Yesterday I went on a pottery adventure on Ojika island, featuring clay made from the red soil found here. The pottery class was held in a studio that is inside of the old church on the island, up a hill near the school. After walking up a hill, we were introduced to our two talented teachers, and then went to work.
At first, I struggled a bit to knead my clay and work out all the air bubbles. However, our teachers were patient with me and showed me exactly how to make the perfect starting shape for my lump of clay.
We used a non-powered pottery wheel to create our masterpieces - the tecnique involved creating a hole in the middle of a ball of clay that has been squished securely onto the wheel, and then pinching all the way around, slowly moving up and up, until your small ball of clay transforms into the shape of your choice.
I decided to make two mugs, and a bowl. Before I came to Japan, my boyfriend Conor and I would drink coffee everyday! So, now we'll have matching cups that I chose to have painted simply in solid black and white.
I also created a bowl, which is the perfect size and shape for a breakfast of oatmeal to eat alongside the coffee. It will be painted in a beautiful mixture of white and blue that will be mixed together to create a cloudy appearance like the sky.
Of course, this is easier said than done. My first cup ended up not surviving, and I had to smash the clay back together and start over! However, I then got the hang of it. I was surprised to find that after I got into the rhythm of it, my pieces improved each time. My final mug was definitely the most beautiful item I made, and I was very proud I managed to figure it out.
We will now wait to hear back from the local pottery studio, and since I'll be receiving my items in the mail at a later date, it'll surely be a wonderful surprise and memory - it'll be lovely to remember my time here on Ojika on cozy mornings, sipping coffee on the other side of the world from this small island in Japan.
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