Midterm Eval

I have not felt artsy lately.  Life has thrown wrenches at us from multiple angles and I want to pull the covers over my head and ignore the world.  Actually, I'd rather ride off on the Harley with my man to a quiet inn with big soft beds and then hide under fluffy covers with bowls of shredded chicken nachos and hot fudge (separate bowls) and peak out only to watch a Monk marathon or the Carol Burnett Show or The Princess Bride on repeat.  Now I have my husband's chest cold.  And, it's too hot outside.  And, it's too windy.  I'm a grumpy lump and I'm venting here.  Apologies.  The point of this is that the stress makes me want to skip pottery class.  However, I go because I paid for it and I know it's good for my artist soul regardless of how the day went.

This week is the halfway mark of the semester.  Tuesday night we were asked to write an evaluation of what we've done so far - struggles, achievements and such.  Here's a completely different self-evaluation.

• The pottery wheel is a sadistic medieval torture device disguised as a fantastic art tool ... centered, not centered, centered, not, good, not, sigh... another wonky pot.
• There are numerous types of clay and all respond differently on the wheel.  I'm overwhelmed.
• Working alone is my preferred modus operandi.  I'm a hermit.
• Carving into the clay has been the absolute best part of the class.  I'm a sculptor.
• I am relatively boring.  I have not died my hair, pierced anything beyond my earlobes, or sat in a communal hot tub with established artists.  (Please feel free to participate, just not my thing.)
• I am messy - always leaving with clay or glaze on my clothes.  I didn't really just learn this.  I've just decided to embrace it.  I'm a slob.
• I would love to continue working with clay (sans wheel) and hope to figure out a way to do this.

So, I'm an overwhelmed, sloppy hermit who likes to draw and sculpt.  To be honest, the last class went exceptionally well.  I created two mostly centered bowls, scraped clay off my Mishima design and participated in a Raku firing that was an excellent smoky distraction.  All in all, it's a good experience with some expected frustrations.  I'm looking forward to the second half of this adventure.  Really, I am.