college

Timing: Pottery, Parties, Life

Posted on by pincupottery

I do not wear a watch. I used to. In grade school I found myself glancing at my wrist all too often and getting antsy. What is this time thing? How come what can feel like ‘forever’ is only a few minutes sometimes and then what may take ‘forever’ only seems like minutes? I dropped the watch to keep from looking at my wrist so often. Now I look up and around for a clock on the wall or am forced to ask a stranger or worse, take my cell phone out of hiding to check the digital time (I must confess I love traveling to a different time zone and seeing my cell phone reflect the new time).

What does this gibber jammer have to do with pottery? Well, I said in my last post that I would talk about what went into the making of Pincu Pottery’s birthday party and what I can do to make it better next year. All I can say is that timing has a lot to do with whether your clay pot/sculpture is successful and whether your pottery party (or life, for that matter) is successful! Readers, you know how to prepare for a party – and a pottery birthday party is no different.

Not to bore you with details about last week’s birthday party plans and implements, I want to suggest:
IT IS TIME to register for my Southwestern Community College summer clay classes!
(How is that for making the connection between time, parties and pottery?)
I will be teaching a ‘Kids in Clay’ class beginning June 20 for 8 year olds and up. This class may already be full. Also, ‘Beginner/Intermediate Wheel’ begins May 17 and ‘Handbuilding with Clay’ begins May 16. These two are for adults only. They will be really fun!

By the end of a Beginner/Intermediate Wheel class, every student will make a teapot. Take a look at some pictures from my last wheel class:

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It certainly took time and timing to make those pots! And now it is time for you to take a pottery class and find out how time flies when you are having fun in the studio!!!!

Thanks for reading!!!!

Face Jug Workshop

Posted on by pincupottery

Rob Withrow and Ted Cooley came to visit Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts program in Bryson City, North Carolina to show off their face jug style. They did a great job entertaining and teaching us how to make colorful, funny face pots.

Of course, the night started off with a pot luck, which means lots of fabulous food! Then Rob began working on his pots (about 3 feet each). Rob also brought one of his signature piggy bank pigs. When he and Ted were done with their first face, it was time for the students to get to work on their own.

This was a great workshop to share traditional Appalachian style pottery. Perfect for a school located in Western North Carolina! And all of our face pots will end up in our Manabigama kiln! Can’t wait to share those photos!

Enjoy the slideshow of the workshop!

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SCC vs WCU

Posted on by pincupottery

I don’t want to get down and dirty, but I cannot help myself…..

In a few weeks (Nov. 6) the WNC Pottery Festival in Dillsboro will take place; and amongst the fabulous potters proudly presenting their wares on this beautiful fall day will be two booths – one filled with Southwestern Community College’s Heritage Arts ceramics students’ works and the other filled with Western Carolina University students’ works.

There is no official ‘competition’ between these two schools’ ceramics programs, though I must admit that we at the community college like to look at our university neighbors and think quietly to ourselves, “WOW!  Our students are just as good as our university neighbors and receiving just as good, and much less expensive, education in the ways of wheel-thrown clay!”

Uh-oh!  I may be getting myself in hot doo doo for saying that, but it’s true!  We pride ourselves on the fabulous facilities here at Southwestern Community College: 3 computerized electric kilns, 1 small sitter kiln, about 30 electric wheels of different manufacturers, a Thomas Stuart kick wheel, one updraft gas kiln, 1 Manabigama fast-fire wood kiln – for soda firing as well as wood, one Olympic Raku kiln and other kiln parts ready for use in experimental capacities.  We also have 2 North Star slab rollers and 2 mounted extruders.   Add one de-airing Peter Pugger to that list…..  Hmmmm… a fully stocked glaze lab with both digital and weighted scales, air compressor for glaze spraying…. I’m out of breath!  I probably forgot something, too!

And did I mention the fine instructors?  OK, I admit I am a bit biased being one of them, but seriously…. JoeFrank McKee and I are both members of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and have had good training at the University of North Texas and the University of Florida respectively.  Classes include wheel-throwing, handbuilding, craft fair creation and operation, glaze chemistry, history of ceramics, production pottery techniques and more!

Lastly, we are all so proud because the students ROCK!  These are mostly older students eager to learn a new skill, whether for hobby or next career.  We have even had several WCU students brave the 1/2 hour drive to take classes at SCC!  Several students have completed or are completing their Master Potter Certificate and truly it shows in their wares.  A number have begun selling their pottery in galleries around the area.  YEA!

So… come out and visit the WNC Pottery Festival and take a look at the Southwestern Community College booth.  Then mosey on down to the Western Carolina University booth.  You tell me…. who should be so proud?!