When I look back into my childhood, I see all the things my mother would sign me up for. If I wasn't taking ballet classes, I was taking piano lessons, or guitar lessons. It always had something to do with the arts. That was fine by me, because... unlike my cousins... I was not a sports kind of girl... anyway. The last thing she signed me up for was oil painting classes.
My family, on both sides (mom & dad's) were into the arts. On my mom side, she, her sister, and her cousin were amazing singers. They had the most beautiful voices and when they sang together, you would hear the most incredible harmony. My father was also a painter and singer... a tenor... and one of his brothers was an amazing pianist. Neither of them dedicated their lives to the arts, but as you can see... I was surrounded by it.
All those art classes I took as a child did not have the impact clay would have in my life. I remember going to school and learning about the Incas, the Aztecs, and the Mayas. We would look at pictures of the clay artifacts that had been excavated, and they would really catch my attention. Whenever we went on a field trip to visit the archeological museums to see the pottery, I would literally feel hypnotized by it.
Later on in life, I once purchased a very nice camera and started doing some photography. I was pretty good at it and really liked it. When I decided to go back to college to continue my education and get a degree, I took a couple of photography classes as electives, but nothing came out of it. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I moved to the Houston area to continue working on my degree, when I first experience the clay in my hands and in my soul.
I needed a couple more electives in order to fulfill the requirements for my degree and, as I was going through the list of options, I found... Ceramics I and Ceramics II. You can imagine my excitement. When I read the class description and saw they where teaching wheel throwing... I wanted to take both classes at the same time, but the professor wouldn't let me. It didn't take long for me to get addicted to the clay ...and I mean.... ADDICTED! After that first semester in Ceramics I and right before the start of the following semester, when I would go into Ceramics II... I was purchasing a wheel. I lived at the time in a 635 sqft apartment... where was I going to do this? ...In my living room... I covered the carpet with tarp and placed the wheel over it, facing the TV. In no time, I had taken over the small little area I had for a dining room and the kitchen. There was no room in there for cooking, except for making coffee. Semester after semester, and even in the summer, I would sign up for Ceramics I or Ceramics II. I don't know how many times I actually took those classes. I told you... I was ADDICTED!
Pottery has become a major part of my life. In fact, I can't live without it. When I started grad school, I found myself without any access to a studio with a kiln, and was forced to stop throwing. I was living in a townhouse with an attached garage and had planned to set up studio in there, but management would not allow me to get a certified electrician to do the wiring for my kiln. Believe it or not... being unable to work with the clay had an effect on my health. I got so sick, I was not able to keep up with my studies and was ordered, by the doctor, to quit school... at least, until i could regain my health. It was then when I decided to buy a house where I could set up my studio with a kiln. At the time, I still had not realized how essential, and how vital it was for me to have the clay present in my life. Once I started throwing again, I slowly started to regain my health, but never went back to school to finish up. Clay was all I really wanted to do.
My family, on both sides (mom & dad's) were into the arts. On my mom side, she, her sister, and her cousin were amazing singers. They had the most beautiful voices and when they sang together, you would hear the most incredible harmony. My father was also a painter and singer... a tenor... and one of his brothers was an amazing pianist. Neither of them dedicated their lives to the arts, but as you can see... I was surrounded by it.
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| Ruins of Pachacamac |
Later on in life, I once purchased a very nice camera and started doing some photography. I was pretty good at it and really liked it. When I decided to go back to college to continue my education and get a degree, I took a couple of photography classes as electives, but nothing came out of it. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I moved to the Houston area to continue working on my degree, when I first experience the clay in my hands and in my soul.
I needed a couple more electives in order to fulfill the requirements for my degree and, as I was going through the list of options, I found... Ceramics I and Ceramics II. You can imagine my excitement. When I read the class description and saw they where teaching wheel throwing... I wanted to take both classes at the same time, but the professor wouldn't let me. It didn't take long for me to get addicted to the clay ...and I mean.... ADDICTED! After that first semester in Ceramics I and right before the start of the following semester, when I would go into Ceramics II... I was purchasing a wheel. I lived at the time in a 635 sqft apartment... where was I going to do this? ...In my living room... I covered the carpet with tarp and placed the wheel over it, facing the TV. In no time, I had taken over the small little area I had for a dining room and the kitchen. There was no room in there for cooking, except for making coffee. Semester after semester, and even in the summer, I would sign up for Ceramics I or Ceramics II. I don't know how many times I actually took those classes. I told you... I was ADDICTED!
Pottery has become a major part of my life. In fact, I can't live without it. When I started grad school, I found myself without any access to a studio with a kiln, and was forced to stop throwing. I was living in a townhouse with an attached garage and had planned to set up studio in there, but management would not allow me to get a certified electrician to do the wiring for my kiln. Believe it or not... being unable to work with the clay had an effect on my health. I got so sick, I was not able to keep up with my studies and was ordered, by the doctor, to quit school... at least, until i could regain my health. It was then when I decided to buy a house where I could set up my studio with a kiln. At the time, I still had not realized how essential, and how vital it was for me to have the clay present in my life. Once I started throwing again, I slowly started to regain my health, but never went back to school to finish up. Clay was all I really wanted to do.
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