I used to take pottery classes at La Mano in Manhattan. It's a great studio. Not only is it right by the PATH and the F train, it's spacious, well thought-out, and things just makes sense there.
That's where I learned how bad I am at pottery. I had some luck early on and made some cool things, but as with most things, the more I learned, the more I realized I had no skill or talent at this. I dug in, making mug after mug, bowl after bowl. I just couldn't get the perfect large bowl I was trying to make. I have a mug made by Catherine Rhodes, and for years I've been trying to get good enough to replicate its large size and light weight, but I keep making small mugs that weigh a ton.
When I first moved to LA, I tried going to a pottery studio in North Hollywood, but the space was too small and most of the students appeared to have been going for years. Systems were unclear. How did it all work? I couldn't figure it out, and there was no space and the teacher was frequently a substitute. The worst was the limited studio hours, when the studio would be packed. Limited hours and various business trips later, I didn't get back in time to pick up my fired pottery, so I guess it went in the trash.
That was an unpleasant experience. I'm never going back there. I gave up.
But then I read a brochure from the Burbank Rec Center. Reasonably priced classes for beginners!
I signed up. The space was friendly, the other students were welcoming, and the teacher was pleasant and attentive. Aside: Burbank is kinda awesome, such a quirky little town.
I am doing the most basic class this time around, even though I've done a ton of wheel work (badly) in the past.
The classes go something like this:
"What are you doing? You sponged off too much glaze."
Shortly followed by: "That's too much glaze."
Soon followed by: "Write this down. Not on your phone. You'll lose your phone and then you won't have your notes. Write it on paper."
Me: "But it'll be in the cloud unlike if I lose a piece of paper."
(Stern glare.)
I'm the bad kid always getting in trouble.
Still fun.
That's where I learned how bad I am at pottery. I had some luck early on and made some cool things, but as with most things, the more I learned, the more I realized I had no skill or talent at this. I dug in, making mug after mug, bowl after bowl. I just couldn't get the perfect large bowl I was trying to make. I have a mug made by Catherine Rhodes, and for years I've been trying to get good enough to replicate its large size and light weight, but I keep making small mugs that weigh a ton.
When I first moved to LA, I tried going to a pottery studio in North Hollywood, but the space was too small and most of the students appeared to have been going for years. Systems were unclear. How did it all work? I couldn't figure it out, and there was no space and the teacher was frequently a substitute. The worst was the limited studio hours, when the studio would be packed. Limited hours and various business trips later, I didn't get back in time to pick up my fired pottery, so I guess it went in the trash.
That was an unpleasant experience. I'm never going back there. I gave up.
But then I read a brochure from the Burbank Rec Center. Reasonably priced classes for beginners!
I signed up. The space was friendly, the other students were welcoming, and the teacher was pleasant and attentive. Aside: Burbank is kinda awesome, such a quirky little town.
I am doing the most basic class this time around, even though I've done a ton of wheel work (badly) in the past.
The classes go something like this:
"What are you doing? You sponged off too much glaze."
Shortly followed by: "That's too much glaze."
Soon followed by: "Write this down. Not on your phone. You'll lose your phone and then you won't have your notes. Write it on paper."
Me: "But it'll be in the cloud unlike if I lose a piece of paper."
(Stern glare.)
I'm the bad kid always getting in trouble.
Still fun.
1 comment:
You're better at it than I could ever be.
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