Careless Precision

It’s been a long day; I massage my temples as I slowly get up and head outside. Life and work are draining, and I’m eager to let my creative side take control so that my mind can wander. As I head into the shed, I grab my tools off of the wood countertops and lay them on the stool next to me. I immediately feel bliss rush over me. I plug in the cord and slowly release my foot down onto the pedal that powers the wheel which spins my pound of clay with speed. My first tool is a sponge, drenched in water my sponge allows me to work with the clay instead of against it. I have no plan for this clay, only to see where my tools take me.

My applied pressure on the clay plus the added speed from the pedal allows the clay to shape and form into a cone. As I push into the clay to form a cylinder, I feel pure joy take over me. Using my fingers, I open up the clay to form a bowl shape. Spending 15 minutes pushing and pulling the clay into what some would consider a mug shape, I decide that it’s time to add creativity. Relishing in the escape of stress and background noise I begin to grab my tools off of the stool beside me.

First, I grab my ribbon tool and press it into the side of the mug as I manipulate the width of the clay while it spins. Second, I grab my scissors and allow them to chatter against the clay as it moves round and round. Chattering clay is both a precise and uncontrolled design, I hold the scissors in my hand as they bat against the clay while it spins, only hitting the clay every couple of seconds. This leaves the desired indention mark on random parts of the clay. I take my scissors and dip them into the bucket of water on the floor next to me. Is this the best place for a bucket of water I ask myself? No… I can see 7 different splashes of water-stained on the side of my leg, knowing I’ll be too tired to shower after this I leave the bucket beside me in a flash of rebellion.

I take my now clean scissors and open the blade so that I have one perfect sharp point. Using this point I line my index finger up against the very edge of the blade. With attention to detail, I slowly move toward the spinning mug. Careful not to lose control I lean the blade into the bottom 1inch of the mug. I hold this blade perfectly still as it carves out a small strip of clay. This gives my mug a nice detail and visual inclination of where the bottom of the mug is. I can feel a smile form on my face.

Now that my mug is ready to be taken off the wheel, I must add a handle. Oh man...handles are not my best work nor will they ever be. I head to the extruder as the waterfalls off my calves (stupid water bucket). From here I use the extruder to pull clay into a long thin cylinder line, I realize I left my tool on the floor and engage in acrobats to retrieve it without dropping the extruded clay. Once I have the scissors in my hand and the blades around the clay, I slowly open the handle and close it back down. This leaves a clean precise finish for my handle that can now be easily applied.

Once my handle is applied and my new mug is covered in plastic to keep it from drying out, I sit down. On my stool, I stare at the shelf full of colors. Blues, greens, blacks, and pinks. I close my eyes and envision pools of colors bleeding together, trying to pick one idea out of my mind to apply to this mug. Maybe I’ll dip it in paint, or maybe I’ll draw on it. Who knows, and for now, who cares. I clean off and put away my tools, I then lean over to my drawer and begin to lay out my tools for the following night. I am relaxed happy and ready for bed. My paintbrush, my sponge, and my scissors lie eagerly on the wood countertops.