When I started ceramics in 2022 it was the most humbling and frustrating experience I ever had. Having been a painter for 15 years, I expected to pick up wheel throwing just like any other art medium or skill I have learned. I quickly realized this would not be the case.

None of the forms turned out the way I wanted them to. None of the glaze colors combined the way I thought they would. Nothing ever comes out of the kiln the way I expected it to, so I thought to myself, “why expect anything at all?”.

Why try so hard to reign in the chaos of a spinning wheel, the chemical volatility of a glaze, or the changing atmosphere of a kiln? Why not marvel at the mayhem and enjoy the spontaneity instead of fighting it every step of the way?