Throwing pots — My Year of 50

Gung-ho for the New Year, I spent time planning how I could learn everything I want to learn and do everything I want to do on my Year of 50 list. I scheduled different new learning opportunities for January. First up was a beginning wheel class at the Armory Art Center. Three hours at a potter’s wheel- I was excited!

I arrived in clothes which could get dirty and with a can-do attitude. My instructor showed us what we were going to make, step by step: a small vessel about 3-4” wide and about 5” tall. The first step was getting the clay secure on the wheel. Check, that was easy. Next was getting the clay centered on the wheel by turning it into the size and shape of a tuna can or hockey puck. Surely this can’t be hard. Shirley was very wrong and it was quite challenging.

I pressed down with my right hand, and pressed in on the side of clay with my left. My clay looked like a dome and was definitely not centered. I tried and tried. After about 5 solid minutes at the wheel, the instructor asked if he could help by laying his hands over mine, so I could feel the amount of pressure needed to conform the clay to my wishes. The amount of pressure needed surprised me. I couldn’t let the clay decide where to go- I had to be the boss of the clay and guide it to where it needed to go. See, if I couldn’t get the clay centered, nothing beautiful could be created. My creations were lopsided, unstable, weak- easily torn or broken.

This reminded me of a Bible verse: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) God sometimes has to put us under pressure so that we can be made into something more beautiful. If God left us alone to do what we wished without His purposeful pressure, we too would be weak; unstable and easily broken.

The goal of our three hour class was to walk away with four of these vessels. My first one, after getting centered, became too weak as I pulled it up and my thumb tore a hole in the side. On my second one, the sides were good, but my base was too thin and wouldn’t be able to withstand the heat from the kiln. My third one became thin and wide at the top; it morphed into a wavy bowl. It had beauty, but seemed unstable. With each new opportunity to create the vessel, I improved on centering (although each time I had to focus intently to get it to center), and was able to correct the mistakes made on the precious pot.

I continued on to make a total of nine vessels, and I kept the best four. When the class was complete, I noticed something interesting. I would start to make the vessel and it always turned out differently than I planned. All my vessels were bowls of sorts. As much as I tried, no two were alike, and none looked like my instructors. I was pleased with my progress and had a ball!