Horsehair class, left to right: Dee Lee, Roseann James, Pam Carlson, Kathy Laubon, and Sherrill Simmons
Diane Williams
The Ceramics/Pottery Club is excited to announce orientations are back in full swing after a long hiatus. Mary Ann Bechtel started holding orientations in January and has instructed 12 Robson residents on the art of pottery building. It’s good seeing new faces in the studio and watching their excitement when they create a finished piece of pottery out of a slab of clay.
Judy Marino, Linda Barr, and Dee Lee have been very busy updating the club’s display cases and bringing a fresh look to the cases with their artistic flair. They have created themes for the shelves to include “New Pieces by Our Talented Members,” “Items for Sale,” “Seasonal,” and more. Shelves are rotated on a regular basis to continually inspire members and potential homebuyers.
Several gung-ho members pitched in during a studio cleanup day and spruced things up while having some laughs.
Classes and demonstrations were held by Dee Lee, Elaine Spencer, and Grant and Sherrill Simmons. Dee Lee held a class on how to build beautiful, puffed hearts by using the best tools available, our hands. Dee taught members how to mold the clay in the palm of their hands to create the puff of the heart and how to add tiny clay pieces to make a heart rattle when shook.
Elaine Spencer volunteered her time with a hands-on demonstration on how to wedge clay to create a monkey face when wedging to reduce or eliminate air bubbles in the clay. Elaine shared so many great tips and techniques, and those present were super excited about all they learned. Elaine also taught how to throw clay on the wheel to some lucky members.
Grant Simmons, along with his wife Sherrill, taught several members how to build bowls in preparation for learning how to add horsehair to the bowls to create amazing pottery pieces. Grant and Sherrill taught the horse-hair process at their home, where they have a special kiln for this technique.
Along with formal training classes, there is ongoing individual, hands-on support by our more experienced potters to assist new members on their journey into the world of pottery.
If you’re interested in starting your own pottery journey, contact Mary Ann Bechtel at 910-393-9009 for information on orientation classes. The orientation class is $10, which goes toward the 2022 membership dues of $20. A beginner tool kit can be purchased for an additional $10.