Playing with Clay

May 29, 2009

One month ago, almost to the day, I took the kids to a local potter's studio to have an afternoon of clay play. Of course it's taken me 4 weeks (gasp) to get around to the photos from that day, delete most and select a few to share here.

It was such a great afternoon. The kids spent the first hour on free-form pottery (I don't know if it's actually called that) making bowls out of coils pressed against the inside of a mold - can't wait to see how these will turn out! The second hour they worked on the wheel. They each had a turn at building a bowl-ish shape with the help of the potter, Lindsey Tomlinson-Peck.

Lindsey offers workshops and classes to students of any age. She doesn't have a website but you can check out The Mudroom Pottery Studio on Facebook. If you do end up contacting her please tell her I sent you. I'd like to know I'm actually doing some good for the members of my "real" community here on this blog.

The kids and I will be going back next week because they want to paint their pieces before the glazing and final firing. For my kids painting and making something beautiful with color is the necessary finishing touch for the bowls they created.

As it is, they had a great time under the patient and gentle instruction of Lindsey. I could tell she has worked with children for several years, not to mention she is a mother herself. She was open to their ideas (my children have many - they aren't used to being told what they can and can't create!) and gave them a lot of clay to use for their own self-directed projects like these fairy bowls and plates.

Lindsey is a talented potter in her own right and although proficiency does not a good teacher make (I'm recalling university math courses), Tomlinson-Peck is both skilled in her craft and an excellent instructor. Thanks Lindsey for the great afternoon of creative play and learning - just the way we love to spend time!

Brienne had this to say of the experience "I liked getting my hands dirty." Agreed! Give Lindsey a call (see her Facebook page) if you too want to get your hands dirty and make something beautiful in the process.