Good afternoon, everyone!
How’s your weekend going? I hope you’re making the most of your time, if you’ve got these two days off to spend as you please.
Fortunately, this is one of the really positive aspects of my job: not having to work at the weekends. Of course, there are always trade-offs, but I like knowing that, when a new week begins, I’ll have two days at the end of it to rest, do different things, learn new things and get out of the house.
Basically, that’s what I ended up doing yesterday.
I’d arranged to go with a friend this Saturday for a stroll along a footbridge that had been opened relatively recently. That meant I wasn’t ‘open’ to any other plans, activities or invitations from other people, no matter how interesting the other events might have been.
But midweek – I think it was on Tuesday – I received a newsletter from a cultural association I often visit, which regularly organizes free cultural events for the local community and beyond.
In this newsletter from Quinta do Alegre, I saw that there was going to be a pottery workshop this very Saturday.
I can’t remember the last time I had any contact with clay… Perhaps it was back when I was at primary school. What’s certain is that I didn’t want to miss this opportunity, especially knowing how good it would be, and on top of that, with no entry fee.
I quickly sent an email asking to book two places for the event, as soon as I’d got confirmation from my friend that she also thought it would be a good alternative to a walk in the countryside. In the reply to my email from the association, I received the answer I’d hoped to avoid. Unfortunately, there were no more places available for the event, as all the places had already been booked.
However, they also informed me that I would be placed on the waiting list, and that I would be contacted again should there be any cancellations or no confirmation from those already registered.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday came and went… And then, on Friday, already mid-morning, there was a new message in my inbox, sent by Quinta do Alegre. The email informed me that there had been a cancellation and that, as I was first on the waiting list, I could book the activity straight away if I was interested.
Of course, I confirmed my interest straight away and went ahead and booked my place!
Everything was falling into place for Saturday to be a really interesting day. The fact is, it was bound to be.
I must admit I had very high expectations, and they were certainly not disappointed!
The instructor is a teacher at a renowned vocational school of fine arts. And it was a pleasure to learn from him how to work with red clay, both on the potter’s wheel (an electric version) and later on the workbench.
During the workshop, I didn’t have the chance to take any photos, so I ended up only taking them before we literally got our hands in the clay, and at the end when the participants put the pieces they’d made out to air-dry.
We were told that the pieces would be fired in September, and that we would probably be able to pop into the teacher’s studio in October to collect them.
The art of working with clay is truly an act of love. It requires us to be focused, yet relaxed at the same time. We have to keep our hands steady in one place, whilst being gentle with the pressure we apply to the piece. It’s certainly an experience that will stay with me, and one I’ll definitely want to repeat soon!
How was your weekend?
@xrayman