Frederick Discovers Pottery

Frederick and I took an art class together at the FIA. It lasted four weeks and we spent the whole time learning how to throw pots on the pottery wheel. I've taken wheel classes before and I never progressed beyond "barely adequate" and I worried that Frederick would find it fiddly and unrewarding. But my fears were entirely unfounded. Frederick loved the wheel and, although completely exhausted (those were his exact words: after each class he would announce in the car on the way home that he was "exHAUSTED") by the end of each class. Nonetheless every morning he would muse aloud, longingly, if that day was another clay day. The first two weeks of the class were spent learning how to wedge the clay, center a 1 pound ball on the bat on the wheel, turn a bowl or vase, remove it and wrap it up for later trimming. Week three we trimmed the ten pots (and added a handle to one to make it a cup). His 10 pieces were fired that week while we waited at home, counting the minutes until our next clay class. Finally, week four was spent dipping each piece into a glaze. Here is Frederick's pride and joy, the small cup. While we were glazing it, I asked him what he would like to use the cup for--soup or tea? "Coffee," he answered with conviction. Here are his other nine pots. So he is set for ashtrays and coin dishes now.