Beatrice Wood had infectious laughter. She lived to be 105 years old and attributed her longevity to “young men and chocolates.” Once, I overheard a colleague of mine talking to his students when sharing Wood’s work with them. He was remarking how recognizable her work is, the characteristic dance in the arms of the handles…
Unplanned Forms
Today’s video looks at Hawaiian-born ceramist Toshiko Takaezu. Her work is simultaneously intimate and monumental, mostly employing hand-built methods of vessel making: In the film, she says, “You make a piece that you don’t have planned…and then when you see it, something happens, and it looks as though you have to go into another direction…
Mistakes
One also has to keep in mind that progress sometimes looks like mishaps, mistakes, faults, and disappointments. Auguste Elder Mentioning this as I toss a new piece of mine into the recycling bin due to S-cracking: a hand-built pinch pot made at my home studio. How we respond to outcomes that differ from our expectations…