Throwing Pots and Playing in the Dirt

I haven't mentioned that I'm taking a pottery class: Intro to Wheel. So far I've thrown three reasonably good items: what's going to become a small herb-growing pot, a small pitcher and..what was the last one? I think it's going to be one of those straight-up-and-down Japanese tea mugs. Because *no one* needs another vase. Or mug. (I have a zillion of each)

I haven't done pottery since a community-school class I took while I was still married for the first time which means...twenty years ago or more? (Yes, I'm that old). And I thoroughly enjoy this. I decided to focus on the wheel because I've never been able to throw a decent pot--and the first night we got to do our own, I did a pretty good one! (the flowerpot). This teacher is excellent. I'll even get to try out some of our local dirt-clay! Heaven knows I dug up enough this spring.

I also want to take advantage of my free "open ceramics studio" time and make...a maki-roll platter like the ones they have in Japanese restaurants. I remember enough about slab-clay building to make one. Ken and I discussed texturing the bottom and I'm going to take his suggestion of using cheesecloth. I'll probably glaze it in cobalt blue, like most of the rest of our bowls and dishes, and our good glasses.