Artist Statement
Tammy Jo Schoppet

“365 Days of Clay Cups”

 “The first New Years Resolution I’ve ever kept”. 365 Days of Clay Cups  started out as my simple hobby potter attempt at learning the skills I needed to create quality cups on a potters wheel. By publishing daily videos on YouTube of my amateur efforts, I’d hoped experienced potters would step in and share their knowledge with me. I also wanted to track my progress and create an environment where I needed to be accountable for continuous practice. The process provided all of it and so much more.

My “real-time” journey as a hobby potter, turned into an overwhelmingly inspiring group effort, with people from all over the world encouraging me along the way. It brought together gracious experienced potters who were willing to share their techniques,  along with other like-minded novice potters who were able to learn by watching my trials and errors.

I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I transitioned from wanting to solely learn pottery techniques, to being interested in the esthetic possibilities of the medium.  I found my own voice and discovered that I preferred the utilitarian forms when combined with both the beauty of perfection and the element of imperfection. Living in a world of quickly reproduced identical forms, it’s the depth of character and inability to duplicate the organic imperfections that intrigue me. It is my goal to create spontaneous patterns and forms keeping that ingredient of uniqueness in every piece.

My work is initially conceived through a very basic thought on form and then I allow the flow of spontaneity to determine its final outcome. The first few cups in the series were made using white earthenware clay, but I quickly moved to commercially prepared stoneware clays and glazes. The glaze application was achieved by both brushing and dipping, and then fired in a kiln to over 2,000 degrees.  Besides the use of a pottery wheel and a variety of standard pottery tools, I generally prefer using non-traditional items for my designs.  Some of my favorite non-traditional tools are a children’s Playdough extruder to make handles, and my grandmother’s antique earrings to create textures. Any object with texture is a potential clay tool for me and a new exciting adventure in its use! 

Thank you for allowing me to share with you my 365 journey as well as my future projects. It was a wonderfully challenging adventure that I hope you enjoyed creating it. If you are interested in seeing any of these cups being made, feel free watch the series of videos on www.youtube.com/hobbypotter/ ! 

Philosophy:
Wheel thrown clay is a beautiful metaphor for the ebb and flow of our lives. A simple mound clay is formed into a vessel, then put through the fires of a kiln to emerge as a solid completed work, beautiful but rarely perfect. Being that we are made up of same elements found in the earth and the chosen example our Creator uses to describe our existence, there is a connection that is undeniably surreal.

Background:
My encounter with clay began at a fairly young age has continually made its appearances throughout the course of my life. Like most children I was an avid play dough artist and mud pie connoisseur, with an endless supply of creative inspirations. At the age of 7, I joyfully created an abstract body sculpture to the delight of my parents and the local Girl Scout Troop.

This interest grew further as a teen when I had the opportunity to work at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, CA. Studying the vessels as I attended the galleries, I was in awe with these pieces made by the hands of potters thousands of years before me.

25 years later with those memories in my pocket, I was given the opportunity to re-cultivate the desire to work with clay. At the insistence of my health care provider to “slow down my work and find a relaxing hobby”, I knew exactly which hobby it would be. It was inevitable pottery and ceramics would be the medium for my creative outlet.

Why 365 Days of Clay Cups?
Being that I was an already busy person with the home education of my four children and also running a small business, I had to get creative with my pottery instruction. Traditional ceramic courses were not an option so it was then I decided to set up a small pottery wheel at home. I poured over books, DVD’s and online videos for my instruction. As time passed it occurred to me that I really needed some professional critique and a consistent effort to improve…thus was born the project “365 Days of Clay Cups”.

One cup a day for a year sounded reasonable. I figured by publishing my daily cup throwing sessions and tracking my progressive growth for a solid year, it would give continuous practice and daily accountability in my small cracks of time. I decided to show it all, the good, the bad and the ugly and hold nothing back. I was open to critical evaluations with the full intent of learning these skills I needed.

This real-time journey as a hobby potter, turned into an overwhelmingly inspiring group effort, with people from all over the world instructing me and encouraging me along the way. It brought together gracious experienced potters who were willing to share their techniques and like-minded clay enthusiasts who were able to learn from watching my mistakes. This combined effort had shown me how art can truly create and inspire a bond unity between people.