Pottery Journey




My first pottery work!

Tuesday afternoons is my best time in Solheimar. I like to try different things in various workshops. Among all the workshops, my favorite workshop is pottery. My first time in pottery workshop is in the second week. I was sad for various reasons at that time that I almost wanted to skip that afternoon. After half an hour of hesitation, I decided to go. The pottery workshop is a very quiet and relaxing place; everyone is welcoming. Kamma was excited to see me and she asked Ingibjörg, the lady in charge of the pottery workshop, to tell me that she remembered me because I served her cakes and tea in the opening house time yesterday. I was surprised that she was so happy and thankful for this tiny thing. Einar is a good painter. I noticed that most of the paintings hanging in Brekkukot are from him. By looking at the paintings he draw and the ordinary pictures he imitated from magazines, you will see how different the world is in those home people’s eyes. Ingibjörg is very encouraging and nice person. She gave me detailed instructions but did not limit my creativity. I was more and more confident when she complimented my works. I spent a whole afternoon just coloring the pottery. I felt I have never been so concentrated before, and I felt I became a home people too, only capable to do really simple things. My mind was all about pottery that I quickly forgot all my worries and sadness. I guess from that day, I fell in love with the pottery workshop.
 

Art journal--What I have seen in Iceland

     After that afternoon, I went to the pottery workshop more often. I not only learned coloring, but also learned polish and making potteries. I started to know different facilities, pigments, and ways of firing. I used potteries for my art journal. It is a very time consuming and meticulous work, you need to be one hundred percent concentrated and got down to work. You may spend four hours only on coloring the clay, or over one hour on making slender furs on sheep. Sometimes, it makes you distracted and sleepy. The difference between an attentively made pottery and a casually made pottery is very obvious. I am so proud to be able to make delicate potteries. I also feel connected to those potteries I made. I would like to know who bought it, and the name of the boy I colored (even though he does not have one). After I made them, I will keep going to check my works. Sometimes, I go to take photos. Sometimes, just to see if they were fired. Thanks to my frequent visits, I have broken the horn of my ox, the hat and neck of my angel.





Instead of stealing this wall decoration
I decided to make my own.

When I saw something beautiful in the pottery workshop, I would want to try to do them myself. I wanted to make the angel shaped wall decoration, so I made it. I saw really nicely colored cups, so I will make it. My desire to make DIY potteries grows. I would think that it would be so great if I can make self-made cups for them as a gift. I would also think that making my own chairs would be so cool. I even dreamed that maybe I can be a pottery or sculpture artist, and change my entire life path.






Beautiful cups I am going to make

You will experience a lot of things in Iceland. Amazing landscape and sustainability is one thing. Exploring different hobbies is another. Workshop is the best place for you to know people and communicate. Cherish the opportunity you have of learning at different workshops in Solheimar. You will be hungry to work at bakery, but you always got the best coffee break deserts. You will be sweating at Green house, but feel satisfied after a hard work. You may be boring at forestry, but feel peaceful when planting or transferring tender sprouts. You probably do not like the smell in soap workshop, but you will used to it. You may be eager to go to candle and wood workshop, but you never got a chance to go. Check all different workshops in Solheimar. I will wait to read another workshop journey from you.
 

@ soap workshop.

@Green house

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                           --Chen