AKitchens on mon 3 sep 01
For those of you who are just beginning to throw,
who want to throw better, or who want to throw very large,
I recommend a workshop with a man who has been
working with clay for nearly forty years.
He is Joel Cottet in Portland Oregon and he throws pots
so large that he loads his 1000 cu ft kiln with a battery
powered forklift. (the pots are up to five feet tall and three feet
wide)
He loves working large and the smallest pot in his home/studio/
yard/garden/gallery is way too large to pack home in a suitcase.
The garden gallery is filled with lamps, pots, planters,
tables, chairs, platters, sculptures, and an array of such unusual
trees, shrubs and plants they rival what most public gardens
contain. It is a calming and peaceful place to live, work and learn.
Joel uses and teaches body and breathing techniques derived from
his extensive experience in tai chi to counter the physically brutal
aspects of centering and throwing several hundred pounds of
clay on the wheel. And in demonstrating this he makes it look
incredibly easy.
There are several levels of instruction available but the first
level teaches the basics, Base, Angle, Centerline, Leverage
and Breath.
I encourage anyone interested to read more about this on his
website www.leftofcenterschool.org, (many photos) and attend
one or more of his workshops. He is a soft spoken,
encouraging teacher willing to share his technique.
Nan Kitchens
Tennessee and Key Largo
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