this concludes my play with clay in los angeles. i reached my goal of making a few 5-pound salad bowls, most of which will be gifted and hopefully appreciated because do you know how hard it is to throw five pounds of clay? i was trembling every time i tried to center and cone those things, but when i was able to do one, i couldn't help but keep throwing more and more of it. i also couldn't help pulling it to make it bigger. "just one more pull and it's done," i'd tell myself. then i'd pull again maybe twice more after that. it's a risk because at some point, there's a possibility it might collapse. sometimes it did, but when it works out more times than it doesn't, it just makes you want to keep going.

all this stuff is by no means perfect, but that's what i like about them. even the ones that didn't work out, i tried to salvage. those rough edges give character.

there have been a few people that i've connected with at the studio where i've been throwing. one in particular is rami kim. this woman is crazy productive. so inspiring. she does stop-motion animation, too, along with painting and various other things. she usually doesn't throw but handbuilds her clay, and she does it well! i traded a couple of bowls for a few of her thangs and i can say i'm proud to own them. her pieces are the sculpture in the bowl there with the two spoons.

(pardon, les photos sont mal.)