The one thing I miss from before I moved to China is learning something new and creating with my bare hands. I have not bought craft items here but have had the yearning to try something I have not had the opportunity to do before. I saw this pottery tour and class and couldn’t resist. Sometimes you just need to get your hands dirty.
After a very long week, this is exactly what I needed.
Pottery is a gift from god to humans
No matter how small a force is, it will splash somewhere.
Even the weakest wind breaks the stiffness of the air.
I’m going to escape from the fickle city for a while
Just a little while
To care and comfort myself
About the pottery tour and class:
It sounds like an old forest in a deep mountain, but it’s just a small hill in the suburb of Panyu district. An artists couple want to concentrate on their art work, so they moved out of the city, and built up their workshop here by themselves. Brick by brick, step by step, they put all their passion and feeling of pottery into this unique place. You can’t tell how peaceful and beautiful this place is, until you come here.
The artist and her husband teach ceramics at university, offer classes, and create pieces on order. They have a couple apprentices working with them. They live the slow life: Growing their own food and living the artist life.
Pieces of pottery are found in walls and walkways.
This is a shipping container that is their kitchen so it can be moved around if they expand or rearrange.
This is the outsude of the library. In Chinese, to read books is Kan shu. They do research here for different methods, styles, and designs.
Inside the room.
This pottery piece is from the Ming dynasty.
This cat is actually for on top of a roof. If there is a storm coming, the wind will make a whistling sound through the cats mouth.
Outside the gallery of artists pieces.
Inside a large pottery piece is a turtle.
More pictures around the property.
Many different kinds of pots and figurines.
Many cups and shards add interest to everything.
Storage area outside the potters area.
The kiln. The artist gave us a tour after a history of pottery during the first tea.
One side of the classroom.
During the first class we learned a few basic techniques for creating plates. We were able to make multiple pieces from which we could choose the one we liked best (we could pay extra for others we made).
This is a rectangular serving plate. It is upside down to dry into shape over a form.
This one has a design in the plate of a tree. I did not take a picture of it before I put it on the form so hoping that it comes out okay and I can show you later.
After lunch we were taught how to use the wheel. It took some practice. My mug did not turn out as hoped. It definitely had character as it leaned quite a bit.
I did make a pretty decent bowl.
They did make a video of the second pottery class.
After the class we had another tea and snacks while learning more about pottery and history.
There were many beautiful pieces in the tea room.
Inside the artists gallery. These are not for sale but samples for those to place orders.
We did try some Chinese calligraphy. It is much harder than it seems.
The place seems like it’s far away. It is in the far reaches of the city and the hustle and bustle feels much farther away. The tour included transportation, 2 Chinese tea with snacks, healthy lunch, 2 pottery classes, calligraphy class, and one item that we made (they fire and glaze the pieces). We also had the opportunity to buy extra pieces we made for 50 rmb each (7,44 USD). They glaze and fire those as well.
It was a rainy, cold, and dreary day. Perfect for learning something new and refilling the soul.
