Memories of Pottery Wheel Clay

Do you remember back in elementary school when you were given some clay in class and left to be free with your creative mind? It was a wonderful time when you could let your imagination run wild with the clay in your hands. Some can still recall the feel and smell of the clay. For most of us, the clay was a tan or brown color unlike the myriad of colors available today.

Back then, some of the more popular creations included ash trays, cups and vases. Despite the numerous ash trays produced at the time, I don't think there were an equal number of smokers. Instead, there were well intentioned parents accepting the awkwardly molded creations and displaying them in their living room to boost the ego of their children.

Slightly older kids and adults took mounds of pottery wheel clay and thrust them down upon pottery wheels. Although many think working with the wheel is relatively easy, it does take a bit of skill. You can toss the wet clay onto the wheel ever so slightly off center and it might fly off the plate from the centrifugal force. Once you got it to stick, you would want it to be as centered as possible as the entire process lends itself to creating symmetrical objects. Starting off-center can lead to oddly weighted vases or misshapen bowls.

The wheel may not be the attraction for many people. Many students abandon it after just one afternoon of fallen cups or broken vases. Too many spins and you can squeeze a perfectly fine vessel into another blob of colorless, wet clay.

For others, incredible creations can come from the use of clay molds. The clay can be molded into beautiful shapes usually demonstrating work beyond the skill of the artist. There are a wide variety of molds out there to satisfy the creative urges of even the pickiest artist. Unlike the wheel, the satisfaction rate is much higher. Many go overboard creating more objects than they know what to do with! Usually, the creations make great gifts.

One of the most universally appealing works is clay art dinnerware. Everyone needs dinnerware for their home - plates, bowls, serving dishes, etc. With some easy to use tools, you can create some amazing pieces. All of them can be unique and specific to individual tastes. You can use any combination of colors. You can use traditional shapes or more unique geometric patterns to really make your work standout.

Entering the world of creative clay work is easy. It doesn't necessarily require a special studio or even a dedicated workspace. AMACO has a wide selection of clay molds to satisfy all interests. Focus your work on clay art dinnerware as a creative gift idea. If you are willing to branch out, find a local shop with a pottery wheel and AMACO can provide high quality pottery wheel clay for your work. Find all your supplies and get creative ideas with AMACO.