Going Potty for Pottery

When Hannah was home in April, she rallied our Arty Farty WhatsApp group, and got six of us to sign up to a Saturday morning pottery class.

We turned up, channelling our inner Demi Moore’s and ready for action at Charlotte Miller Ceramics studio in Westbourne, armed with coffee and as much creativity as we could muster.

I was wavering between thinking that hand throwing pots could be my, as yet, undiscovered talent. Then, remembering Bridget Jones feeling the same about cookery, deciding I would most likely be absolutely rubbish, ending up with clay everywhere!

However, Charlotte Miller was on hand to guide us, and steered us unwaveringly through the learning process, which, incidentally, is littered with inuendo time bombs, leaving us tittering like naughty schoolgirls!

However, through the hilarity and our giggling, we were taught two at a time on the potter’s wheel, whilst the rest of us, following Charlotte’s demonstration, worked on benches making and decorating tube-shaped pots, mugs and jugs from blocks of clay.

The potter’s wheel was definitely daunting at first, but with a series of explanations on how to shape our hands in order to shape the clay, it was surprising how quickly we all picked up the ability to produce a collection of simple, little pots and bowls.

Without exception we all enjoyed the whole pottery process, from the primal and satisfying feeling of ‘playing with mud’, through to the careful handling of, and pride in a finished piece!

And we were prolific! In the three-hour session, the six of us had two sessions each on the wheel and made at least two thrown pots as well as two block pieces during our time in the studio.

Our class was just for the throwing and making of the pots, so Charlotte let us know that she would complete them for us, using a simple dip glaze and fire the pots ready for collection in 3-4 weeks. So, after much debate and choosing of glaze colours, we cleaned ourselves up, (some more than others), and headed home all agreeing what a fab time we’d had!

On collection, our final pieces, although perhaps a bit clumpy and uneven, looked wonderful, all the more so for holding the memories of such a fun morning spent together, going potty for pottery!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog – you might like to check out other crafty pursuits like when I learned to do Brush Calligraphy!