After my first ceramics course back in college, I fell in love with ceramics. I couldn’t imagine a better afternoon than one spent in the studio, listening to soft music, rain or shine. It’s been one of the most relaxing and meditative experiences I’ve had with art. The next ceramics class I took, a wheel thrown pottery class, had me hooked. Though, it was not without its challenges.
While ceramics can seem intimidating, this artform comes with a community of very kind and calm individuals, and many who are hobbyists rather than practicing ceramicists. When you take your first course, you’ll most likely be in a group with a mix of experiences, some who have been going to the studio for years, and others who are complete beginners. This always makes for a very welcoming environment. Many studios also offer courses strictly for those who are beginners or one-off classes to learn a specific skill.
In 2022, I decided to take a wheel-throwing pottery class. Years prior, in college, I took my first ceramics course where we learned to hand build, make coil pots, and make pinch pots, but I had never used the wheel before, or even thought about it as an option. I can’t move my feet due to an accident, and that kept me from considering wheel-thrown pottery for some time. But I found a local studio, asked if they had an accessible wheel, and lo and behold I was back in the studio after almost 6 years.
About Ceramics
With limited mobility, I use the wheel a bit differently than most. Instead of using the foot pedal on the floor, the pedal is raised, sitting on my right side, and I simply use my hand to adjust the speed at which the wheel spins. In the first class, I was so afraid that it wouldn’t work, that I wouldn’t be able to indulge in this side of ceramics. Ultimately, my challenges came not from my limited mobility, but simply from being new to the wheel.
Centering, pulling, and creating an even thickness. These are the obstacles all new ceramicists face, and the same obstacles I worked to overcome. I worked diligently, came to open studio every Saturday, and eventually, I made functional, beautiful pieces. In only 6 weeks, I fell in love with ceramics all over again and brought a lost sense of trust back into my creative life.
First Pieces
Summer 2022
Here you can take a look at the pieces I was able to create in my first course, I hope these help to inspire you.
Mushroom Dish
One of my first pieces and my favorite.
Soy Sauce Dish
Messing around with smaller amounts of clay.
Jewelry Dish
A simple but uniform dish after many attempts.
Bowl
A poorly mixed glaze left this interesting color.
Sake Cup
I use this cup often 🙂
Small Cup
One of my first attempts at making a cup.
Dish
Not sure where I was going with this one but it came out very cool.
Dish
A domed sort of dish.
Lilly Pad
Along with the Mushroom dish, this is another favorite, the colors and shape are so sweet.
Small Bowl
First of three bowls I created toward the end of our 6 weeks.
Medium Bowl
Bowl number two, finally getting the hang of making larger bowls!
Large Bowl
Bowl number three, this one is quite heavy and used often for soup and ramen.
Final Note
If you are considering taking a ceramic course, I would highly recommend it. It is not only enjoyable and rewarding, but creating ceramic pieces that you’ll soon get to take home or gift to friends and family is truly a joyful experience. (Pro tip – sign up for classes as soon as registration becomes available. Many studios can only house a few students per class, and spots fill up very quickly – often within a single day of them becoming available.)
Ceramics can be a bit intimidating, especially if you have never worked with clay before, and knowing which class to take can be a confusing and time-consuming obstacle to work through. Check out this article to help you consider which ceramics class to take.
Taking this leap of faith, to do something I was so afraid would be impossible, has been invigorating and deeply emotional to say the least. Not only have I given myself a new mode of creative expression, but I have also overcome both personal and technical obstacles alike. While I spend the fall focusing on my literary studies, I’ll continue attending open studio on the weekend and get back into the studio for my next course soon.
If I can learn to use the wheel, you surely can as well. Through art, you’ll find yourself calm, less crowded by thoughts, and put into a place of gentle meditation while working. This is all we can ask for out of life, and I’ve found ceramics to truly be one of the most meditative forms of art.
Until my next course, I’ll be sharing resources and my ceramics progress here.
