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50p

Pottery Take Two

7 November 2020
Milla W, Allard ‘21
This year I built up the courage to expand my horizons and try a new art at Brentwood, pottery. Having done pottery in the past, I felt that I would be fully competent with clay between my hands.

Man, was I wrong! I live in constant fear. What if I didn’t wedge my clay well enough? What if my hard work explodes in the kiln?

Emily W, Allard ‘22, says, “I initially joined pottery because I thought it would be cool to try. I have found it to be a really relaxing art form because the feeling of your hands in the clay is so therapeutic. It’s really great because I can express myself while at the same time getting to create functional objects! It definitely takes a lot of practice to get to a point where it feels relaxing though, don’t get me wrong.”

And, oh, the joy I felt when I noticed my pinch pot was alive and well! Complete bewilderment washed over me, and to be honest, it was probably just sheer luck, yet I couldn’t help but feel a great sense of pride in my work.

The projects that have followed have definitely been less stressful than the first. Finally getting the hang of things, I have decided to just enjoy the process rather than worry about whether or not the piece survives. Olin D, Whittall ‘21 feels much the same and recounts the past month of pottery: “I just love getting my hands dirty. No matter how my piece turns out, at the end of the day, the feeling of having clay between my fingers is fulfilling enough.”

To relearn such an art from scratch was no easy feat, but I definitely have had a lot of fun and learned from my mistakes along the way. This is not to say that I am perfect - because I am not by any means - but I enjoy looking at how my skills have evolved and my pieces have become more than just stagnant cylindrical nothings. I am looking forward to adding more of myself into my art and seeing where the wheel will take me next!

Milla W, Allard ‘21

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