This September I set a goal to only wheel throw pots as opposed to hand/slab-building them.
I lasted about 4 months. However, I am giving myself permission to ditch this crazy committment!
My thought was, if I only wheel-threw pots, my skills would get stronger on the wheel (which is true ;) But here’s the catch, I might get stronger on the wheel but I simply do not like the finished product.
I LOVE texture and color.
Wheel thrown pots, to me, are just missing that – what’s the word –spunk. Don’t get me wrong, I tried. I invested in sgraffito (carving tools), I tried wax resist to get some cool glaze techniques. I swear I tried to go the traditional route.
I’m kind of excited that I felt so strongly about this. It means I actually know what I want. I tend to float like a snowflake in and out of everything. Not liking something is great. It gets me just a little bit closer to being a bit more focused. Maybe by the time I’m 80 years old I’ll lock into mastering one thing… HA! right ;)
With my new permission to renege on my goal, I did exactly what I wanted to do which felt great. This brought passion and excitement back into creating. I think that’s my intuition saying I’m on the right track. Now don’t get me wrong, I AM NOT A QUITTER. I am the crazy that created a work of art every single day for 365 days. I didn’t quit on that and there were so many days I wanted to. That goal felt extremely right. This one – not so much. I can tell the difference.
So, back to the best of both worlds. Which is very much like me. Why choose wheel-throwing over hand-building? Why not do – BOTH? That makes perfect sense – FOR ME. Here, I threw the bottom part of the vessel on the wheel and then rolled a slab to attach to the top. The texture came from my hand-crafted stamps which really makes the vessel feel unique and personal.
That’s it. Unique and personal. Maybe add in some happy and fun. This is what I am committing to and I’m finally feeling like I’m back on the right track :)
Be Creative Mary 
yay – love your stuff
Go with your passion.
I love to see what you have been working on. The colors and patterns you use are something I think about a lot. Seeing your work in person and the transformation from start to finish is like WOW.
Thank you :)
Thank you Mary with your meaningful blog on the struggle with have tos when it comes the wheel. I am a newbie to this and struggling between what I need to do to become a “well rounded potter.” Handbuilding is totally me but I have fought myself to do the wheel and feel comfortable. I am OK with it but as you I am dying for the total hands on and needing desperately the complete control of my textures that run my life both in pottery and fabrics in sewing. This session, I promised myself that I would compromise and do the wheel but not give up on the handbuilding I have had to set aside with my sketches for handbuilding designs. I ran across your designs and textures, I thought, Mary is it. I need more templates to get going although I would be fine with doing my own.
What I do does sound perfect for you! It’s the best of both worlds! Take your wheelthrown pieces and alter them! For the most part I am adding textured slab cylinders, but then there are the handles and spouts and such… all still great parts of learning the trade! After spending 6 months only wheel throwing yet not loving anything I made, I’d rather delay my progress, but love what I make :)