New Approach, Same Direction

I chose to take class with Mary Kay Botkins because she handbuilds her pots rather than throwing them-these are some of her lovely pots. I work the other way round and though I have been working with clay for twenty years, I have never spent much time handbuilding. It's a strange thing in the clay world...Potters either throw or handbuild, but rarely do both. As Mary Kay mentioned, it is often assumed that those who handbuild cannot throw. She was simply more interested in working with slabs.
I have become increasingly interested in handbuilding because it gives the maker the freedom to stand while working (yes, I know some people throw pots while standing, but I never mastered that trick). Also, it is a somewhat more tidy approach to working with clay, plus stopping and starting doesn't seem so daunting. Beyond these reasons, I am less schooled in this approach and simply have less expectations, leaving me free to experiment. Like most people who hope to make money from their craft, I desire the work I create in my studio to equal money. This keeps me doing the thing I know how to do best, and can discourage me from wasting time on projects that may not bear fruit. Watching Mary Kay allowed me to see a new way.
Mary Kay had the woodworking instructor, Seth Rolland, cut a quick wood mold to use for a demonstration (do visit Seth's site, his furniture is gorgeous). Of course, everyone was envious and wanted their own lovely wood mold, but the wood workers were there to do their thing, not make molds for the clay people. However, I still wanted my own molds. When a friend with woodworking experience offered to cut me some, I decided to take him up on it. The only thing required was that I be able to describe or draw out what I wanted. I do not work in wood, and didn't know exactly how to articulate what I wanted. I decided to talk with Seth. I went in expecting to get some advice on describing, but I got something even better. Right away, Seth asked if I would like to make my own-eureka! In a matter of seconds, he pointed out a board I could use and I was on my way. Luckily, the equipment I needed was not in use and in fact I had the whole room to myself. We turned on the band saw, he set it at a 45 degree angle and had me feed through my first board. It was a simple, free form kind of approach. I guess he was confident that I wouldn't cut my fingers off, and he left me to it. Initially, I thought I would just cut one or two, but I ended up using the whole board-it was extremely satisfying and somewhat addictive. After cutting the forms, I used a very large belt sander to finish off the rough edges and to refine the shapes. It was some of the best fun I had the whole time I was away. Here they are, unblemished by clay...
The week before, I had made some slump molds out of clay and then bisqued them. Yesterday, I rolled out slabs and began... We will see where it takes me-I think the boat shape of the bisque molds is very appropriate.