Creating pottery items can involve other disciplines such as carpentry, engineering, sewing, baking, and chemistry, making the hobby much more interesting and challenging for artist Beth Barrett.
Yet, it is those aspects that Barrett loves and finds fun and fulfilling.
Decisions, decisions
There are many decisions potters make when creating something, including what clay to use, the temperature at which to fire, how the object will be heated, what glaze to apply, what form the object will take and how to make that form, she explained.
“There’s always so many variations within that. You talk to potters who have been at it for 40 years and they’re still learning new things. So, it’s not something you learn in a year or two and go, ‘Yeah, I’m done learning,’” Barrett chuckled.
“It’s just a lot of lifelong learning thing. And I also get joy from when others use my pottery and they feel joy using it … ,” she added.
Experimentation
What the potter also finds fun is acting like a chemist when making glazes for her works; she jokes that she intimately knows parts of the periodic table of elements.
One wall of her studio has dozens of glass jars with coloured powders — for example, copper, bromide, manganese, cobalt carbonate and tin oxide — that she mixes to create the colours. On another wall are hundreds of small, coloured squares of fired clay that show the glazes that can be applied to artworks.
Barrett is one of eight groups participating in this year’s 10th annual Moostletoe Artists Studio Tour on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Barrett’s studio — One Sweet Dream Pottery — is at 1211 Fifth Avenue Northwest, where visitors will find functional stonewares such as mugs, pie plates and bowls.
An honour to participate
This is Barrett’s third year participating in the tour and it is something she enjoys. Furthermore, she is honoured that organizers have included her because she says the current lineup comprises well-established and talented artists.
She is flattered to be included with them, while she also enjoys the chance to meet people from the community.
Barrett has been making pottery for almost nine years — mostly as a hobby — after her husband saw an advertisement for a class and knew she wanted to learn to do it. She attended a class led by Wendy Parsons and fell in love with the craft while she felt joy with what she was doing — and picked it up quickly.
The potter builds her skills by attending local workshops, watching YouTube videos, viewing videos on a subscription platform called “Clayflix,” podcasts, and learning from friends.
Learning new skills
Lately, Barrett has been learning — and enjoying — to carve designs into her materials and test what works and doesn’t. This has been fun because she has learned how to carve into glazed items and dried items that have not been fired in the kiln.
Items created through a method called bisqueing are heated to 1,036 C (1,900 F), while items with glaze are heated to 1,203 C (2,200 F).
Another of her new creations is clay deep-dish pie plates.
“I’m still building skill,” she chuckled. “Every part of it, no matter what type you do — if you hand build or put it on a wheel — there’s all different levels of what you do.
“A beginner can make stuff, but … it comes with practice. It takes a lot of skill to do it really well.”
Using God-given gifts
Barrett has started teaching a class with Born2Be Arts Academy and hopes to help develop the program into a long-term initiative. She says this class has been an eye-opening experience for the pupils since they realize they can create pottery and appreciate it.
“I enjoy teaching. I do. I love to share. I believe God has given me a gift in pottery and the ability to share that. And so, I love to share that joy with others,” she said.
Recently, Barrett has been carving Bible passages into mugs because she knows the Scriptures can bring peace and tranquillity to people while reminding them of God’s truths.
“A mug is typically something you use every morning … . And just being able to see those just brings peace (and) gets your mind in the right place,” she laughed. “And sometimes they’ve been messages that have helped others.”
Barrett started with some well-known, encouraging Bible passages before finding new ones to keep things fresh. She has also received suggestions from supporters while she keeps a list of Scripture passages when she comes across them. She even borrowed a phrase from the TV show “The Chosen” about the life of Jesus Christ.
“People love it (the mugs with Bible passages). There has been no negative feedback,” she added. “It has all been positive and supportive.”
