago!
But pottery and clay has consistently been there for me and still intrigues me. There’s still so much I want to do! I keep telling myself to focus, but I’m not sure how much hope there is of that when there’s so much in life to be inspired by. And with another trip to India on the horizon, I’ll just be collecting more and more inspiration.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at this long relationship I’ve had with and continue to have with clay. I mean this is one craft and artform that has had longevity! I can’t think of an early civilisation where evidence of ceramic works wasn’t found. And here we are millennia later still fascinated by the medium.
I do think the benefit and interaction with clay has become more needed as our lives speed up and how we interact less and less with the natural world around us. Even though I appreciate the advantages that come with this digital age, it’s also great to be part of a pottery class where everyone is physically and mentally engaged with this textured medium and conversation and laughter waft through the studio.
It’s natural, at markers like this in a career, to look back at the phases my work has gone through. I’ve been so fortunate to meet so many wonderful fellow potters, the students who have filled my studio and whose work I have had the privilege of watching evolve and grow.
On the 6th December 2019 we’ll be having an exhibition of students’ work at the studio. I’m sure that the works on display then will be as colourful as they are varied. The theme of this year’s exhibition is cylinders. It’s always great fun to see how students interpret the theme and how they approach the challenge.
Follow my Facebook page for more details on this upcoming event and let me know in the comments below when your journey with clay started and what it has meant to you?
Sandra you are a legend, thank you for allowing me OUTSIDE THE Box, the exhibition will feature my Mum’s clock, for the audience, I am aware it is not cylinder, just layers of meaning unfolding. You are not only a Master, a true Earth Mother. Sincere gratitude
Yolanda, thank you for your kind words and your continued support all these years. They are sincerely appreciated.
Sandra you were and still are a true inspiration to me. Pottery is an art form that can be practised until the day that we are not part of this world anymore. It's amazingly therapeutic and the possibilities are endless. I wish I still stayed close to attend your classes!! 😉
Thank you for your kind words, Monia. Happy potting. 😊
I have no idea where I’d be if it were not for my beloved Thursday mornings. Everything about those precious 3 hours makes me a happy human. You are such a wonderful (a good kind of wacky) person and a superb teacher. The shared experience of everyone in the class and all that we, and you bring to the fore is just awesome. Thank you for deciding to teach us 😊