A lump of wet clay sits on a table. There is nothing special about the clay. There is nothing great about this lump. It just sits there useless. The clay will sit there until a sculptor takes that lump and begins to work with it.

The artist can see potential that no one else can see, but he or she knows it will be a very long and laborious process to produce anything of value. 

“Working with clay is one of the most rewarding forms of art. It is very tedious and time consuming, but the difficulty involved is what makes it worthwhile,” said senior Madison Heim.

The road from lump to beautiful vase is much more difficult than it seems. The artist cannot simply toss some clay on a wheel and spin it to perfection without working out the imperfections of the clay through continuous kneading.

The clay then must by thrown onto the pottery wheel and spun into shape by the artist’s hands. 

“The clay takes on the form that your hands direct. You must slowly shape the clay into the desired form,” said Heim.

This is the most vital time for the artist because if he or she makes a mistake now, the process will have to start over. Great focus and concentration are required.

“It’s important to be both focused and patient while spinning the clay. If you aren’t, then your clay will never take on the shape you are looking for,” said senior Tristan Thompson.

The process of spinning clay into a beautiful pot or vase is a difficult one. It takes a large amount of concentration and focus.

“The hard work involved makes me really appreciate all the pots and vases I personally use,” Heim said. “I had never realized how much work went into each and every one of them.”