I think that the one that learns the most in a class is always the teacher and this is no less true in the class that I just taught at Murwillumbah Potters. It was heaps of fun, great people, but also heaps of work!!!
The final class was a dinner and the “assignment” had been to make a plate, a bowl and a cup upon which to eat our lovely shared dinner. Not all got them all done, but the results were amazing and it was really so fun just to serve and eat lovely food off of our handmade pottery!
The last class was also a Raku firing as the students had made balloon pods from PB103 clay – a piece to teach rolling a slab, joining clay with slip and creating textures and stamps on clay. Pieces were bisqued, then oxides applied. We used several of my favorite raku glazes and my new fibre raku kiln. The results were absolutely spectacular and no cracks or breakage!!!
So here’s some of the stuff I learned from my pottery class:
1. Balloon pods are super cool and easy and make excellent raku work.
2. Abbot’s Cone 6 glazes are the bomb! Had to fire in my gas kiln-but got great results!
3. Raku pots don’t always break! Keep trying – don’t open the lid and shut it-it causes clouding.
4. I tried to stuff too much into too small amount of time. One project per class would have been better.
5. But most of all, I learned that I love to teach, but I also love to do my own thing. I can’t let teaching divert me from my own work.
Luv to all!
Marian
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