a bit wobbly but back at the wheel.

by Carole Epp | Oct 5, 2009 | Uncategorized

So I have to admit it’s been a very long time since I sat down at the wheel to throw so today was particularly joyful for me. Finally a bit of quiet time in the studio, the little one finally napping a bit better and longer. There are numerous reasons (excuses) as to why I haven’t been throwing; making a lot of figurative work, been developing a mad sewing obsession, life in general getting in the way and likely that which hinders it the most is an awful skin condition I developed on my hands back when I was pregnant that just doesn’t seem to want to go away. So I sorta listen to my dermatologist’s orders of not messing with clay too much (actually he told me to quit, but yah right!) I now wear gloves for everything I do which sucks with a tactile medium and throwing just hasn’t been the same since. It’s worse than throwing blind I reckon, the clay is too dry or too wet and I’m never sure, and the thickness – well lets just say I’ve made pots recently that rival my very first attempts 12 years ago in terms of weight. But I’m not complaining. It’s life and things happen, we are organic beings and our bodies do what they need to. Someday hopefully my hands will be back to normal, and until then I make do.

Today’s throwing was magical though. It’s been cold and raining lately, but today the sun is shinning gloriously through the studio window right onto my wheel giving me a good dose of vitamin D. And I’ve been playing around with some loosely thrown bowls that make me feel like dancing. As tight and rigid of a thrower as I normally am, drawn to more graphic designed lines and forms; there has always been a potter in me that craves the organic movement of the material, that enjoys the play. But i’ve always struggled to make work that was looser without it coming across contrived. I love it on the wheel, but once it goes through the kiln, they seem to tighten up in all the wrong ways. It’s an ongoing challenge and project for me, to make the perfect wobbly bowl.

I remember once having a conversation with a potter, whose opinion thankfully I didn’t care too much for in the first place. He told me that the reason I couldn’t throw organically was because I wasn’t a very good potter yet. Only good potters could throw loosely well. The comment urked me, as though my pots weren’t as good because I had chosen an aesthetic that was more geometric and rigid. Wobbly or rigid, they are just two different aesthetics, or languages to me. One is not better or worse than the other. It’s simply like learning another spoken language, it’ll help you to make your way in the world a bit easier; the more people you can communicate with. At least that’s how I feel about it. When I was younger I took french emmersion. I can sorta still speak french if I have a minute to think about it and you don’t speak too quickly to me. I love the language, I wish I had learned more languages, and hopefully I one day will. But today is the day to work on my wobble speak…