I sit in the pottery studio studying the grey mass of clay that sits in front of me. I look over to see a classmate uncover a project that looks exactly like a blooming rose. Another student is working on a “dia de los muertos” stylized skull. I look at my clay. I decide to get a drink of water hoping some inspiration will come to me.
As I pass an open hall that leads to another studio, a painting at the end catches my eye. It’s brightly colored with a mosaic pattern, and no two shapes are exactly the same. I look to the right and notice an earthy blend of colors for a background with the figure of a woman in the process of being painted.
Some students are working in the studio down the hall with music playing. I make my way back into the pottery studio and see a couple students transporting wood and other odd objects to another studio. Every time they come back through the doors of our studio they have something different: a lamp shade, a chair, an old bellow… I notice seniors who are in the process of completing their portfolios and how confident they are in their work.
They may still have periods of doubt, but they found a direction throughout their years of experimenting and developing. No artist starts out painting the “Mona Lisa” or sculpting the “Pietá.” It takes practice and patience to get to that stage. I may not be a skilled artist, but I’m learning that everyone can find a medium to express themselves in if they try.
I sit back down in front of my clay and begin to work, realizing my piece will never be like the blooming rose or the stylized skull. It won’t be like the bright mosaic or the earthy woman. It will be a collection of random inspirations whether that be something I see on campus, a song I hear or even a color that jumps out at me. My clay will be transformed into something that is totally my own, and it will be part of a series of unique pieces while I discover what medium is best for me.
Katherine Lavacca can be reached at katherine.lavacca@spartans.ut.edu.