Humbled by Ceramics | A Beginner's Mindset

In January, my friend Katie and I signed up for a 6 week clay class. I’d been wanting to sign up but always put it off until alas the class was sold out. This time we jumped on it because this winter was awful. Not cold. But dark. New Years was the worst, shuffling into 2024 without our girl, and my January birthday…that was a hard day too. I found out I was pregnant on my 37th birthday last year and this year I felt a decade older in a postpartum body and without a baby. Needless to say I had to get out of the house during those bleak evenings.

Every Wednesday night since, I’ve been in the ceramics studio (I’ve now signed up for another round of classes.) I’ve had a bit of experience with ceramics in the past and knew I’d love it but oh. I. Am. Smitten. It’s such a joy to be working with my hands but in a different capacity. And there are rules. I like the rules. With painting there are rules but I don’t know, trying to break them all the time is exhausting and as a 2-d artist, you have to set many of the limits yourself.

The first couple of things I made on the wheel fell apart but something clicked on the fourth or fifth go. The teacher was great - he taught me to keep my hands steady and s l o w. If I moved them too fast from fright or overconfidence, the whole thing became wobbly. I started to feel more comfortable with the clay - and I realized just as in painting or drawing, we each find our own way to use materials. Nice to have instruction but also be intuitive with how our own process develops.

I’m definitely humbled by the process and of course have so much more respect for people who work with clay. But I’m in the beginner’s sweet spot where there isn’t pressure to make anything amazing, and mastering this process feels a long way off. Of course my mind jumps to…I’ll make this, and then I can do that, and then I’ll sell them and have lovely ceramic drops, and maybe wholesale, and on and on. So many ideas! But it feels nice to go slow too, to take my time learning, understanding the rules of the clay, of the glazes. So much of it feels like it’s in other people’s hands too - I know nothing about firing and that’s such a big part of it. For now, I’m reveling in the beginner-ness of it all.

I feel like so many artists I know are leaning into ceramics and it’s been so fun to see that illustration work translate. It’s probably not shocking that my translation is just animals wearing pom pom shoes and candle holders. My heart wants what it wants. I have ten thousand ideas of how to bring it all to life but again, there’s a part of the process that demands patience.

This little rabbit was one of the first pieces I did and even though it’s rough, I think I’m liking it. Can’t get too attached though…the glaze I put on it last night looks straight out of a horror movie and besides, it could all just explode in the kiln anyway. I know what that’s like…things we love can be here one second and then poof, the next, they’re gone. (This is where if we were sharing a beer, I’d cheers you and smile with a tear in my eye.)

Another thing I love is interacting with other people in the class. We don’t get into deep conversations but just the small talk and chit chat around ceramics is lovely. Most days I only talk to Mori or Matt, and if I’m lucky, drinks or dinner with a friend. The people I meet through working out and the clay class are meaningful to me because they remind me I’m part of a community. Living in a rural area with no other illustrators is so hard but these little interactions get me through for now. (In regards to the benefit of these outer social rings, I loved this hidden brain podcast on the benefits of tiny interactions)

I’ll share a few more experiments with you - this one above is a little spoon rest bear for cooking. I was sure it’d fail so I didn’t bother making it smooth. Turns out, the underglazes mixed well and it’s so cute! Below is a (glazed but unfired) bat candle holder I made in honor of Sohvi since her birthday was in October. The holder part is a flurry of oak leaves. I plan to put a little match in the bat wings but idk…I might make it again. We’ll see how the glaze works out! Just behind it you can see my thin walled bowl! The teacher was proud. So cute. :)

Even though starting something new can be intimidating, I find that it’s usually when the stakes are high that it feels stressful. Maybe it’s a final illustration or a first page in a sketchbook. I shared some thoughts on it in The Dessert Club last week - just how beginning is always terrifying. But there is another sort of ‘beginner mode’ that’s brilliantly freeing. When there isn’t an expectation for everything to be incredible at once, you can cozy up to the learning and give it room to breathe. The possibilities in this new venture, for me, are endless so long as the process cooperates. And if it doesn’t and everything blows up in the kiln, I had fun and I did get some small talk out of it. 💛

I’ll share the updated pieces when they’re fired and will keep you posted on my slow but steady progress with clay. I do have high hopes. But ah! No. No expectations. Always the dilemma!

Do you have favorite ceramicists? I’d love to hear about them below.

Alas I can’t just flirt with clay all day…I have to WORK! And for me, work mostly means painting. I did a very Springy illustration featuring bluebells, violas, and daffodils (as costumes on dancing animals obvi) and you can watch the painting unfold over in The Dessert Club Patreon. 🧁 Not only do I share with you the sketch, painting, and inking, I also share the preliminary sketchbook flowers, and loads of unused drawings because honestly the project changed and was quite a nightmare. In the end though by some miracle, we have a fresh bright painting.

Hope you have the loveliest start to April. I’ll check back in tomorrow with an April newsletter plus two new prints in my shop! Today was bonkers - this whole week has been! I feel sluggish in this new life trying to keep up with the momentum of my old self but one little step at a time.

More soon, xo
Becca