One of the first things I learnt was to centre the clay on the wheel. When learning to do this, as soon as it is centred, you give the clay a knock to uncentre it and then start the process over again. This is when Sandy told me, "It's much easier to centre the clay once you've centred it the first time."
Initially, Pottery Classes started as a hobby but developed into a passion when my children left home and I was gifted a wheel. Pottery became my life after children.
Clay has always been part of me. I am shaped by the Springbokvlakte and vast open plains of the farm I grew up on in the Northern Province. There we had an open canvas for imagination and time to play.
The success of my pottery studio and classes is largely due to the wonderful students I’ve met over the years who have come to love clay in their own way. I thought it would be a good idea to let my students express what they’ve learnt about ceramics and what they get out of pottery class. […]
In a continuation of our pottery student-focused blog series, today’s focus is on Heather Collin. Here’s a little about Heather’s journey with clay in her own words. My parents owned a pottery studio in Lake Ave, Benoni, called "Gone to Pot" in the late ‘70s. It was assumed that, because I showed some artistic skill, […]
The success of my studio is largely due to the wonderful students I’ve met over the years who have come to love clay in their own way. I thought it would be a good idea to let my students express what they’ve learnt about ceramics and what they get out of pottery class. This will […]
The success of my pottery studio and classes is largely due to the wonderful students I’ve met over the years who have come to love clay in their own way. I thought it would be a good idea to let my students express what they’ve learnt about ceramics and what they get out of pottery […]
For many of my students, their weekly pottery class is a commitment to some “me” time - a way for them to exercise good mental health practices. This means they are able to show up and contribute fully in the other areas of their life.
Last night we had the annual exhibition for the students of my studio. What a wonderful turnout we had. The warmth of catching up with new and old friends outshone the unseasonably cold, wet weather. We wined, chatted and nibbled on some delectable delights – never a shortage of food or wine at pottery class. […]
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 […]
