I have to say I was not totally happy with the unlovely apple. The glazes did not blend like I had thought they would and I needed to touch up the edges with acrylic paint where colors collided. I glazed it in a hurry because we didn’t have much time to complete two projects in one session. (More griping about that a little further on.) So, the apple is what it is. Bless Rick’s heart: he said he would take it to work and put it on his desk. All I could think of was his gesture was that of a proud parent of what his child had done in art class! It’s sweet though. I think I’ll let him take it out of my sight!

I finished the third and final coat of glaze on the pot I showed you last week. Hopefully I can pick that up next week. I am anxious to see what the glaze looks like after firing. Another unlovely object? We shall see. I have hopes for that one.

We worked on the third project again (finally) of the extruded pots. The clay was still moist but not pliable enough to do the impression that I had wanted to do. So my original idea was not going to work. Last week at Michael’s I bought myself some more or less “real” clay instead of Play-Doh and an impression wheel with four interchangeable discs. I decided to use one of the discs since my first idea was out. I also wanted to still incorporate the “button” but it wasn’t working. We finally put our heads together and Kathy gathered some plant matter from her yard to impress the button with since I had chosen a leafy design.

A close-up of the “button.”

The back.

I’m still not quite sure if the addition of the button is really me, but since everyone else approved I kept it on. The next time I see the piece it will have been fired (in 2 weeks maybe?) and ready for glazing.

Now here comes the griping part. I signed up for and paid for 4 lessons, which technically ended this week. We started three projects and finished two of those. When I asked this week what happens next since we didn’t finish our projects, Kathy told me that I would now have to pay another $35 to glaze my pot the next time I come. Huh? To me this just doesn’t seem right somehow. She started us on these projects and in my head she should let us finish them out without charging more. I’m kind of disgusted about it. Am I wrong to feel this way?

I was going to continue taking classes from her for another round of classes, but now I am thinking not. She is not really a very good teacher. True, she introduced me to and showed me several different and interesting styles of pottery, but she was not helpful at all in the glazing aspect of things. I had lots of questions that she simply did not, or could not, answer. I need a teacher. Someone who is going to tell me what is going to work or not work. Being a beginner and not having someone give you some kind of direction is daunting and doesn’t lead to a good outcome of the final product.

I am going back to finish what I started and pay out more bucks, but I am going to be looking for a different style of learning after the holidays.

By the way, I am thinking of some kind of greenish glaze for the above yet unfinished project. Either that or an earthy brown.

I’ll keep you posted how it all turns out.

I’d let the apple go and call it a plum!  Then it is perfect!  ~wink
I’d be disgruntled too about the extra charges.
I’m telling you - check out Bostree.  If you take the classes, you can still use the studio whenever you want, and the fee includes the glazing and firing of all your clay.

Maybe we can call it an applum!