Workshop

I started a four-session pottery workshop today -- once a week on Fridays. I am very fond of pots, and have always wanted to make them, while simultaneously not being great at working with my hands (exception made for cooking and baking). I was encouraged by the fact that former blipper Sarah had signed up for it. There were only four of us, with Frédérique the teacher, so it was a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Today we made bowls, by rolling clay out with rolling pins and then impressing patterns on it using bits of lace. J, on the left, makes highly decorated cakes for sale. So it's not surprising that she produced a perfect circle and gave it an ultra-smooth finish. Mine was a bit more free form and ripply. Anyway we shall see what happens when they are decorated and fired!

The idea of the course is to work mostly by shaping pottery with our hands, not using the wheel -- as Frédérique says, it's so hard to produce an acceptable result that it puts people off. Next week we'll be putting together slabs. And when we do come to the wheel, I discovered to my satisfaction that Frédérique is left-handed. The last time I tried this, the potter was a bit stumped by my left-handedness.

We popped out to the garage this morning. The Fiat engine is still in bits, so Michel lent S a car for the weekend.