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Below are articles written by kids about their pottery training experiences at Camp Shohola
Kids Pottery Camp
By Kevin Garwood
Pottery here is very fun and it is easy to learn with our pottery teacher Ann. She is a very kind woman. She always likes to help kids and she has the most practice out of anyone I have ever seen. She does not only have kids do pots on the wheel she has slabs to so kids who do not like to work on the wheel can still make something. She shows kids the different kinds of tools used in pottery. How to use the tools and when to use them. She teaches them to make a pot and encourages them to practice even when they are discouraged. Pottery is fun in the sense that you could pretty much make any thing you want. You can mold the clay into what ever shape of form you desire.
The NEW wheel keeps turning
A few words from Anne Dilker, who has bravely and successfully run her second year of pottery complete with plaster cast!
Let’s Talk Dirty Well, maybe not dirty, let’s just say messy. I’m referring to clay. Last year (winter of 2001) Kit decided that the previous “Arts & Crafts” program just wasn’t up to par with most of the programs offered at Camp Shohola. A couple of the counselor’s convinced him that a pottery program might be a good addition to the craft line-up.
So, during the winter Kit went in search of a potter to explore the idea and after much discussion the old arts & crafts building was transformed into a mighty fine pottery for the summer of 2002. But, much to my chagrin, I’ve discovered that there are many campers, CITs, and Counselors who have NEVER visited the new pottery.
Well let me tell you what you’re missing! We have 4 electric potters’ wheels, 2 electric kilns, a slab roller, and a thousand pounds of clay just for us! We use a reddish/brown stoneware that is specially formulated to provide a clay with nice plasticity (this means really gooey) suitable for both wheel throwing and slab building. And this year we’re going to be doing an open pit fire as well. Now I ask you, where else can you get the chance to play in the mud, dig a big hole in the ground, and light a BIG fire without getting into trouble?
And, one last note: chicks dig guys that know how to throw pots. So, check out Shohola Pottery. It’s really cool.
