Intentional Creation:
Students Exhibit Their Work at the End of 12-Week “Deep Dive Into Your Practice” Class
By Cheryl Stevens
Twelve weeks ago the seven of us plunged into a ceramic journey that challenged us on every possible level. Guided by our instructor, Ahn Lee, we struggled with what it means to unearth our creative process and explore how to transfer all that inspires us into pottery. We shared examples of our ceramic portfolio and Ahn introduced us to a wide range of potters who excel at hand building and creating on a super-sized canvas.
Starting with our maquette, we drafted our blueprints and worked on how we should transform our ideas and inspiration from 25 pounds of clay. At first, many of us struggled to identify our ritual or to acknowledge that our pottery creations are actually influenced by something deep within us. However, once we had the opportunity to share and discuss our past work and were introduced to other potters who incorporate their personal stories into their work, patterns began to emerge and many times we were forced to admit that our body of work clearly reflects not only what motivates us but also what brings us joy. While some of us acknowledged our inspiration is more organic, others discovered we are more literal and are more comfortable when our creations have a beginning, middle and end. Hearing each other talk about process or the path to the final Gallery installation was in and of itself inspiring and influential. The creative environment was contagious allowing us to feed off of each other’s unique perspectives and ideas. Each week, through experimentation, introduction to other artists and class critique we found our own voice and were inspired to do more and think bigger. We supported each other’s vision and as a result we pushed ourselves along our creative journey.
Although we feared we would not finish by the end of the twelve weeks and would have nothing to install; we persevered and pushed through the challenges encountered along the way. Once we described our goals and objectives we were determined to “make it so” and supported each other in any way we could to reach the finish line. We each had an idea of what we wanted our finished product to look like and we often found ourselves back at the drawing board refining our blueprints to ensure we could achieve what was in our mind’s eye. No one threw in the towel or abandoned the task. Instead we sought assistance and support from each other to identify other techniques or ideas to give life to our pieces. We were able to overcome design challenges through the support and encouragement we received from our classmates and Ahn and are excited to present our finished projects in this upcoming exhibit.
Now that we have reached the end of this twelve-week journey, we are excited and eager to share our Deep Dive Into Our Process with everyone. We will exhibit our pieces in The Potters’ Studio Gallery over the course of the next two weeks. We hope you will be moved by what we have created and that you will find something that interests and inspires you – whether it is Gabriel’s piece entitled Nonimmigrant Alienation (the second piece in his series Forgotten Spirits), or Karen’s Banquet Table that illustrates the obscure aspects of nature discovered during her walks. Perhaps Shelley’s questioning sculpture What the …? will have you questioning, wondering or wanting to add more adventure to your life, or will Elizabeth’s creation of a fictional flower species Venus Dragon, or Sloan’s expression of what remains once there has been a rupture as illustrated by her piece Flight inspire you to focus on organic concepts the next time you step into the Studio. Or maybe Cheryl’s and Patty’s memories and tribute to their families in A Love Supreme and Sunday Dinner will touch a place close to your heart. You can see all of these final pieces as well as Ahn’s amazing hand-built Foo Dog in the Studio’s Gallery over the course of the next two weeks. Please come and meet the potters at a Gallery reception on June 22, 2024, between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Find out about our process and rituals and what inspired us to create these pieces and how we brought these ideas to life. Ask about our deep dive and what we learned about ourselves and our ceramic journey during the past twelve weeks and if or how it will shape our future expression.
Come meet and greet Ahn Lee and the seven students of the Deep Dive Into Your Practice – Elizabeth Barelli, Shelley Coleman, Karen Harley, Patty Owyang, Gabriel Raposo, Sloan Sim and Cheryl Stevens. We would love to tell you about each hiccup and revelation and why these pieces mean so much to us. From design to glazing to installation, we are prepared to share our full experience and look forward to seeing you on June 22nd.