Handbuilding at Home

Text and images by Jessica Funcannon, Good Dirt LA Student

I started exploring pottery at Good Dirt LA about three or so years ago. I quickly found that Wednesday night classes were a home away from home and getting my hands dirty helped to cleanse away some of the mid-week stress of work. When COVID-19 hit, we all found ourselves having to rethink personal (and professional) priorities and be creative with how we got creative. Taking virtual handbuilding classes with Good Dirt LA was an integral part of keeping my stay-at-home sanity. 

THE WEEKLY RUNDOWN:

From teacups to vases and everything in between, our 6-week course taught ceramic handbuilding techniques that could be used for specific weekly projects or foundations to explore outside-the-box ideas. Armed with an array of tools and two variations of clay, each week our intimate class of creatives logged into our video conference and began. 

THE ART OF AT-HOME PLAY:

Making space to play at home was almost as important to me as the act of creating itself. Because we’ve had to finesse our full lives to fit into the smaller spaces of our homes, it was a challenge to ensure that the space I made for my weekly class felt intentional. I highly recommend the following:

• A large table that you can stand at
• Corn starch (to coat your table to prevent clay from sticking)
• Spoons, kitchen knives and metal straws (great for making holes and patterns in your clay)
• A rolling pin or wine bottle (very helpful to make your slabs)
• A container of water (for clay hydration and clean up)
• A great creative booster playlist (I listened this one on Spotify on repeat)
• A glass of wine or a special mocktail
• Curated inspiration / a semi-plan of attack

THE PLANNING & INSPIRATION: 

Part of the fun of building for me is getting inspired by beautiful art. Many people in our class sketched out ideas and templates based on the theme for the week. I’ve personally found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest and amazing potters on Instagram. From texture ideas to shapes and color combinations and more, I pick and choose my favorites to try out for myself. A few brilliant artists I follow on Instagram – 

• @katandroger
• @tactilematter
• @anna_beam

THE END RESULT:

I love getting my work back and always being surprised by the outcomes, both good and bad. In a (COVID) world where uncertainty is constant and change is certain, playing with clay is one experiment that is worth the investment.

Written By Good Dirt LA On April 7, 2021