I have a confession to make, and that is that I am a pot-a-holic.  No, I don’t mean cannabis, which has recently been legalized here in the great white north!  I am talking about the art of raku pottery.  No visine required!  I do not think there is anything I do not like about it, except for maybe when the kiln gods are unkind and a pot breaks.

You see, for me, finding my love of raku pottery was like winning the lottery.  It came at a time in my life where I felt I needed to challenge myself artistically, and let me tell you, it has been a challenge!  And there is so much more to learn.  You see with pottery, the learning never stops.  You can always throw taller, wider, faster and thinner.

The whole process of creating a piece, feeling the clay in my hands, the guilty pleasure of the zen moment when I center the clay on the wheel and it glides in my hands, to the flames of the reduction bin, and of course scrubbing off the ash and debris to reveal my final prize.

 

 

In the early days, there were many disappointments, and many moments where I wanted to walk away from pottery.  I have made MANY ugly pieces of pottery.  I feel like I owe some of my family and friends an apology for all the ugly mugs, vases and other pottery items I gave them as gifts in my first year of throwing. Have hope, Christmas is coming!

The Alchemist

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