The Hands of the Ceramicist (and my bestie from HS)
Had the good fortune to visit my dear friend Kate Tremel at a show she's exhibiting here in Atlanta (she lives in Michigan). If you want to see her work, check out her website www.katetremelclay.com . I'm commissioning some "platters" that are like the samples of "nests" on her site--can't wait to get them.
Kate and I go way back. Best friends in high school, we enjoyed being rebels, going to music concerts, dancing, and talking late into the nights about the issues of the day. She has been a great influence on who I am today, and I cherish the friendship although I see her once a year at most.
She gave a ceramic demonstration of one of the designs she creates regularly with porcelain clay. The method is actually quite ancient and she learned it in Peru while getting her Spanish and Anthropology degrees--she had a great mentor who taught her this method that includes the use of the physical punches of her own hand, then a large river rock and a custom made paddle. What starts as a lump of clay transforms into a thinly molded bowl that then attaches to a similar bowl--then designs pierced in. I'm butchering the method, but I loved watching and learning.
Her hands. I loved capturing her hands. Lovely visit.
