From the first date to the marriage

I'm not sure if I have detailed how I got started on this road being a ceramic artist, but I should have, so I will be nostalgic for this entry...

Setting: 2001-2003, Hannah Pamplico High School Art Class, Pamplico, SC
This is where I began to dabble in ceramics.  My mom still has the first heavy, lumpy pot I ever made in her living room (see image below). I thought it was pretty good for someone who knew nothing about ceramics.








Setting: 2003, North Greenville University Clay Studio (aka the dank, dark spot underneath the Caf), Tigerville, SC
This is where it happened.  It was when the magic and tears began.  I didn't originally go to college for Art, so I took my first Sculpture class Fall of Freshman year just for the heck of it.  I worked with clay (see Greek Vase below, if you notice the cracks, it's from where the walls kinda exploded off), but the actual world altering stuff began in 2004 when I enrolled in my first Wheel Throwing class.  I learned how the center, pull, and trim, and I made some of the nicest 6" tall cylinders in my class.  Oh, did I mention the tears?  Yeah, I ended up storming out the the studio one night because I couldn't get the damn clay centered.  I cried because I was so intrigued at the process and I wanted to be great at it, but I sucked.  NGU didn't have an Art major, but I knew I couldn't do any thing else.  I ended up transferring to my clay teacher's alma mater.

Setting: 2006, Shorter University Art House, Rome, GA
I arrived at yet another small Art Program (in my graduating class there were 4 other Art students), but it ended up being a great school to study ceramics.  I had free reign with the salt, raku, and gas kilns.  The anagama involved a bit more work and I never have seemed to like the aesthetic for my pieces, but I loved the process. I learned how to do things on my own, and take risks.

Setting: 2008-Present, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
I feel like these past three years at SCAD has been my grad school in a way.  I've learned more technical skills and more about the business of art.  I can't wait until the actual grad school.  I plan to start applying next year.  I'm glad that this career found me, because I still love ceramics just as much as when I pulled my first successful cylinder on the wheel. I really can't imagine doing anything else.