From
nowhere to somewhere
Most days I still have difficulty believing where I have ended up in life. To me my journey with clay is still unreal and I need to pinch myself every now and again to make sure that this adventure is real. And what an adventure it is. So many things to learn, so many beautiful things to create. The challenges are endless and I love every moment.
Nine years ago Joan Allen Hoffman, a renowned ceramic teacher and wonderful artist, moved from Gauteng to retire in Montagu. Lucky for us she still loved teaching and decided to host three classes. That was where my journey finally started. With two small babies (22 months and 7 months old) those classes actually kept me sane and surviving from one week to another. When she decided to really retire and move to George she motivated me to take over one of her kilns and a wheel and suddenly I had my own studio and a whole new adventure ahead of me. Talk about head over heels. Lucky Joan was always there for me and even now she is just a phone call away if any emergency or crisis arises.
My studio is my safe place and I can disappear behind its door whenever life gets too complicated. Life behind that door is definitely not without its challenges though and barely a day goes by without something breaking or not working out as it should have. Everything is a learning curve and inspires me to try again and do better next time.
Growing up I used to get frustrated with not being able to draw like some of my friends could and through the years I tried to get used to the idea that I had no art talent of any kind. But luckily I never quite seemed to convince myself. My grandmother was also a self taught potter and as young children her studio was our “secret garden” where we could spend hours exploring and trying to build bowls and figurines. To me her studio was a secret world filled with the most amazing treasures. Today she is 97 and still the amazing and strong person she was then and she loves listening to stories about my newest projects and experiments. To me a part of my life has come full circle.
I can’t wait to see where my journey with clay is taking me. It has definitely inspired me to live life better.