Jaynie Royal spent an afternoon hanging out in the lovely light-filled studio where Julie Rowe, Raleigh potter extraordinaire, showed her the ins and outs of clay potting, wheel techniques, and the glazing process. Julie Rowe has created a line of coffee mugs for Regal House Publishing, each of which is individually thrown on the potter’s wheel using high-fire red stoneware, and featuring the Regal crown. True to the Regal mandate, and in line with our desire to support artisan enterprises of the local kind, we are absolutely delighted to feature Julie’s beautifully crafted work on our website.
Can you tell us a little about how you first started potting? (Is that even a word? Or would you say “creating clay items on the wheel”? Would you be described as a ‘potter’? Or no?)
Artists who make things on the wheel are considered potters. Artists who make things with clay by hand ( via slabs, coils, pinching & sculpting) might be considered ceramic artists. I consider myself both as I love both processes equally. I began college in New York as a drawing and painting major. I happened to see some of the work coming out of the pottery studio and knew I had to take a class. Once in the ceramic studio, I was hooked. For the first two years we were only allowed to use hand-building techniques. Then we had one brief lesson on the potter’s wheel, and it was so much fun that’s where I stayed, for the most part, for my last two semesters. I graduated from State college of New York, Brockport.
What do you love about the process of creating on the wheel?
The wheel process is probably the closest thing to meditating that it gets for me. The first step is called “centering’ the clay. And the slow mechanical yet fluid steps that follow allow yourself to concentrate on that alone. Many of my students have said its very relaxing. You’re concentrating on what is happening between your fingers and the clay, the rest of the world disappears for a while.
Do you find the Raleigh area to be supportive of this kind of enterprise? There seem to be a number of fairs/craft shows – would you say Raleigh is a strongly art-focused city? How important is this to one in your business? Are most of the opportunities local or do potters travel far afield to sell and showcase their goods?
After having lived in both Charlotte and now Raleigh, I can honestly say, Raleigh is extremely potter friendly. After moving here in 2007, I immediately signed up for a class at Sertoma Arts Center, part of the Raleigh Parks and Recreation Dept. Their studio is a fantastic place to create and meet like minded people. About 99% of my friends are potters. There are a number of craft shows and fairs available for ceramic artists to sell their wares. Currently I have a booth inside the Pottery Expo tent at the State Fair. For nine days fair goers have access to purchase from more than fifty potters there. North Carolina has a very strong history of pottery, partly due to the abundance of clay in the soil here. I also participate each year at the Boylan Heights ArtWalk, the first Sunday in December. It is a five hour outdoor show with very loyal supporters. And four out of five years , the weather has been great!
Do you have any advice for beginning potters?
I teach many adults how to use the potters wheel and how to hand build at the Clayton Community Center. Everyone learns at their own pace. For some the challenges of the wheel are overcome intuitively, some not so much. Patience, practice and persistence is my motto.
What are your favorite items to make on the wheel and why?
I was asked this question by one of my students recently and after a little thought I told her, anything new. I love working on new forms and processes that I had never tried before or just saw on Pinterest or in a video. I get bored quickly once I’ve mastered something and want a new challenge for myself. Right now I am working on creating cake stands. They are a two-part piece that needs to be technically correct as well as aesthetically pleasing.
What do you find to be most inspiring insofar as coming up with new designs is concerned?
Pinterest! On days I lack motivation I get on Pinterest and see so many cool things that other artists are making with clay and I cant get to the studio fast enough to try something out and put my own “spin” ( pun intended) on it!
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