Sometimes your life takes unexpected turns. You are replaced by a computer, your brother dies, your father dies, your mom moves to assisted living, and a pandemic hits. I'm lucky to have discovered ceramics by accident and now volunteer a few days a week helping out older adults (seniors) create art.
At the studio where I volunteer, everyone sits at long folding tables where you share a table with another person and another table is butted against the front of the table so you might have two people across from you. Its a good way to talk to people and see what they are making or glazing.
With someone so close, your work or theirs is always being scrutinized. One woman who I mentor, no matter what I make, she always says, "I want to make one of those!" At first I was sort of annoyed but I after I demonstrate how to do whatever I was doing I get a great sense of satisfaction showing her how to make a clay waffle or a volcano or how to incorporate glass into your piece. She had a cookie cutter in the shape of Lake Tahoe and she wanted to make Clay Tahoe. After cutting out about seven lakes I showed her how to build up a wall around the edge so when glass was placed inside the perimeter it would melt and crackle. I also made sure she put a little clay dot in Emerald Bay for the little island. When they came out of the kiln the lakes looked stunning. The lake was filled with a green crackle that looked just like water.
She told me their family holiday gathering at Incline Village was a success because everyone loved the lakes except her husband who replied "Where's mine?" She made another Tahoe and gave it to her husband. It didn't turn out as good as the other ones but I hope he was happy.
As I work on my own project of making ceramics out of palindromes I hope I don't hear "I want to make a Taco Cat!"
