Neil Fallon on sat 18 jun 05
Funny how the clay universe spins with parallel thoughts at times. I usually
am very behind in reading, so I hardly reply. Under strict a definition I
would be considered a lurker. I read Frank's post about kick wheels the day
I was uncovering my
30-year-old-cement-flywheel-iron-framed-chrome-bakers-mixing-bowl-as-a-splas
h-pan-home-made kick-wheel after it had sat unused for nearly a year. It
sits outside in the yard overlooking the 37 acre pond. Last year, I did all
of my throwing inside on my 33-year old Creative Industry electric wheel.
But I digress. While I was removing the plastic and cleaning up the wheel
from the winter, I was thinking all beginners should be taught on kick
wheels before they graduate to electric powered wheels. As I polished up the
chrome bowl I contemplated how the many hours of kicking the flywheel fast
enough to allow me to push the clay centered had taught me the connection
between effort, pace, energy, speed, water, touch and clay. Taking my hands
from the clay to re-kick the slowing flywheel allowed me to think about the
next pull, the next shaping movement, the lip, the foot, the body. I
thought about how even when I work on the powered wheel, I adjust the wheel
head to spin at a familiar, kick-wheel speed and then push the foot pedal
away and plant both feet on the floor. That night I was catching up on
clayart and ...right there...Frank had captured the same thoughts I was
having during the day. Ain't life grand?
Neil Fallon
Rock Pond Pottery
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