Since ancient times, women have been drawn to vessels for gathering. Our bodies are vessels, as well, and our “gatherings” can include stories and memories, secrets and intentions. We will look at images, do a little freeform journalling and brainstorming, and create objects of personal, spiritual and symbolic meaning.

Classes begin with a brief lecture and slide show with examples of ancient and contemporary clay work. Using some basic hand-forming techniques and the magical, malleable medium of clay, join us to explore this primal connection to our ancestors and the earth. No clay experience required.

• Week 1: The Gathering Vessel: Consider the role of the vessel in anthropological records, and create a container to hold totems of your inner world. (As in all your projects, you can choose whether to share the meanings of your creations, or keep them personal.)
• Week 2: The Personal Altar: Learn about the variety and beauty of household altars across time and cultures, then do some brainstorming and create your own altar, for the sacred or the mundane. Honor an ancestor or loved one, glorify a daily ritual, or create a spot for meditation.
• Week 3: The Four Elements: The clay is both water and earth. In this class, we finish and decorate our previous projects, learn about primitive firing techniques, and experiment with out own “air and fire” processes in finishing clay.
• Week 4: The Village: after brainstorming about our own comforts and material needs, we will engage our sense of play and consider both the personal and a sense of community by building a village in clay. This will be a collaborative project, as well as a final gathering to celebrate, show and discuss the work we have completed during this course.
  

Kelly Averill-Savino is a local artist with a graduate degree in Folklore and an MFA in Ceramics. Her interests in ancient clay and cultural traditions inspire her work.