I could go on and on about my relationship with clay -- from the first piece I ever made in grade school (a clown face paperweight), to learning the art of throwing, to the beadmaking class I taught in Maine that caused me to collapse of exhaustion, to making production tiles for 4 straight years. It's been a long and winding road, much of which has been rife with enormous self-imposed pressure to make great stuff of importance and greatness (whatever that means).
I've tried over the the years to take pottery classes at local art centers just for fun, but would inevitably get bogged down by my own expectations for what could be accomplished.
All of that has changed, thank goodness! I'm currently enrolled in a class called "Creative Tableware" at the Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ, taught by David Gamber. After only 3 sessions, it has already been a revelation.
For once in my life, the clay studio is actually an escape from the pressure instead of being a different type of pressure. I'm making cups, bowls, beads, bells and anything else my heart desires ... with absolutely no pressure. It's wonderful! The day's anxieties melt away and my head clears for a few hours. I come home refreshed and relaxed.
I'm accomplishing a whole lot more than just making pots. More on this in the days and weeks to come...
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