Clay on words

I finally got off my butt and found something recreational to do with my extra time. Or, at least, I checked out a pottery class offered at one of the local churches. It's one of those "learn-by-doing" configurations. There are teachers there, but they pretty much let you do your own thing. So this week I tried my hand at a mug and a squarish plate. Both are still drying at the church, and both look very basic and lop-sided. But

a) I am a beginner
b) that's okay with me
c) I don't have enough patience to work on something that I know will look like a beginner made it whether I spend 15 minutes or 15 hours on it.

The mug is incredibly ghetto and reminiscent of the pieces I did the last time I did pottery in 1988. I knew nothing about proper handle-making, or drying times, or what leather hard meant at that time. And I sure as hell don't know anything more now. So chances are the handle has already broken off and the mug itself has exploded in the kiln.

I am particularly proud of the plate. I used a plaster mold, two different colours of clay and a little artistic license around the edges. I cut away most of the clay to give it a modern/artistic/oops-i-don't-have-enough-clay look. Hopefully it will survive firing.

I'm going back next week to paint it. . . or glaze it, or whatever you call it.

~ hey, give g. mango a break, she hasn't done this since she was six