The first time I watched a potter throwing clay I was mesmerized. Turning a ball of clay into a vessel using a turning wheel seemed like magic. I immediately took an evening class only to find that the magic was really a skill that required lots of practice and many failures. It wasn’t until I moved to east Tennessee in the 1980s that I first immersed myself in the craft. In the heart of Appalachia, I worked beside and befriended some of the regions’s most accomplished potters. Following a 20 year hiatus I revived my interest in pottery after moving to Oregon a decade ago. What I love most about pottery is its melding of functional objects with artistic expression. The process requires your complete focus, meshing mind and hands in creating pieces that people can enjoy using.