Pottery Fall 2012

For many (14?) years I have been taking pottery classes at Britannia community centre in East Vancouver. I still learn things from the instructor, Helen Spaxman, but it is also just helpful to have a definite time to go and a group to chat with while I am doing it. It was a great group this time around, I hope those guys sign up again in the Spring.

I have a default object that I make, which is a hand built (pinch pot) bowl, like the one below. This was one that I glazed with commercial glazes I have at home. Coloured underglazes are put on under a clear glaze. The light brown is the colour of the clay. I have made dozens of these little bowls. They don't all turn out and the good ones make good host gifts, but the real reason I have made so many is that I find it very relaxing.

You can see another such bowl in the left picture below, also decorated with the commercial glazes I have at home. There is also a larger coil-built bowl and a salt shaker (there is a cork in the bottom you remove to fill it). These are done with the glazes at the community centre. On the right is the piece I was happiest with this session. It's a sugar bowl for us at home, slab-built. The design on the side started out as an error as wax resist put on the base got away from me and ran over the side. "It's a feature" as Helen says (OK, she's quoting me when she says it).