Ceramics at Haven has a rich history and culture. Many kids look to ceramics for an easier-level class to fill their schedule, but it can also be used for much more than a filler class. Ceramics might prove to be a form of student expression, or even give a student the calming environment that they need. 

“You literally start with a lump of dirt, and then you have this finished product that looks really cool and is decorative, and you can use it too,” senior Amelia Badura said. 

Badura has been involved in ceramics since she was eight years old, and was taking classes for it at the community arts center. Now, as a senior in high school, she is in AP Art and Design, and was willing to help explain the process of throwing a vase to the Panther Press. 

“When I’m here, it just kind of brings a sense of peace. Especially the fifth block, or even my fourth block, it’s just quiet,” Amelia shared. 

Ceramics can also be beneficial for one’s mental health, and bring a sense of achievement as kids work through the pottery process.

“I think humans were meant to make things, and the connection with our brains and our hands and physically creating something from scratch, any material is better for your brain than any digital device you could ever hold,” ceramics teacher Mr. Scott Rodgers said. 

First, cut a block of clay from the slab in the ceramics room. This clay is made up of all of the recycled clay in ceramics mixed together, and can be used for an array of creations. 

Next, make sure that you have a bucket of water nearby, because you will need to wet the clay you are throwing, as this step is to center the clay in the middle of the board. The key here is to balance the pressure of pushing both down and in on the clay with your hands, while also keeping a steady foot on the pedal that makes the board turn. 

Following this, you must open the walls of your centered clay and then thin out those walls. It is important to keep water handy while doing this, or else the clay might tug at your skin. 

Badura pulls the walls into any shape she wants, in this case, a vase. Try to keep a steady hand and pedal speed so it all comes out even. 

Then comes undercutting, which means getting rid of the excess clay that has collected at the bottom of the vase. Take a sharp tool and carefully cut out the bottom of your pottery, making sure to keep your hand steady to make a perfect circle. 

The next step is crucial for a clean bottom slate of your pottery: taking a wire and dragging it under your piece to get it unstuck from your board. 

When throwing, there are many different ways one can approach the drying process. In our case, we used a ‘quick drying’ method that solidifies the clay faster than the other options.

Badura then carefully put the vase back on the wheel so that she could carve out a small circle from the bottom of the clay, to make sure it can stand up correctly when it goes through another kiln process. 

Finally, the last step of this vase was to carve her name onto the bottom of her piece to claim her hard work as her own. 

After the piece is completely dry, it gets fired once in the kiln once to “bisuqe fire” or prepare it for glazing, and another time with glazes to make it glossy. 

Rodgers notes that working in the ceramics studio involves creating more than pottery. Through ceramic art, students build important skills and relationships.

“We have built bridges in this classroom, and we have built lifelong friendships in this room,” he said.