I once read Anthony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, solely for the chapter about his hands. He writes that chefs need to keep their knives so sharp (for precise cutting and safety) that one’s hands become victims of the tool. He describes the scars and burns on a chef ’s hands as both a hideous constellation of old scars and as trophies proudly championing great accomplishment. As someone who also enjoys working with her hands to create something, I too, have come to revere my hands as battered but beloved tools.
Like most ceramic artists, I enjoy seeing the marks made by my hands that remain in the clay long after the work is fired, but I also love just seeing my hands working in clay, constantly shifting from a state of slippery to dusty and back again. I have old-looking hands, always have, with slender fingers, wrinkly skin, and big knuckles. Like Bourdain, my hands tell my story—a scar on my thumb from when I thought I could stop a boat from hitting a dock; another on my palm from shucking oysters without gloves; a burn from loading a soda kiln during a Minnesota winter with the burners turned on for warmth; another from a jutting kiln element while unloading still-hot bisqueware; and several more from wild needle-tool use. Even though they are dinged up, my hands are my favorite part of my body—for how they look and for what I know I can make with them—plates to eat off of, cups to drink out of, bowls to mix in. Although I have a lot of favorite tools in my toolbox—a red-handled X-Acto knife and a small, red rubber rib— none are as versatile or show the hours of time spent in the studio as my own hands do.
In this issue, we celebrate our love of tools and tool use. We showcase which tools work best for each project and introduce a few new tool hacks. Ali Schorman masters an AirPen and a glaze sprayer to decorate her wine cups; Veronica Watkins and Amy Brummond use a drill bit to move through soft clay and clear glaze clogs; Robert Chamberlin takes a cue from cake decorators and manipulates piping bags and custom tips for surface decorating; Ann Ruel and Dan Ingersoll return to show us how household materials such as tar paper and plywood can be used as templates; and Emma Jackson finds a way to use just about every tool in her toolbox to create texture.
Once your hands are done flipping the pages in this issue, bring them to the studio and try a few of the projects on your own. Cheers!
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I once read Anthony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, solely for the chapter about his hands. He writes that chefs need to keep their knives so sharp (for precise cutting and safety) that one’s hands become victims of the tool. He describes the scars and burns on a chef ’s hands as both a hideous constellation of old scars and as trophies proudly championing great accomplishment. As someone who also enjoys working with her hands to create something, I too, have come to revere my hands as battered but beloved tools.
Like most ceramic artists, I enjoy seeing the marks made by my hands that remain in the clay long after the work is fired, but I also love just seeing my hands working in clay, constantly shifting from a state of slippery to dusty and back again. I have old-looking hands, always have, with slender fingers, wrinkly skin, and big knuckles. Like Bourdain, my hands tell my story—a scar on my thumb from when I thought I could stop a boat from hitting a dock; another on my palm from shucking oysters without gloves; a burn from loading a soda kiln during a Minnesota winter with the burners turned on for warmth; another from a jutting kiln element while unloading still-hot bisqueware; and several more from wild needle-tool use. Even though they are dinged up, my hands are my favorite part of my body—for how they look and for what I know I can make with them—plates to eat off of, cups to drink out of, bowls to mix in. Although I have a lot of favorite tools in my toolbox—a red-handled X-Acto knife and a small, red rubber rib— none are as versatile or show the hours of time spent in the studio as my own hands do.
In this issue, we celebrate our love of tools and tool use. We showcase which tools work best for each project and introduce a few new tool hacks. Ali Schorman masters an AirPen and a glaze sprayer to decorate her wine cups; Veronica Watkins and Amy Brummond use a drill bit to move through soft clay and clear glaze clogs; Robert Chamberlin takes a cue from cake decorators and manipulates piping bags and custom tips for surface decorating; Ann Ruel and Dan Ingersoll return to show us how household materials such as tar paper and plywood can be used as templates; and Emma Jackson finds a way to use just about every tool in her toolbox to create texture.
Once your hands are done flipping the pages in this issue, bring them to the studio and try a few of the projects on your own. Cheers!
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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