I just finished a beginning ceramics class at the local college and I loved it! My mother taught ceramics and pottery at the Region II Community Action Agency when I was around…5? I can remember mom bringing clay home and we’d sit at the table with newspaper spread out and make things. They just never turned out how I pictured them in my mind and I became frustrated quickly. Why weren’t mine looking as good as hers?

So I decided I didn’t like sculpting or clay and stuck with my drawings. Did I mention I was a bit of a temperamental child? But I had fun helping her pour molds down in the basement, the giant rubber bands going around the 2 halves and pouring the slip down into the mold. I think I was most entertained with the potter’s wheel at the Agency, sitting in the seat and kicking the wheel to make the top spin. The one I used at the college seemed very tiny in comparison and they’re electric, no kicking allowed.

The past few years I’ve had this urge to try ceramics again. I seem to be ok at sculpting hot glass so maybe it was time to give clay another try. Our first assignment was to make pinch pot shakers. You take a ball of clay and pinch your thumb down inside and gradually enlarge the shape by pinching. I made tiny little shapes in clay, wrapped them in newspaper and sealed them inside the pinch pots (don’t forget the hole!). After they’re fired in the kiln you end up with tiny pieces of hard clay inside and sprinkles of ash when you first shake it. We had to make 3 things that were related somehow and I chose a totem style setting. I wrote “balance” in kanji on the bottom shaker, then what was supposed to be a clay version of one of my sumo beads, topped by an Asian woman in a kimono. They do fit together when stacked in their little zen garden, just don’t sneeze.

Since this was our first assignment, we didn’t use glazes. I resisted painting these at first, I’ve always thought regular paints on pottery ruined the look. Finally (night before the last day of class) I decoupaged golden tissue paper on the bottom piece and patterned tissue paper on the girl’s kimono, ceramicoat paints on their heads. The heads are shakers too, 4 seperate pieces and they each have a different sound. I made a horizontal hole in the girl’s hair ribbon before it was fired, I’m going to place silver wire hair sticks with flowers and beads hanging from them… I was in a bit of a rush towards the end of class and didn’t have time to add that finishing touch.

Oh and my slab assignment was to make a box with a lid. I made a castle with gargoyles and layered different glazes to create an ancient, weathered look. I cut a window into the side and also into the top lid so I can place a candle inside. I really didn’t want to make non-functional pieces, I don’t want a bunch of clutter in my home. Sound awful? No, I’m not saying art is clutter but when it comes to ceramics or pottery sitting in my place and taking up counter space, they need to have some useful purpose. When the power goes out, I’ll have my little castle casting shadows on the wall, the gargoyles chasing away evil.

I’d like to take another pottery class this coming Spring. I really liked my instructor, Tom McMillen-Oakley. He gave me the idea of using tissue paper instead of paint on my shakers. Very patient man and not once did I hear him yell or throw anything… always good traits in a teacher.

Tracy Jerrell Akhtar blogs from her home studio in Southern Michigan. To see her webpage and more of her creations, click on TracyBeads.