From clay to a head bust
Roxie Forrest
The temperature is sizzling in the PebbleCreek Ceramics Room! Our kiln rooms have been reaching record temperatures bringing members’ projects to life. Our teachers have been keeping the chairs warm with bodies and working with students in designing and perfecting their works of art. Alas, it is not nearly as warm as being outside in our summer weather temperatures but warm as in several members attending classes and enjoying socializing and putting their learned knowledge into works of art.
I remember my father sharing with me some of his life stories. One of those stories was when he was a young boy, living in a very small logging community. There wasn’t much for the kids to do in town so one day he went down to the waterfront to watch the loggers come and go from their work. It was raining one day and the soil around the docks was wet. My father decided that he could put this mud to work to his advantage and he began making mud pies. He told me he would sell them to the loggers as they came from work. Imagine coming to ceramics and being able to play in the mud (i.e., clay) and build a beautiful bust.
Coming this fall one of our favored teachers, Ross Hart, will be teaching water based clay sculpting. No experience required. The class will last four weeks, meeting two hours each week. Students may stay longer and are encouraged to come into the class room on their own time to work on their project. Each student will be taught all the basic techniques to complete a head sculpture. All equipment will be provided. All the student needs to bring is an apron and a smile.