There's a myth about working with clay -- the story goes that it's incredibly difficult to learn and impossible to master. In part, we potters ourselves are to blame, we commiserate by trading horror stories of pots exploding in kilns, huge cracks in our work, glaze melting off pots adhering them hopelessly to shelves...and so on and so on...the things that happen because we're pushing the limits of the medium and our experience in order to grow as makers.

I'll let you in on a little secret though: clay, at it's most basic level, is not at all difficult to work with, it's the very first art medium many of us are introduced to as children and when approached with a beginner's mindset, expectation-free and exploratory, is a wonderful, expressive, playful medium loaded with innumerable possibilities. It works with you, (almost) never against you, nothing is permanent, any unwanted marks can be smoothed over easily...clay reflects the maker's desire immediately, it responds to every touch, firm, gentle or in between.

In the end, experience with clay teaches us that no matter how long we've been practicing, mastery is neither a realistic nor even a desirable goal. The true goal is keeping the beginner's mind alive and curious, playing with the possibilities, and simply having a good time. That's where you come in! Join me in my studio, we'll play with clay, get muddy, and explore the endless potential of this incredible art form!