All About That (Bass) base
Trying to get it perfect from the bottom to the top
Week one at La Meridiana and we’re straight into the clay. Our tutor, Franco Rampi, is laying down some ground rules about handling the clay and keeping the space in order, so that the clay isn’t contaminated. Do not be careless! The clay is quite soft and everyone, even the most experienced potters in our group of 14, is finding it a bit unwieldy. For those who are interested, we’re using French clay to which the school adds a bit of fine grog to help stabilise it. It’s still very smooth and plastic to use.
Our group includes 6 Americans, one Austrian, one German, one Lithuanian, one Croatian, and one who originally from Hawaii, has been expat for 20 years, living in the Netherlands for the last 8 of those, plus 3 Australians - the other two being a father (a very experienced lifetime potter) and his less experienced 29yr old son, both from Victoria. For all of us, many of the techniques we’re being taught here are new. This, along with the clay, turns out to be a great leveller.
Our days begin with a demonstration from Franco where he teaches the techniques that will be practised and developed throughout the week. It’s back to basics - in my case learning a fundamental throwing skill that was never properly acquired, so this is the moment of reckoning. We are making cylinders - or at least giving it a red hot go. Over and over again.
There are some successes and many, many failures. As a group, we’re bonding in the face of clay based adversity. It really is all about that base - which needs to be flat and of even thickness, with walls, also of even thickness rising at 90°. Not too much thickness though. We attempt cylinders and cut through them to see what things look like internally. I’m pretty bad at this. Its baby steps for me all week. Franco is patient and ever ready to help each of us individually.
By the end of the week, in an ideal world, I’d have been able to make a tall bottle with a narrow neck. But I’m definitely not there yet. We begin to work on glazing, using slips to decorate when our cylinders are leather hard, then, once bisque fired, applying glazes.
So you can see, there’s a whole new knowledge base building here. It’s incredible to be surrounded by so much expertise, conversation and inspiration every day. It is exhausting though! Tuition is from 9am - 5.30pm, but we can and do get into the studio at 8am, and generally leave between 6pm and 7pm.
At the end of the day on Friday, I’m still a long way from perfect to the bottom to the top. I’ve decided to take a little day trip to Siena on Saturday for a change of pace.
All About That Bass Click, scroll to the Postmodern Jukebox version, play and enjoy:-)